ã€ŠExousiaã€‹


 Exousia Prologue

    If someone had the power to change history, no, the world even, what would that person do with that said power? That single question received several different answers. Some mundane such as achieving world peace or world domination. Others responded with hopes of selfishly acquiring the means of immortality or omnipotence. A rare few chose to save the world even.

    Although, some of their methods may have been questionable.

    To some, as a method to save the world, they wished to destroy it and create a new one of their design. Others wanted to eradicate all forms of evil, thus cleansing the world of its impurity; as if that would be possible. Although, that has not stopped humans from trying to accomplish such a feat in the first place. Not that it was not understandable.

    The world, no, all worlds are rotten.

    History had proven that beings of all races had conflicts and disputes over their respected viewpoints. They fought, battled, and waged wars over pointless arguments as to which answer was genuinely correct.

    Which viewpoint was more righteous than the other? Was there even a right answer to such a hypothetical question?

    In the end, how one chose to change the world did not matter. Nothing ever changed unless someone had the one necessary thing to achieve such a goal.

    Power.

    Power was needed to achieve anything in any world. Without it, all beings were doomed to get crushed underneath the feet of the strong.

    Though it may sound distasteful, that was the undeniable truth in any world, in any universe. The strong would survive while the weak perish, that was the undeniable truth of the unforgiving worlds. They show no mercy and punish all those that are too feeble to inhabit it.

    Therefore, all beings craved power. It was a way to make up for their weaknesses.

    A survival instinct.

    They did not wish to perish, so they found ways to grow strong, to bypass the limits given to them by their creators, the Gods, and Goddesses. Quite amusing really, watching little creations of Gods struggle to obtain something they were never meant to have in the first place. While some of their methods were unique and often at times unorthodox, in the end, all their results were the same.

    Power was an addiction. A small taste of it would only incite a fierce hunger for more. It was just the natural way of things. For as long as the concept of power existed, there would be winners and losers.

    The powerful and the fragile.

    In the search for power¡ªassurance for their survival in the unforgiving worlds, humanity invented many exciting pieces of technology that saved them from their inevitable demises. They erected safe havens to protect them from the ravenous creatures that roamed their lands, the harsh weather climates that destroyed their pitiful civilizations, and they were even lucky enough to receive divine protection from the Gods and Goddesses themselves, or rather a select few of them.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    How lucky.

    But despite all that, absolutely nothing changed.

    The world remained the same. The strong ruled over the weak and humanity relentlessly searched for other methods of gaining more power as if that would do them any good in the end. There was no compromise. There was no common ground.

    Or at least that was how it was supposed to be. One thing that was for sure in a world filled with lesser beings, no matter how inferior they were, there were no absolutes.

    That is why they got summoned¡ªthe ones destined to defy fate and forge paths of their own¡ªthe ones that would change the world.

    For better or worse had yet to be seen.

    They all stood by the foot of her throne, shrouded by her shadow. Their heads raised, eyes mixed with confusion, curiosity, and terror gazed at the enormous woman that looked down on them with no emotion in her cold, piercing eyes. Over one-hundred chains stretched out in the void around her and kept the large woman bound to the throne.

    Only her long, raven black hair was allowed to move around freely, despite that there was no breeze felt anywhere.

    The people around the mysterious woman opened their mouths, but no sound emitted from their throats. Their voices could not reach her as if their words held no merit.

    The woman on the throne opened her mouth and declared, "Listen to me well, chosen ones. I am the Overseer of this world. You may all know me as the Goddess of Creation, Shura. Do not attempt to speak any further; I have made it so that your availing words will not reach me at this moment. For what I have to announce outweigh whatever you wish to say.¡±

    With her words of absolute divinity, the summoned ones settled down. None of them dared to speak any further at the risk of facing the wrath of the proclaimed goddess. Confident that no one would attempt to interrupt, the Goddess continued,

    ¡°Those of you standing here, in the realm of Gods, have been selected to participate in the God Selection. You have all been granted powers by me to fight against each other. You will find others like you around the planet and fight to the death. The God Selection will cease once only eight of you are left. From those eight, only one will be chosen to ascend my throne and inherit the title of God.¡±

    It was then she saw it. The eyes of the summoned ones drastically changed. The meaning behind the change did not matter to Shura. All she knew was that they all shared one thing in common.

    They wanted to survive.

    She continued to play off their desire. With a snap of her fingers, sources of light shined down and revealed seven individuals that stood confidently before her, hovering on platforms.

    ¡°These seven individuals are my guardians, my most trusted champions. They will watch over and report the progress of the God Selection. Should any of you have trouble utilizing your powers or have any concerns regarding the God Selection, feel free to seek them out. They will explain everything to you.¡± Shura snapped her fingers and dismissed the sources of light. The light disappeared as well as the seven individuals. ¡°Now then, go forth, kill each other¡ªthe winner shall inherit my power of creation! All of your wildest dreams and desires shall be realized as long as you fight for it!¡±

    Her almighty declaration thundered throughout the entire void. It was impossible for someone not to have heard her. The objective was as clear as day.

    Use the powers granted by the Goddess of Creation to kill the others until only eight remained. From those eight¡ªone would ascend to the throne of God. It was an opportunity of a lifetime. No one could be foolish enough to ignore such a chance.

    The God Selection had begun.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 1 - Kyros Aleister!

    Dark grey clouds loomed over Pandora, the second largest city of Soteria Kingdom. An enormous and prosperous superpower that has lasted the ravages of time through any means necessary¡ªmanly battling against forces that sought out to destroy it. Upholding its image as one of the seven most powerful countries in the world of Salome.

    Or at least that¡¯s how it was supposed to be. If the country has learned one thing through its years of expansion and survival¡ªit¡¯s that peace never lasts for long.

    That fact became evident in the commercial district of the city; a young man stood in front of a large pile of burnt rubble that was once a well-established restaurant.

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    The cool, Alsus breeze that drifted by brought the scent of burning wood and a foul, nauseating stench. One that was also regrettably nostalgic for the man.

    Corpses.

    The smell of death was all too familiar to him. It clung to him, no matter how many times he tried to avoid it.

    Underneath the burnt pile of rubble were bodies¡ªcorpses of people that he was supposed to protect. The putrid smell of burnt flesh taunted him¡ªcontinually reminding him of his failure to safeguard the people of his country once more.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He sincerely apologized to the corpses from the bottom of his heart; as if it would¡¯ve done him any good. They couldn¡¯t hear him. They couldn¡¯t feel the sincerity in his voice¡ªor anything else for that matter.

    Their time in the world was over.

    ¡°Captain Aleister, sir!¡± One of the man¡¯s subordinates, Private Argus, addressed him.

    The man slowly drew his attention away from the rubble then faced his subordinate, ¡°What do you have to report?¡± He sternly demanded with a militaristic tone.

    "Sir! This incident was the result of a battle between an Exousia and a two-man team of Hunters!" Argus reported.

    The Captain clicked his tongue in annoyance then continued, ¡°An Exousia, huh? Any information concerning its whereabouts?¡±

    A grimace crossed the Private¡¯s face before he shook his head, "All we''ve been able to gather was that it managed to escape from the Hunters by causing the explosion that destroyed the restaurant. Other than that, we have nothing to go on."

    "I find that very hard to believe.¡± The Captain stepped forward, getting in Argus¡¯ face. ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that there aren¡¯t any witnesses? No other leads that can help us locate and capture it?¡±

    "The people that we''ve questioned about the incident are still in shock. All they can remember up to is the explosion. All of them are now on their way to the hospital."

    "So, we may have to give it some time before we question them again, right?" The Captain took a step back and took a moment to weigh his options. The situation was disastrous. No toleration for mistakes. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll just have to visit those witnesses then. We can¡¯t let this Exousia run free any longer.¡± He brushed past his subordinate then wandered over to the Nemean¡ªa high military-grade vehicle known for its near indestructibility.

    The eleven remaining members of the Captain¡¯s unit were conversing with the civilians and police officers behind the barricades. When they noticed their superior officer approaching, they broke away and gave him a salute.

    "Captain, are we moving out?" Private Bion inquired.

    "Yes. We¡¯re heading to Pandora Hospital,¡± The Captain confirmed. ¡°We need to question the witnesses a bit more regarding the Exousia.¡±

    The man stepped on the back of one of the three Nemean¡¯s lined up on the road. The unit split off into three groups of four. Once everyone was situated, the Captain gave the order to move out. All three vehicles took off down the road.

    Their destination¡ªPandora Hospital.

    "Captain, are you sure it''s a good idea for us to continue with this search? Wouldn''t it be wise for us to get in contact with General Amos'' army?" Argus inquired.

    "Yeah, Captain. The War Dogs are far more suited for search and capture missions than we are." Bion mentioned.

    "Our initial mission concerned nothing more than information gathering. I don''t think that we''re prepared for this." Another subordinate, Sergeant Homer, added.

    "An Exousia is not something that we expected to come across today, Captain. We should call for reinforcements." Argus suggested.

    Over time, their words no longer registered in the Captain¡¯s mind. Their constant pleas for reinforcements irked him. Had they forgotten that he was the Captain of the unit? He had pride in his status and rank.

    Besides, it wasn''t his first time encountering an Exousia.

    However, he couldn¡¯t refute them. After all, their words held merit. Soldiers serving in General Amos'' army, the War Dogs, were far more suited for commando-type missions.

    The Captain¡¯s unit, the Night Owls, served under General Zofia¡¯s army. They specialized in stealth, reconnaissance, and information gathering. Combat wasn¡¯t necessary but encouraged.

    But, the Captain refused to allow that simple fact to deter him in the slightest. He refused to waver. Flashes of the destroyed restaurant raced through his mind. He grimaced at the remembrance of the burnt and charred corpses, the smells they gave off.

    He didn¡¯t care if his unit was not meant to hunt down the Exousia. He was going to see to it that he did it anyway. If reinforcements were called to assist, he wouldn¡¯t mind. The more, the merrier.

    It never hurt to have more allies in battle. However, the Captain wouldn''t condone sitting on the sidelines while people of the country suffered at the hands of the wicked.

    "Go ahead and request for reinforcements from Headquarters. It will take them some time before they get here." The Captain stated. "So, it¡¯ll be okay for us to continue our search in the meantime."

    Although reluctant, his subordinates nodded their heads in unison. Argus grabbed the radio then requested for reinforcements from Headquarters. Meanwhile, the others remained silent¡ªmentally preparing themselves for what was eventually to come.

    Battle.

    As soldiers in the Soterian Military, they had their fair share of combat experience. However, a fight against an Exousia was an entirely different story compared to their usual opponents.

    Exousia were beings that possessed supernatural powers and abilities. The potential to grow and tower over mountains, disintegrate anything they touched, topple entire nations¡ªwhatever crazy ability one thought of; there were people out there in the world of Salome that could perform such acts.

    It was seven years ago when they first appeared. Many cities and small countries were laid to waste because of them. They brought a new meaning to the term massacre.

    Those short seven years felt more like seven decades to the planet¡¯s inhabitants.

    Fighting against an Exousia was no easy feat, let alone defeating them. But, it wasn¡¯t impossible. Unlike his subordinates, the Captain had experience.

    Unfortunately, even with him at their side, the mood inside of the vehicle wasn¡¯t the most ideal. Their doubt and uneasiness hung in the air.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "Tell me something men. If you had the power to change history, no, the world even, what would you do with that said power?" The Captain suddenly asked to break the tension.

    Confused glances traded around the vehicle. The first one that spoke was Argus.

    "Well since you asked, if I had the power to change the world, I would go about exacting justice on every criminal that I come across. The Exousia for example, Captain."

    "That seems like a waste of time considering that you do that anyway. And you''re not even that good at it," Homer mocked him, immediately earning a sharp glare from Argus, "If I had the power to change the world, I would certainly make it a better place."

    "Make it a better place? Care to elaborate on how you would do that?" asked the Captain.

    "I would start off by first ridding the world of corruption, oppression, terrorism, and racism." He answered.

    "Indeed, the world would be better off without those things. But unfortunately, obtaining such power is impossible for us mere mortals." Bion complained.

    "The Exousia, on the other hand, have all the luck. Blessed with such catastrophic power that rivals even the Goddess herself," mentioned Argus as he stared out the window. "If I were an Exousia, I would do so many great things, like to use my powers to help people."

    "Same here. Being an Exousia would be great. We could help so many people, solve most if not all of the world''s problems." Bion added.

    "I know what you mean. I wish I were an Exousia too." Homer announced.

    ¡°Stop spouting nonsense!¡± The Captain demanded. With a slam of his foot, the entire place fell silent. ¡°None of you want to be an Exousia. Be proud of being what you are. Besides, you¡¯re all aware of how the public view them.¡±

    When the threat of reality dawned on the men, their faces turned grim.

    "That''s true. If people learned that we were Exousia, we''d be hunted down and executed." Homer mentioned, his face went pale at the mere thought of it.

    "None of us want that. That''s for sure." Argus said.

    "Thanks for setting us straight, Captain. By the way, you need to answer your question as well. I''d like to hear it,¡± requested Bion.

    "Yeah! I''d like to hear your answer, Captain!" Argus said.

    "Don''t try and avoid the question now. If you had the power to change the world, what would you do with it?" Homer inquired.

    Bion and Homer affixed their gazes onto the Captain. Their eyes shined intensely with anticipation and expectancy. Just when he opened his mouth to answer, the Nemean came to an abrupt halt.

    "Why did you suddenly stop, Argus?" Homer exclaimed as he pressed his hand against the wall to support himself.

    "There''s a problem outside the hospital! Something must have happened!" Argus alerted us.

    All four men left the vehicle in a hurry. The entire unit soon stood in front of the hospital building.

    Their bodies stiffened at the sound of screaming civilians. The screams tore through their bodies as if they were made of paper.

    Scrambling outside of the large building in front of them were dozens of medical personnel and patients. Those that were mortally wounded or unable to walk were carried out on stretchers.

    Trails of their blood painted the pavement.

    If the outside of the building was so chaotic, the soldiers could only imagine how it was like on the inside. Regardless of the situation, the chaos had to get remedied immediately. All the panic couldn¡¯t be allowed to continue for much longer¡ªunless the people wanted an even greater tragedy to befall them.

    The Captain immediately approached the nearest authority figure he could find. Fortunately, it was a police officer.

    ¡°What happened here?¡± He placed his hand on the officer¡¯s shoulder.

    "That was faster than expected. I figured it would have been at least twenty minutes for you to arrive." The officer said.

    "We just so happened to be in the area," said the Captain as he pointed to the medallion attached to the blue sash going diagonally across his torso. It displayed the symbol of his General. It depicted curved owl wings behind it with the letter ¡®Z¡¯ placed above it. ¡°I¡¯m Kyros Aleister. Captain of the Fifth Recon unit serving under General Zofia¡¯s army.¡±

    "Aleister?" The police officer harshly repeated. Other authority figures that heard the Captain''s name turned their eyes of disdain at him. Even in the most disastrous situations, the people of his country always found the time to send those god-awful glares his way.

    "Now isn¡¯t the time for this,¡± Kyros leaked a sigh, knowing exactly the reason behind the sudden change in the man¡¯s behavior. ¡°Tell me what happened here."

    "¡­Okay, there''s an Exousia inside of the hospital. He showed up here a while ago to receive some treatment for an injury. He was refused service, and we were called to arrest him when he started to make a scene." The officer started.

    Kyros didn¡¯t bother to hear the rest. A clear line had been drawn inside of his head at that moment. The Exousia refused to get arrested and then used his powers to defend himself.

    "What should we do, Captain?" asked Argus.

    "We¡¯ll split up into two separate teams. One team will remain out here and help the police establish a perimeter around the hospital," Kyros started, turning around to face his subordinates, "the second team will be joining me inside the hospital where we¡¯ll deal with the capture of the Exousia ourselves. Any complaints?"

    "Captain, shouldn''t we all head inside together? There''s strength in numbers, right?" Bion inquired.

    "Not in this case," Kyros shook my head, "that would be a mistake on our part. The power of the Exousia is unknown to us. The fewer men we have, the better. Any more questions?"

    "None!" They responded in unison.

    "Excellent. You five are with me," Kyros pointed to the first five men, "the others will remain out here and help the police."

    With that, everyone had their assignments. Kyros, leading the second team, rushed inside of the hospital¡ªexpecting the fight of their lives. To their immediate horror, they entered the lobby and found it completely trashed. It appeared as if a hurricane had gone through and destroyed everything in its path.

    Anything not bolted down was flipped upside down and scattered across the area. Among those things were dozens of mangled bodies. Limbs and innards of former living beings were scattered.

    The wretched stench of fresh blood overwhelmed the noses of the soldiers. Crimson liquid drenched nearly every inch of the room.

    "My goddess. This is horrible." Argus lamented, turning his head away from the mangled bodies spread across the floor.

    "What kind of sick power must that Exousia have to do something like this to innocent people?" Bion angrily asked.

    Kyros closed his eyes and curled his hands into fists, activating the bracelets on his wrists. They expanded and enveloped his fists, creating his weapons of choice¡ªhis trusty gauntlets.

    "Search around every single floor for any survivors. Should you find any, make sure that you help them escape in one piece,¡± Kyros proceeded onward.

    "Captain, what are you going to be doing?" Sergeant First Class Jason called out to him.

    The Captain stopped abruptly, "I¡¯m going to put an end to this."

    The man continued onward, leaving his subordinates to their assignment. He moved on to the next floor in search of the Exousia.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 2 - Kyros vs. Thelo!

    Kyros was in hell. That was the only explanation he could think of at that moment. All he encountered throughout his search in the hospital was blood, death, and gore. Dark shades of crimson liquid painted the hallways of white.

    Mangled bodies and innards scattered everywhere.

    Proceeding through without stepping on anything was damn near impossible. As Kyros continued his search, he called out to anyone in hopes of finding a survivor. Although foolish, he didn¡¯t let up.

    Someone had to be alive. Anyone would do.

    The sight of each corpse forced memories that he buried to resurface. However, his stern face refused to show it. Keeping his composure in dire situations as one of a soldier''s initial training regimens.

    Besides, the completion of the mission took priority over his personal feelings.

    Kyros continued his search throughout the second floor. There was nothing.

    He moved to the third floor. Nothing there as well.

    The fourth floor was next. Nothing found once again.

    Finally, he reached the fifth floor.

    Off in the distance, a shrilled voice carried down the hallway. Kyros followed the sound and arrived on the scene in a matter of seconds. His eyes widened at the sight of a couple¡ªa man and a woman in medical attire, levitating inches off the ground. They grasped their necks as ragged gasps escaped from their mouths.

    Standing before them was another man. Both of his arms extended towards the couple. He had brown, shaggy hair that reached down to his shoulders. His blue eyes burned with intense focus and determination.

    The man slowly balled his hands into fists. The pained faces on the couple intensified. Their faces slowly turned blue; tears streamed down their faces.

    That scene alone was more than enough for Kyros to conclude that the man in front of him was none other than the Exousia, the one that was responsible for all the gruesome deaths at the restaurant and hospital.

    Without warning, Kyros tackled the Exousia to the ground then landed a strike across his face. Whatever hold the man had on the innocent couple was instantly broken. The two of them dropped back down on the floor then desperately tried to catch their breaths.

    The military Captain kept the Exousia pinned to the ground then looked over at the couple, ¡°Get out of here! I¡¯ll hold him off!¡±

    Without hesitation, the man and the woman quickly exited the room, leaving him alone with the Exousia. When Kyros returned his attention to the downed man, he noticed the man¡¯s left hand emitting a bright light. Seconds later, a mysterious force took hold of him.

    With a quick wave of the Exousia¡¯s hand, Kyros levitated off the ground. He struggled with all his might to break free. But, it was futile.

    He was at the complete mercy of the Exousia.

    ¡°You''ve chosen the wrong person to piss off today,¡± The Exousia glared daggers at Kyros. A sharp pain coursed through his body. The source of the pain came from the wound in his stomach. Blood seeped through the cracks of his fingers and stained his clothes and the floor.

    "You''re wounded." Kyros pointed out. However, not a shred sympathy resided in his voice.

    The Exousia gritted his teeth and moved his free hand over the wound. With another wave of his hand, he violently tossed Kyros against the nearest wall.

    "Consider that a warning. Don''t interfere again."

    The Exousia didn¡¯t even bother to check and see if Kyros was conscious or not. His attention directed elsewhere. He slowly left the room, heading out to chase after the couple that escaped.

    Kyros quickly returned to his feet then stepped outside the room. Upon stepping out into the hallway, he came across a familiar sight.

    The Exousia used his powers again to levitate the couple off the floor.

    "Don''t think for a second that I''m going to let you two escape from me!" The Exousia exclaimed. Shards of broken glass lying next to his feet suddenly levitated into the air. With a gesture of his finger, the glass inched closer and closer to towards the eyes of the man and woman.

    "Let them go!" Kyros shouted, taking off down the hall towards the Exousia.

    The Exousia looked over his shoulder and frowned at the sight of the approaching soldier.

    "You again? I thought I told you not to interfere!"

    The shards of glass turned and flew across the hallway, heading directly for Kyros.

    The military Captain stood his ground and brought his hands up close to his face. Once the shards entered his range, he performed a combination of fast punches, shattering the glass shards with his gauntlets.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    With the shards gone, Kyros bolted down the hallway. Just when he came close to apprehending the Exousia again, he found himself floating in mid-air.

    "You¡¯re becoming a pain in my ass," The Exousia complained. He took his eyes off the couple and shifted his gaze to Kyros. "Who the fuck are you?"

    "You know it¡¯s rude to ask for my name without introducing yourself first." Kyros sarcastically responded.

    "Thelo," The man introduced himself. With another gesture of his index finger, he brought Kyros closer to him. He leaned his head in and glared him right in the eyes. "now who are you?"

    "Kyros Aleister. Captain of the fifth recon unit serving under General Zofia''s army."

    "The military," Thelo blinked in surprise at the realization, "damn it. So, now I gotta deal with the police outside and the military? Can this day get any worse for me?"

    Thelo scratched the back of his neck as he contemplated where to go from there. He considered the people lined up outside to be nothing more than a hindrance. One way or another, someone got in his way. All he sought out for was medical attention for the wound in his stomach. Next thing he knew, he had the police on him.

    Since he came to the country, he had done nothing wrong. And yet, one after another, people attacked him without provocation. If anything, he was the victim. It wasn¡¯t a crime to defend oneself.

    But, Kyros didn¡¯t see it that way. To him, Thelo was nothing more than a murderer. One that he wouldn¡¯t allow harming anyone else.

    "What did you expect to happen when you attacked a restaurant and a hospital, killing dozens of innocent people? Did you think that no one would act? Did you think that you would get away with your crimes? Did you¡­¡± Kyros suddenly stopped once an intense sensation around his throat silenced him.

    The source of the sensation came from Thelo. The Exousia activated his powers to strangle the helpless man. He stood there emotionlessly as he watched the color in Kyros¡¯ face slowly change. When the military man¡¯s arms fell limp at his sides, he canceled his chokehold.

    "Don''t talk all high and mighty just because you''re in the military. If I wished, I could kill you right here and now," Thelo threatened him, "but I don''t have time to mess around with you anymore. Out of my sight."

    Thelo extended his arm out, throwing Kyros all the way down the hall with once again. He skidded across the ground then came to a complete stop after colliding with the wall.

    Kyros pushed himself off the ground and looked down the hall. Thelo¡¯s focus returned to the couple once more. The military captain quickly stood.

    Afterward, he slammed his fists together and enabled one of the functions equipped with his gauntlets. The Ignis Vitalis glowed an intense red, igniting and consuming the gauntlets in flames.

    Kyros let out a mighty yell and threw a punch. A column of flames in the form of a fist traveled down the hallway and struck Thelo in the back. The man roared in excruciating pain as the fire consumed him. He dropped to the floor, frantically rolling around in a desperate attempt to douse the flames. His hold on the man and woman also severed. The couple fell back onto the ground and watched the Exousia cry out in agonizing pain.

    "What are you standing around for? Get out of here right now!" Kyros demanded.

    The man and woman soon came to their senses and heeded his words. Without hesitation, the two of them escaped down the stairwell. Once they left, Kyros looked back over to Thelo.

    The smoke from the flames swirled upward to the ceiling, eventually reaching the smoke detectors, thus setting them off and activating the sprinklers for the entire floor. Water sprayed out and poured down on everything, unfortunately extinguishing the flames on Thelo. The man lied on his back, taking deep breaths.

    "Now you''ve gone and done it." Thelo struggled to his feet as he glared furiously at Kyros.

    Any ordinary person would¡¯ve been terrified¡ªtrapped on a floor with an angered Exousia with hardly any other means of escape. But not Kyros. He knew that it was only a matter of time until he won.

    Thelo seemed far too wounded to handle a long, drawn-out battle. More blood seeped from the wound in his stomach. His legs wobbled uncontrollably. At any moment, the man would succumb to his injuries and collapse.

    "Why are you so adamant about hunting those two down? What have they done to you?" Kyros demanded with a firm, assertive tone.

    "What does it matter," Thelo responded, "this has nothing to do with you. This was between them and me. I warned you to stay out of my way the first time. But now it''s too late for you to leave this hospital with your life."

    "You need to stop fighting. You''re not going to survive much longer with that wound." Kyros pointed out.

    "Who the hell do you think you are?! Looking down on me?!" roared Thelo; multiple objects lifted off the floor. "You''re just a puny human! You''re powerless against me! And yet here you are, standing in my way?!"

    With another angered roar, the Exousia launched all the objects he could at Kyros. The soldier quickly dodged each object. The man took off down the hallway when the onslaught ceased, escaping from Thelo''s line of sight.

    "Oh, you have got to be kidding me. I don''t have time for this." Thelo made his way around the corner, not wanting his new target to escape. The damage his pride suffered wouldn''t heal until Kyros was dead. The moment he reared his face around the corner, Kyros'' fist collided into it.

    It didn¡¯t end there.

    Kyros pinned Thelo down to the ground and relentlessly pounded away at him. Images of the corpses that he saw that day flashed through his mind at that moment, fueling his intense rage. Men, women, children, it didn¡¯t matter to that monster. Thelo killed without discrimination, without hesitation.

    Kyros despised people like him. People that killed only for the thrill of it. He wanted to see to it that the man paid for everything that he had done to the innocents of the country.

    Before he could deliver the final blow, Thelo''s hand caught Kyros'' fist. Then, the Exousia shot up and slammed his forehead into Kyros¡¯ face, knocking him to the floor instantly. Next thing the downed soldier knew, he was lifted into the air by Thelo''s telekinetic powers.

    Thelo swung his arm out and tossed Kyros through the nearest wall. He walked over to the hole in the wall and peered his head through it. In the middle of the room lied Kyros'' motionless body.

    "Already dead?" Thelo slowly approached the body. When he got too close, Kyros quickly rose and opened the palm of his hand, activating another function of his gauntlets. That time, he used the Lumen Vitalis.

    A bright light emanated from the gauntlets and blinded the unsuspecting man. Thelo backed away from the wall with his hands covering his eyes, exclaiming in pain.

    Not wasting the chance, Kyros jumped through the hole in the wall and engaged the Exousia in combat once again. Approaching him quickly, Kyros landed consecutive strikes against Thelo. Mainly punches and a few occasional kicks. The last attack managed to force Thelo down to his knees.

    He went in for the final blow, but his body froze at the last second. Despite trying with all his might, he couldn¡¯t move a single muscle.

    Thelo used his telekinesis to subdue him again.

    "Enough of this! Go to hell!" Thelo shouted. In an extreme show of power, he blasted Kyros down the hall. He was blown back with enough force to crash through the walls until he was outside of the hospital building.

    He knew that because instead of a ceiling, he found himself staring up at the night sky. Gravity soon took its course and sent the man plummeting down to the street below.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 3 - Runa das Meer and Sarra Zosime!

    Sirens blared throughout the city of Pandora. Most citizens heeded the warning of the sirens and hid inside of their homes or any nearby establishment. However, there were a rare few that continued to wander around the city, daring to venture out and see what the cause of the commotion was.

    One of those rare few wasa lone, blue-haired woman in armor and fur that walked down a nearly empty street. Despite the sound of the sirens, the woman walked somewhat leisurely, without a care in the world. She carried her trusty weapon, a dual-edged spear over her shoulder. One couldn''t be too careful when wandering around alone at night, regardless of where they were.

    Citizens that spotted her instantly cleared the way, watching with disdain as the woman walked around as if she owned the place. The woman looked at the citizens and smirked, commending them for their bravery for staying out at night. But, she also looked down on them for having the nerve to show cowardice and jeer at her all at once.

    The closer the woman drew closer toward the sound of the sirens, the more her head began to hurt. She grimaced at the annoying, piercing racket. Loud noises were far too unbearable. That''s why she preferred to live out in the Gardens of Eden rather than any kingdom.

    It was usually calm and peaceful out there for the most part.

    But, no matter. She didn''t plan to stay in the Soteria Kingdom much longer. Once her mission was complete, she planned to collect her money then leave the wretched place behind once and for all.

    The woman eventually found herself standing behind a large crowd of people. Almost everyone stood aside and allowed the woman through to the front of the police barricade. She took immediate notice of their glances of disdain and their harsh whispers. But, she ignored them.

    She expected at least that much from the Soterians since she was a foreigner. Wild Lander was the term often used to describe those that dared to live outside the safety of the walls.

    The woman took one good, long look at the scene then wandered off. The terrible sight had nothing to do with her. It seemed like a restaurant exploded and killed numerous people.

    No concern of hers.

    Soon enough, more sirens plagued her eardrums. She heard them a few blocks away from the first crime scene. Her feet carried her towards the direction of the noise.

    The more time she spent inside the country, the more she regretted her decision of accepting the mission in the first place. The task proved to be far more trouble than it was worth. Sure, the payment was enticing. But, she''d only receive it once the job was done.

    Goddess knows how long that would take.

    The woman soon stopped abruptly on the sidewalk. A gnawing feeling in the back of her head troubled her.

    Someone was watching her, following her.

    Immediately, the woman turned around. There was nothing there.

    Or rather there was nothing there anymore. But, the woman wasn''t fooled. She felt insulted that someone thought it would be that easy to get the drop on her.

    Further along the sidewalk, the woman spotted a ponytail sticking out from around the corner of an alleyway.

    The woman shook her head and said, "Come on out. I know you''re following me."

    There was silence at first. Eventually, the person she called out tosteppedout from behind the wall, revealing themselves.

    It was a little girl, no older than eleven years old. She had olive-green eyes and brown hair tied into a long braid that reached down her back.

    "Hey there, Runa." The little girl nervously waved her hand at the woman, as if that would save her from any form of punishment that was soon to come.

    Runa placed one hand on her hip and gestured for Sarra to approach her with the other. "Didn''t I tell you to wait back at the apartment, Sarra? What''re you doing out here? You know it''s dangerous outside at night."

    "I know that," Sarra looked up at her with a pout, "more reason why I should be out here with you! We''re partners, remember? It''s too dangerous for you to be out here all on your own!"

    The more the girl talked, the more insulted Runa felt. The woman had more than a decade''s worth of experience in her line of work. Meanwhile, Sarra, on the other hand, was nothing more than a mere novice. A novice shouldn''t get worried over a veteran. It should be the other way around.

    Initially, Runa wanted to send her partner back to the apartment immediately. But, that would''ve wasted precious time. And, it couldn''t have hurt to have the girl tag along for the meantime¡ªespecially since Exousia could be roaming around the city somewhere.

    Runa brought her hand up to her forehead then rubbed her wrinkled temples, "I must be outta my mind..."

    That phrase brought a smile to Sarra''s face. It was a phrase Runa often fell back to when she was going to agree to something¡ªalbeit reluctantly.

    "So, I can tag along, right?" Sarra leaned forward, her eyes widened and sparkled with excitement.

    "Yes. But, alert me immediately if you sense any Exousia, okay? Also, if things get too dangerous, I want you to find a safe place to hide until things settle down." Runa laid down the ground rules. If Sarra was going to follow her around, then the little girl''s safety was a top priority.

    Sarra''s face seemed to sparkle with happiness as she jumped for joy. Then, she reached behind her back and pulled out her dagger from its sheath, swinging it around a bit before she struck a dramatic pose.

    "Leave it to me! I''ll see to it that you''re safe from harm!"

    Runa''s face flushed and her heart skipped a beat at the sudden display of cuteness. She turned her back to her partner and cupped her cheeks, taking a moment to calm herself down. No doubt she would''ve swooned if not for her pride.

    Her partner was far too cute for her own good. It took a lot of willpower to still her beating heart.

    No matter what, she''d be sure to protect her from whatever dangers the country threw at them.

    The team of Runa and Sarra continued to follow the sounds of the blaring sirens. They eventually found themselves standing behind another police barricade that was set up in front of a large hospital. Strangely there were combinations of police and military forces around the area.

    Whatever happened must''ve been massive enough to call together such a force. Runa directed her gaze down to Sarra for confirmation. Sarra''s face turned pale, but she nodded her head nonetheless.

    "Yeah. They''re in there." Sarra revealed.

    "How many?" asked Runa.

    "Three inside the hospital. But, there''s three more elsewhere. They''re really close." Sarra placed her hand on the handle of her dagger, cautiously scanning the area of potential danger. Entirely unaware that it resided above her head.

    Standing near the edge of the building behind them were three people clad in dark, hooded robes. Two of them watched the scene down below with mild interest. Meanwhile, the third member, the tallest one of the group, paced back and forth on the rooftop with his arms crossed over his broad chest.

    The occasional bellow escaped from his throat, annoying the other two.

    "Are you quite through with your incessant pacing?" Questioned the second male in the group. His harsh tone stopped the large man in his tracks. "You will leave a trough in the building if you keep this up."

    "Can''t help that I''m bored," The large man complained, "I thought something interesting would happen when the Exousia went into the building. But, the chaos has settled down. Everything''s gone quiet."

    "Now if only you could do the same."

    "What was that?!" The large man took an aggressive step forward while the second man readily placed his hand on the handle of one out of the two daggers in his possession.

    Just before they could proceed, an overwhelming presence kept them frozen in place. They did not need to look for the source. They knew full and well that it came from their last member, who had remained indifferent to their antics for the time being. However, whenever she felt like she had enough, she''d express it in a few unique ways.

    "That''s enough. Both of you." Her commanding voice of authority quelled the anger of both subordinates, reducing them back to their obedient mannerisms.

    "Forgive us, ma''am." Both men sincerely apologized then returned to their posts by their leader''s side.

    "Taurian does have a point, however." The woman stated, "With that Exousia''s power, he should''ve been able to level the entire building if he felt like it."

    Taurian looked over at the other male then smirked. Being agreed with by the leader was one of the highest of honors for them. That time¡ªhe gained the advantage.

    "Perhaps those Hunters did more damage to him than we thought." The second male brought his hand up to his chin. He contemplated on the group''s next course of action. Initially, they were only there to observe the situation. However, if nothing noteworthy occurred, then all they were doing was wasting valuable time. That was one thing he would not allow. "If nothing else, perhaps this one should go down there and finish what that fool started?"

    The man placed his hand on his dagger once more.

    "No need." The woman shook her head. She smiled under her hood then reached into her robes. She pulled out a few dark orbs. An ominous presence exuded around the objects, bringing faint smiles to the other two members. "If that Exousia can''t do the job. Then these will."

    The woman extended her arm out to the ledge thendroppedthe orbs. All three members watched in delight as they crashed onto the ground behind the crowd of people. Plumes of black smoke erupted from the shattered remains of the orbs.

    Out from the smoke came dark, wolf-like creatures with amethyst colored eyes, sharp fangs, and claws.

    There they stood, before their prey¡ªhumanity.

    Lycan''s.

    C-Rank level Varvara¡ªferocious entities of darkness and destruction. Enemies of humanity.

    The mere sight of the creatures instilled fear in the civilians as they screamed and ran away from the area.

    "Idiots! Don''t run!" Runa exclaimed. But, no one heeded her words.

    Running only gave the Lycan''s more incentive to chase. And chase they did. One of the Lycan''s raised its head then howled, providing a signal for the others to begin the attack.

    The fearsome creatures attacked the fleeing civilians one by one. Those that were unfortunate enough to get bitten were doomed to a horrible fate that was worse than death. The dark essence of the creatures seeped into the open wounds of their helpless victims.

    It had begun.

    There was nothing that could''ve saved the people at that point. The metamorphosis took place.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    Their bodies convulsed violently, as their skin slowly turned as black as night. Their eyes shined a bright amethyst. Even their bone structures weren''t safe from the brutal transformation. The grating and cracking of bones caused those nearby to cringe at the mere sound. By the end of the change, they took on the same appearance as the creatures that bit them.

    It was common knowledge that those bitten by the Varvara would inevitably transform into one. Unbelievable at first¡ªbut the truth nonetheless.

    The once safe perimeter had turned into a war zone in a matter of seconds. People died and transformed into Lycan''s left and right. The police and military men tried their best to fend them off.

    Runa joined the battle. She struck down the Varvara quickly and efficiently with her spear. It was difficult for her to go all out since she had to keep her eye on Sarra throughout the fight.

    The young girl had her dagger at the ready to engage the incoming enemies, but Runa refused to allow any of them near her.

    Time passed, but eventually, all the enemies had been cleared out. The situation settled down to a certain degree. The civilians had long fled the area, leaving only the police, military, Runa, and Sarra.

    Tensions were high. That was for sure, so much that the soldiers approached the two with much hostility. They trained their guns on them and demanded them to identify themselves.

    Runa''s first instinct was to retaliate against the approaching authority figures with brute force. How dare they point their weapons at them¡ªespecially at a little girl. Were they truly that dangerous?

    "Easy boys, we mean you no harm. The name''s Runa dasMeer. And the girl standing behind me is Sarra Zosime. We''re Huntresses from the Wild Hunt Guild. We were hired to find and eliminate the source of the Varvara attacks in this country." Runa followed their directions for the meantime.

    "Huntresses?" The police officers exchanged looks of confusion and skepticism.

    "We don''t get many Huntresses here these days. Who was it that hired you?" A military officer questioned.

    "Confidential," Runa refused to answer. Her client requested to remain anonymous, so she intended to keep it that way.

    "Surprised you even know that word, Wild Lander."

    "I don''t trust her. These Huntresses just suddenly arrive when the Varvara appear?" Another military officer voiced his suspicions.

    "What? You think I was responsible for that?" Runa placed a hand on her hip then looked over her shoulder at the building behind her. Shards of the orbs remained on the ground nearby, instantly capturing the Huntresses'' attention. Her line of sight then moved to the roof of the building.

    There was nothing there, yet, she remained suspicious.

    "Show us some identification." The first military officer ordered.

    "Promise you won''t shoot us as I reach for them?" Runa''s attention immediately returned to the guns trained on her and Sarra. Carefully, she reached for her Milo. Once she grabbed the communication device, she turned on the screen then scrolled through the holographic projection and showed her identification to the soldiers.

    Satisfied with the identification, the officer gave his order, "Lower your weapons. These ladies are Huntresses."

    "Now that we''ve gotten that outta the way, can someone explain to me what''s going on here?" Runa demanded, wanting to probe as much information from the group as possible.

    "Well, this first started out with an Exousia sighting. Members of our unit went inside to capture him. However, the Varvara suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started attacking us." Another military officer answered.

    "The outside of the building may be clear, but I am not so certain about the inside. I think I remember seeing a few of them make their way inside the building." Another military officer pointed out.

    Runa drew her line of sight toward the entrance of the hospital. There were clear signs of claw track marks near the front door. No doubt about it.

    The Varvara made their way to the hospital.

    Runa brushed past the authority figures then headed for the building with Sarra following close behind. However, the Huntresses'' paths were immediately blocked by the military officers.

    "Why''re you standing in our way?" Runa asked.

    "We cannot allow you to enter the building, ma''am. There are Varvara inside and an Exousia. You will be throwing your life away if you carelessly go in there." One of the military officers answered.

    "Ma''am? Oh, now you wanna be polite?" Runa scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. She couldn''t stand the people in the country. "So, what''s your plan? Stand out here and do nothing? Wait until the sun rises? Let that deal with the monsters?"

    The Huntress tilted her head and gave the officers a sardonic smile.

    "No, ma''am. Half of our unit''s in there and our captain. They can certainly handle themselves." Another military officer stated confidently.

    "Listen, I''m not underestimating or trying to undermine your authority here. You all seem like capable men, but right now you''re getting in the way of me doing my job." The blue-haired huntress tightened her grip on her spear. She didn''t plan to use it on them, but, if they refused to let them pass, then it would be their fault for what would happen afterward. "I''m a Huntress. It''s my mission to hunt down monsters and slay them. There are monsters in that hospital. Now move."

    The military officers exchanged worried glances with each other. One of the officers looked down to Sarra then frowned at Runa. "Are you taking that little girl in there with you?"

    "Little girl?!" Sarra stepped out from behind Runa then scowled at the man. They had done it. She never did appreciate being called a little girl by anyone. "I''ll have you know that I''m eleven years old! I''m an adult!"

    That wasn''t true. Someone wasn''t considered an adult in the world until they turned fifteen years old.

    Initially caught off guard by the unexpected scolding from the young girl, the military officer could only stand there with a quizzical expression. He wasn''t too sure on how to appropriately respond to her at all. Not that anyone could blame him, though. Hardly anyone could react to Sarra when she was scolding them.

    The little girl continued to do so for quite some time. Most of the officers looked over to Runa for assistance. But, the woman refused to do anything for a while. She merely stood there, apparently memorized by the little girl''s antics with a soft smile on her face.

    Eventually, she snapped out of her trance and put a stop to everything once she placed her hand on top of Sarra''s head.

    "Sarra here''s my partner. She''ll join me in my search through the hospital." Runa couldn''t help but gently caress the little girl''s head in the process. Sarra shot her an annoyed glance, but it was ignored.

    "Okay, we''ll let you enter." The military officers stepped aside and allowed the Huntresses into the hospital.

    Upon entering, the two remained unfazed by the state of the hospital. The mangled corpses and blood smeared lobby was nothing out of the ordinary for them. Just another casual day.

    By no means were they immune to the unfortunate deaths of the citizens. More like¡ªthey were numb. Death and destruction was just an ordinary thing out in the Gardens of Eden. At some point in their lives, they steeled themselves.

    "How close are we to the Exousia, Sarra?" Runa looked down at her partner once more for confirmation. She didn''t doubt her abilities. It just never hurts to be too careful.

    Their goal there was to eliminate all the Varvara and then leave. Nothing more, nothing less. A battle against an Exousia was the last thing that Runa wanted.

    "The Exousiaareon a higher floor than us. If we''re lucky, the targets might be on a lower level." Sarra said with much optimism.

    "I doubt we''ll be that lucky."

    The Huntresses eventually found themselves on the third floor. Not a single Varvara in sight. That was until they heard screams followed by a set of snarls and gunshots from down the hall. Instinctively, Runa and Sarra had their weapons at the ready.

    Coming swiftly around the corner was a man and a woman, both dressed in medical attire. Following close behind them was a group of soldiers. Finally, behind them was a pack of Lycan''s.

    The soldiers managed to take down a few of them with their weapons. But, more just kept coming.

    "Let''s get ''em!" Sarra tried to run ahead but was quickly pulled back behind Runa by her braided ponytail.

    "Stay here!" Runa ordered before she bolted down the hall toward the Varvara. She zipped passed the others and confronted the creatures in close combat. With mighty swings of her weapon, she cut them down with swiftness and precision.

    Severed limbs of the defeated creatures spread out across the hall. The pained cries of the Varvara fell on deaf ears as they eventually evaporated into nothingness.

    The group of onlookers stared at Runa in awe. The first one to snap out of their trance was the woman. She quickly approached then grabbed hold of the Huntresses hand, firmly shaking it.

    "Thank you! Thank you so much for saving us!" She said, bawling her eyes out after narrowly escaping with her life.

    Runa cringed at the sight of the tears and mucus running down the woman''s face.

    "No need to thank me. I''m just doing my job." The Huntress quickly pulled her hand away from the woman.

    "You''re a Huntress?" The man inquired, his gaze moved to the guild tattoo located on the back Runa''s left hand. It depicted a circle with a crossed out decapitated monster within it.

    As a sign of confirmation, she raised her left hand and showed the tattoo to everyone. "Yeah. I''ve been hired to hunt down and exterminate the Varvara infiltrating the country."

    "Well, you''ve certainly done a good job killing those Varvara earlier. I feel a lot safer now that you''re here." The woman said once she cleansed her face.

    "We''re not truly safe yet, Chloe," said the man as he looked down the hall. "Besides the Varvara, there''s an Exousia on the fifth floor."

    "Are there any more people left in the hospital?" Runa asked.

    "Besides the military captain and the Exousia up on the fifth floor, I don''t think so. I believe we''re the only people left still alive in this hospital." The man answered. He soon looked over to Sarra and noticed her backing away from the group. He stepped forward to try and comfort her, but Runa held her arm out to stop him.

    "Don''t worry about her. She''s just shy around strangers."

    "Are there any more Varvara within the hospital?" One of the soldiers cut his way into the conversation.

    "Perhaps on the higher floors. The lower ones are secure."

    "If that''s the case, go ahead and escort these two out of the hospital."

    "Our captain is fighting against the Exousia right now, and we must assist him as soon as possible." Another soldier said.

    Runa''s jaw tightened after being ordered by the soldiers. Who did they think they were ordering her around as if she was one of their subordinates? In any other situation, she would''ve physically lashed out at them. But, she kept a cool head to a certain extent.

    Resorting to violence against a country''s soldiers was one of the last things that she needed on her plate.

    "Your captain is fighting an Exousia alone?" She asked, openly skeptical of the statement. Who in their right mind would ever want to fight against an Exousia alone?

    Either the man was suicidal or confident enough in his strength. Either way, the result would be the same in the end.

    He''d die.

    Plain and simple.

    That thought must''ve formed in the minds of the soldiers. Each of them carried an uneasy expression.

    "Yes. Our captain is an incredible fighter. He has proven on numerous occasions that he can hold his own against an Exousia." The first soldier informed her.

    "However, with all this chaos occurring all at once with the Exousia and the Varvara, we can''t help but feel worried." Another soldier added.

    "So, hurry up and get these two out of here! We can take care of the rest!" The next soldier said.

    No longer able to contain her irritation, a scoff of disbelief escaped from the Huntresses mouth. To her, those soldiers acted so arrogantly. She doubted that they were even concerned about the wellbeing of the couple. Perhaps they were just trying to save face after having to be rescued by the woman.

    "I''m gonna continue with my hunt for the Varvara," Runa refused, almost immediately earning herself sharp glares from the soldiers. "You men are soldiers of this kingdom. You gotta protect the civilians, not me. I''ll perform my duties as a Huntress and exterminate the monsters."

    "Don''t tell us what our duty is! We know what we''re supposed to do! But do you?!" The first soldier confronted the woman.

    What an outrageous yet typical reaction.

    No doubt the pride of the soldiers was wounded by mere words. Featherweights. All of them.

    "When you''re in our country, you will obey our rules! You work for us, Wild Lander!"

    Truly pathetic. Their pride had been damaged so much that they had to resort to using derogative remarks.

    Wild Lander was the term used for those that lived out in the Gardens of Eden, or the Wild Lands as those in Soteria would call it. To the Soterians, Wild Landers were savages. People that preferred to live out in the treacherous terrain outside the safety of their walls, where no laws applied to them.

    "You''re wrong. I work for my employer, not you. Don''t think you can order me around. I''m not a servant in your military." Runa stated. The venom in her voice spread to everyone in that room. Her rage, her malice¡ªit nearly manifested until Sarra tugged on her pants.

    Having said her peace, Runa and Sarra proceeded down the hallway. No one bothered to get in their way.

    Once they were far away enough from the group, Runa''s gaze lowered to Sarra. The little girl''s grip was tighter than usual. And she regularly checkedbehindthem every few seconds.

    "I know that frightened look of yours. One of those people was an Exousia, weren''t they?" Runa assumed.

    "I''m not sure which one it was. But yeah, one of them was an Exousia." Sarra confirmed her suspicion.

    "You did a good job keeping your hands hidden, Sarra. Now then, let''s continue the search. There might be more Varvara in the hospital."

    The Huntresses continued their search around the hospital.

    Unfortunately, they were occupied by three out of the five soldiers they encountered earlier. They didn''t communicate with each other, so the situation was awkward.

    On the fourth floor, the group encountered more Lycan''s. Runa and the soldiers exterminated most of them. But, a few managed to slip through and escape to the next floor. The soldiers chased after them without hesitation. Meanwhile, Runa and Sarra bided their time.

    Runa''s first instinct was to turn around and leave the extermination of the monsters to the soldiers. However, leaving a job unfinished left a bad taste in her mouth. On the other hand, the chance of encountering the Exousia on the higher floor was high.

    Runa was confident in her strength. But, that didn''t mean she wanted to fight against people with supernatural powers. That was far above her pay grade.

    She ultimately made her decision when gunfire rang throughout the floor. Immediately, Runa and Sarra raced up the stairs. When they arrived on the fifth floor, they found the Varvara evaporating while the soldiers helped Thelo up to his feet.

    Thelo kept his hand on his stomach, trying to stop the blood that continued to seep from his wound. Initially, Runa remained suspicious, but it didn''t appear to be a wound from any of the Varvara.

    "Search the perimeter!" One of the soldiers ordered. Two of them separated throughout the floor while one of them stayed behind to tend to the man''s wound.

    Runa looked down at her partner once she felt another tug on her pants.

    "Runa! It''s him!" Sarra exclaimed.

    "Get away from that man!" Runa called out to the soldier. "He''s an Exousia!"

    Heeding the warning, the soldier instantly jumped back. His cronies returned to the area then trained their guns on the Exousia.

    "Where''s our captain?" The soldiers demanded.

    "Your captain," Thelo suddenly smirked, "The man with the black hair? He wore those gauntlets?"

    "Answer us!" The third soldier shouted, his finger adding a little pressure on the trigger of his gun.

    "The last time I saw your captain was when I sent him flying out of this building. He''s most likely a splattered mess on the pavement." The man answered. The arrogant smirk on his disgusting face grew wider and wider at the expense of the soldiers.

    "You bastard!" The first soldier shouted angrily.

    "I''ll give him some credit, though. He put up a decent fight against me. Although, I was already worn out from a previous fight," Thelo continued to speak, "had I been at full strength, the fight would have been over in seconds. He would have suffered a death far worse than a great fall."

    "I''ll kill you!" The second soldier pulled the trigger of his gun. However, a sudden external force blasted everyone down the hallway.

    "I''m not going to die here!" Thelo shouted before he took off down the hall. Runa shook off the damage then watched the man escape into the elevator. When she turned to check on her partner¡ªtime stood still.

    Sarra lied there on the floor unconscious. Blood pooled on the floor around her head. Runa rushed to her then parted her hair aside, searching for the location of the wound. When she found it, she closed her eye and took a deep breath.

    A faint amethyst glow radiated around her hands as she touched the wound on Sarra''s head. Seconds later, the injury disappeared, and the blood stopped. Runa sighed in relief then wiped the sweat that beaded on her forehead with the sleeve of her shirt.

    Afterward, she picked up Sarra then placed her on a medical bed within one of the empty rooms.

    "That bastard. I''m gonna kill him." Runa swore under her breath before she stormed out of the room. She didn''t much care what the Exousia did to the people of the country.

    But, one thing she wouldn''t forgive was harming her partner. Thelo hadn''t realized it. But he had signed his death warrant.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 4 - Elma Chloris and Chayse Raleigh!

    The creatures of Varvara¡ªravenous entities with fearsome abilities and an unquenchable hunger for destruction. They''ve been called the enemy of humanity since the beginning of time itself, or at least as far as humanity can recall. They mercilessly and relentlessly hunt down any living creature besides themselves and convert them into one of their own. It was common knowledge that anyone bitten by a beast of Varvara was doomed to become one.

    A fate worse than death.

    Negative emotions draw in the monsters. Anger, sadness, jealousy, hatred, fear, it doesn''t matter what it is. Extreme levels of those concentrated feelings can lure the Varvara to any location, which brought the question as to why they were in the city. It was understandable that the people of Soteria were in a state of panic. But, what was so troubling was how the creatures managed to make it so far without being spotted.

    Out in the middle of the city, people continued to flee for their lives as Lycan''s chased them down. Most of them managed to get away, except for a single woman that tripped and fell on the stone pavement. She outstretched her arm and desperately called out for help. But, no one summoned their courage to save her. The Lycan''s quickly approached.

    The woman shut her eyes closed and braced herself.

    Just when they prepared to sink their teeth and claws into the helpless woman, a volley of arrows struck down the creatures. All of the arrows pierced their heads and chests. Vital shots.

    When the woman regained her composure, she opened her eyes and looked around for the source of her salvation. Confidently approaching her from down the street was a lone man with short brown hair and blue eyes. In his right hand was his trusty compound bow, and affixed to his back was his quiver¡ªwhich held plenty of arrows.

    "Are you unharmed, ma''am?" The man stopped in front of the woman then offered her his left hand, which was prosthetic. She grabbed his hand without hesitation and got pulled back to her feet.

    "Yes, I''m fine. Thanks to you." She said. Her face turned beet red once the man flashed her a bright smile.

    "It''s too dangerous for a beautiful lady such as yourself to be out here at night. Allow me to escort you to safety." The man offered. As he continued to speak with the woman, a few of the Lycan''s stood back up and approached the couple.

    The man seemed far too distracted by the woman even to notice them slowly approaching. By the time the woman saw the creatures, it was far too late. They were too close for any of them to react in time. Just when they were about to meet their end, another volley of arrows pierced through the heads of the creatures.

    That time, they were dead for sure.

    "You about done fooling around, Chayse?" A callous voice came from further down the street. Chayse''s expression turned strained¡ªworried¡ªcompletely different from his confident one moment''s ago. He knew what was to come because of his carelessness.

    Reluctantly, he turned around and watched his partner approach him. The man walked with a stride of complete authority¡ªscoping out the area for potential danger with their recurve bow held tightly in their right hand. Instead of confronting Chayse and the woman, he focused his attention on retrieving the arrows from the defeated creatures.

    The individual utterly smote the woman. The shortcut of his white hair, fierce gaze, and muscular physique left an air of mystery around him. It was something that she couldn''t let slip by.

    She approached the man and gushed, "Thank you so much for rescuing me! You looked so amazing shooting the Varvara down like that!"

    "Huh? Oh, thanks, I guess..." The white-haired man scratched the back of his head, unsure of the reason behind the woman''s enthusiasm. He understood that saving a life was important. However, the woman''s flushed face and heavy breathing felt suspicioustohim.

    "If it''s not too much trouble. Would you mind escorting me to safety? My home isn''t too far from here. I''d appreciate it if a big, strong man such as yourself would keep me safe until then." The woman''s tone turned sultrier the more she spoke, much to the confusion and frustration of Chayse.

    As the man recalled, he was the one that first saved the woman. But, as always, his "partner" had to be the one to get the girl.

    Life just wasn''t fair.

    The woman slowly caressed the exposed part of the man''s arm. Then, she leaned in and sandwiched the arm between her ample breasts. Having had enough, Chayse stepped in.

    "Um, excuse me, ma''am? If you''d like, I''d be more than happy to¡ª"

    Within that split second, the woman grew fangs and horns as she violently turned her head and roared at Chayse¡ªspewing a raging inferno from her mouth that charred his face.

    No.

    That didn''t happen. It was all in the man''s wild imagination¡ªprobably.

    Regardless, he understood well enough that he was no longer needed. He stepped back and decided to keep watch for the time being.

    The woman triumphantly smiled then returned her attention to the stud in front of her. She moved in closer and pressed her head against his chest, wanting to feel his rough and chiseled body.

    However, there lied the problem. The man''s chest indeed felt rough and chiseled, but, there also resided a certain softness to it. It wasn''t much, but it was there.

    Confused, the woman removed her head and placed a hand on the man''s chest. She looked himinhis grey-blue eyes as she felt his chest.

    "Do you get it now?" The man trembled, trying to contain his immense hatred. The woman quickly removed their hand and backed away, realizing their mistake. "Get out of here, now!"

    The woman shrieked and ran into the nearest building.

    "Kinda harsh don''t you think, Elma?" Chayse asked.

    "Not in the slightest," Elma responded with a firm shake of her head. "You didn''t even bother to help."

    "I tried. You saw," stated Chayse as he shrugged his shoulders. The thought of Elma and the woman getting it on in the middle of the street brought a lewd smile to his face. "Besides, what right do I have getting in between two women? If it were a man touching you, however, I''d be on him in two seconds flat."

    "I''m sick and tired of people confusing me for a man! What is it about me that makes people immediately assume I''m a guy?!"

    "Perhaps the cut of your hair, lack of breasts and femininity, you''re quite muscular for a woman of your size..." Chayse counted off Elma''s characteristics, unknowingly infuriating her in the process.

    Throughout their years of partnership, the man hadn''t quite understood when to keep his mouth shut. Now and then he needed subtle clues.

    Elma quickly raised her bow and fired a quick shot. The arrow zipped past Chayse''s face, narrowly missing him by a few inches. The projectile struck down a wandering Lycan in the distance. Chayse nervously laughed and watched the monster evaporate upon its death.

    "Go fetch the arrow," Elma demanded.

    "Y-Yes ma''am!" Chayse quickly ran off and fetched the arrow. By the time he returned, Elma had cooled down to a certain extent.

    "Anyway, what''s up with the Lycan''s suddenly showing up?" Elma looked around and inspected the carnage and destruction left behind in the wake of the Varvara. "How''d they manage to get this far in the country without being spotted?"

    "If the concentration of negative energy is strong enough, they can spawn anywhere," Chayse revealed. "I think we cleared out most of them. We should keep moving. The hospital isn''t far from here."

    "Right. That Exousia fled there..." Elma and Chayse headed down the road, following the tracking device they placed on the Exousia they fought earlier at a restaurant.

    "You wounded him so badly that he sought out medical attention. I don''t see the point though. I thought Exousia had healing factors."

    "They do. However, Exousianeedcomplete concentration for it to work."

    "So, the arrow in his stomach broke his concentration enough that he was forced to run to the hospital?"

    "That, and the arrow I shot him with was poison tipped. So, the poison coursing through his veins must be quite an inconvenience." Elma smirked.

    The duo turned a corner and spotted the Pandora Hospital off in the distance. Crowds of people still loitered around despite the recent Varvara attack. Most of them were police and military officers.

    But, the remainders were mere civilians and news reporters. How people could choose to remain there for so long despite the dangers dumbfounded Elma.

    Did they not value their lives?

    "Well, it looks like some party took place here without our knowledge," Chayse casually joked upon noticing the crowd of people. His laughter immediately stopped once Elma shot a cold glare at him.

    "These people are idiots for staying here. There''s an Exousia at large, and there was a recent Varvara attack. They should all be at home where it''s safe." Elma said.

    "Think these people came to see us finish what we started?"

    "I doubt that." Elma and Chayse forced their way through the crowd and confronted the military soldiers stationed in front of the hospital.

    "More Hunters?" The soldiers showed explicit reservations at the appearance of the duo.

    "Gotta problem with that?" Elma asked.

    Having sensed his partner''s irritation by the remark, Chayse stepped forward and spoke up.

    "Hey there! You don''t seem very happy to see us!"

    Subtly was never his strong suit.

    "I wonder why." Another soldier murmured under his breath.

    It always frustrated Elma when the authority figures of the country looked down on her and Chayse. They hadn''t done anything wrong. If anything, they''ve proven their loyalty to the kingdom and its people. It seemed no matter what they did; they''d never get accepted.

    Taking notice of the insignias on their uniforms, Elma stepped forward, "I''m Elma Chloris. The man next to me is my partner, Chayse Raleigh. We''re here under orders from General Zofia to hunt down and capture the Exousia in this hospital."

    "Well, there''s no need to worry about that. Our captain already has the situation under control." The first soldier confidently informed them.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    "Besides, there''s already another group of Huntresses inside of the building. There''s no need to send any more people than we have to." Another one mentioned.

    Upon being denied entry into the hospital, Elma placed her hands firmly on her hips and glared at the soldiers. Overpowering those men and forcing their way through would''ve been a cinch if they had to. They were given direct orders to capture the Exousia.

    Failure was not an option.

    Those men were in the way. One way or another, they were going to move. Either through cooperation or force. But, if Elma were to go through with the second option, it would''ve only caused more problems.

    So, she resisted her urges and decided to move ahead to plan B. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her Milo. A faint light emitted from the communication device as holographic numbers appeared above it. With swift movements of her fingers, she pressed several numbers then a dial tone was heard afterward.

    "Oh boy, you guys are in trouble now," Chayse warned the soldiers while Elma turned her back to them.

    "What do you mean?" The soldier asked.

    "I know you''re not that high up on the chain of command, so of course it''s no surprise that you don''t know of us. But Elma and I are Hunters kept on retainer by this country. And as luck would have it, we have ways of getting in direct contact with influential people. Say, your General for instance."

    "You''re kidding." Another soldier voiced his suspicions to Chayse''s claim.

    "If we''re to inform her that some of her subordinates are hindering our mission to capture the Exousia, I doubt she''d be too happy to hear that."

    "I won''t be swayed by your words, Hunter. I won''t permit you to enter the hospital. It''s just far too dangerous." The soldier held his ground.

    "Hey now, I understand completely. You''re just trying to do your job and keep us safe. Just be prepared for the consequences of making my partner and the General angry. You''ll most likely be dishonorably discharged. Then possibly thrown in jail. You don''t want that, do you?"

    The soldier fumbled with his words. The thought of upsetting his superior officer was more than enough to unnerve him. Eventually, the man surrendered and granted the duo passage into the hospital.

    Once inside, Elma turned to Chayse and said, "Good work on manipulating him into letting us through."

    "No problem. I didn''t want the General to yell at the soldiers or us for calling her over something trivial." Chayse accepted the words of praise.

    "You''re right. Zofia would''ve been pissed."

    "So, who were you calling in the first place?"

    "Pizza."

    Unable to contain his laughter, Chayse clutched his stomach with one hand while placing his other hand on the wall to support himself. "You''re way too devious, Elma." He wiped away a tear forming in his eyes.

    "Let''s get to work now." Elma scanned the immediate area for clues concerning the whereabouts of their target. There was nothing useful throughout the wreckage, so she resorted to using her communicator.

    She turned on the Milo and navigated through the settings, eventually activating the tracking device she placed on the target earlier during their battle.

    Reading the coordinates given to her by the holographic image, she was successfully able to deduce that the target was up on a higher floor. With that information in mind, the Hunters raced towards the stairwell.

    The tracking device led them directly to the rooftop of the hospital, where Chayse and Elma witnessed the shocking sight of their target lying down on the ground. Standing over him was a blue-haired woman holding a spear to his neck. She turned to the Hunters with her weapon at the ready to fight them. Instinctively, Chayse and Elma raised their bows and aimed at her with their arrows at the ready.

    "Who are you?!" Runa demanded.

    "Elma Chloris. This man over here is my partner, Chayse Raleigh. We''re Hunters." Elma sternly answered, keeping her eyes solely on the blue-haired woman.

    "And who are you, beautiful?" Chayse crossed the distance between the two of them within seconds. It may have been Runa''s imagination, but she could''ve sworn the strange man''s eyes turned into hearts.

    That shameless man could never help himself when he encountered women he found attractive. He''d be in their personal space within seconds, often in spite of the situation.

    Runa nervously looked back and forth between Chayse and Elma, trying to figure out exactly what was going on. One second she was fighting against an Exousia, and then next she was confronted by two complete strangers. When she regained her composure, she went with the flow and introduced herself.

    "Runa das Meer. I''m a Huntress from the Wild Hunt Guild."

    "Runa das Meer? What a beautiful name! Yes, truly a name that will be engraved in my heart for all eternity!" cooed Chayse. More hearts floated around him, creeping Runa out the longer she stayed near him. "I''m Chayse Raleigh, a man whose name will be so renowned that the gods themselves will place me up in the stars!"

    There it was. One of Chayse''s notable idiosyncrasies. It wasn''t uncommon for Hunters to be full of themselves. Most of them took great pride in their fame and success. However, Chayse took it to a whole other level.

    The man was far beyond full of himself. He''d never miss out on an opportunity to sing praises about himself and his inevitable glory.

    Fame, fortune, women, he''d have it all.

    Elma rolled her eyes and moved her attention to her target. Amid the confusion, the man tried to crawl away and escape. He found his next attempt thwarted when an arrow grazed his cheek and lodged itself into the ground.

    "Where do you think you''re going?" Elma asked.

    "I''m getting sick and tired of you Hunters interfering with me today!" Thelo glared at the group before him. He activated his telekinetic powers and used it to return the arrow Elma shot at him.

    Runa stepped out in front of the group and blocked the arrow with her spear.

    "Shut up! I don''t care about your circumstances! I''m here because you hurt my partner! I''ll have your head on a fucking wall!"

    "Get in line. We found him first." Elma said as she grabbed another arrow from her quiver.

    "The fuck is wrong with you people? I did nothing wrong! You two attacked me in that restaurant for no reason! I was only defending myself!" Thelo shouted.

    "Don''t blame us for this mess. If you had just surrendered quietly, none of this would''ve happened."

    "If you don''t want another beating, I''d suggest surrendering. There''s no shame in it." Chayse added.

    "And if I were to refuse?" Thelo questioned.

    "Then there''s no saving you," Runa concluded before she took off towards him.

    Thelo held his arm out in front of him and activated his powers again. A rattling sound came from behind the Hunters. Elma turned around and spotted the door getting pulled off its hinges. It flew at them at an alarming rate.

    Elma alerted everyone before jumping out of the way. Chayse and Runa managed to avoid the flying door as well. Thelo, on the other hand, wasn''t so fortunate. He was unable to stop the door in time from ramming into his chest.

    He dropped down to his knees then hunched over in pain, coughing up some blood. Some of his ribs broke from the impact. At that moment, the Hunters took advantage.

    But, a telekinetic blast forced them back.

    "How the hell can he still use his powers with his injuries? Is the poison not having any effect on him?" Chayse complained.

    No one in the group suffered any critical injuries from the blast, so they recovered quickly. The first one to continue with the battle was Runa. She approached the downed man and attacked with much ferocity.

    Despite her fury, her attacks were quick and precise.

    Normally rage clouded the minds of fighters, regardless of how seasoned they were. However, that didn''t seem to effect Runa in the slightest.

    Thelo had trouble evading the incoming attacks. He sustained gashes here and there over his body, but his limbs remained intact for the time being. Runa''s last strike wound up with her blade embedded into the ground, which she quickly used as support to kick Thelo over to the edge of the building.

    He grabbed hold of the ledge and looked over his shoulder down to the street. The moment he looked back, the blade of Runa''s weapon was mere millimeters away from his face. The sight of the man''s face distorting in a mixture of fear and frustration brought a smile to Runa''s.

    "It''s over. Give up," Runa demanded, "Make any sudden movements, and I''ll put this through your throat."

    Thelo scowled fiercely at her¡ªbut she remained unfazed. As far as she was concerned, the battle was over. The man raised his hands above his head, heaving a sigh of defeat in the process.

    Suddenly, three soldiers entered their way onto the rooftop. Their intrusion on the scene distracted the Hunters. It was at that moment they found themselves knocked off their feet by another telekinetic blast from Thelo.

    Followed up afterward was gunfire. The soldiers open fired on Thelo. But, their bullets were rendered useless. They remained suspended in mid-air for a moment before he used them against his enemies.

    Fortunately, the soldiers jumped out of the way of the gunfire. No casualties.

    "I''ve come too far to die in some place like this! If I''m going to get killed here, then I''ll take all of you with me!" Thelo accumulated as much power as he could muster. Afterwards, he swung his arms out and unleashed a much stronger telekinetic blast than before.

    Sections of the roof were sent flying towards everyone. The Hunters had no trouble evading the debris. Meanwhile, the soldiers weren''t so lucky. The debris struck all of them and sent them flying over the edge of the building. Their screams of terror soon stopped upon plummeting to the ground.

    "Those idiots..." Runa shook her head then looked back over to Thelo. Before she could launch her counterattack, she found herself hoisted into the air.

    "Damn it! Let her go!" Elma fired an arrow at Thelo.

    "Don''t think so!" He held his hand out and halted the arrow inches away from his face. Letting out a roar of frustration, he launched Runa toward Elma.

    "I got this one!" Chayse seemed all too eager as he leaped into the air and caught Runa before she hit the ground. "Hope you weren''t harmed, Runa."

    "I wasn''t. Now put me down." Runa ordered.

    Meanwhile, Elma continuously fired arrows at Thelo. All of them were rendered useless.

    "What''s with this country in harboring Hunters? I thought that the kingdoms didn''t employ them as often!" Thelo complained.

    "I''m not so sure about the other kingdoms. But, this one only hires the best of the best." Chayse gloated as he struck a confident pose.

    "Stop gloating and fucking fight!" Elma ordered.

    "I don''t have time for this right now. Run away with your tail in between your legs like last time if you don''t want to get hurt." Thelo demanded.

    His face was flushed and covered in sweat as he bled out on the roof. It was a miracle how he even managed to fight for so long. His legs wobbled, and he staggered. The man was far more exhausted than he let on.

    "I think you have it backward! As I seem to recall, we were the ones that had you on the run about two hours ago!" Elma pointed accusingly at him, calling his bluff.

    "Most cowardly of you using that explosion as a smokescreen to escape from us," Chayse added in onto the taunting, "did you feel so concerned when fighting us that you had to kill dozens of innocent civilians just to escape from capture?"

    With great swiftness, Chayse reached behind his back into his quiver and grabbed onto three arrows. He pulled back on his bow and released all three of them simultaneously. Thelo moved the door from earlier in front of him and used it as a shield.

    That was when their chance presented itself. Thanks to Thelo, the Hunters were obscured from his line of sight.

    Elma signaled for Chayse to give her a boost. He rushed over to his partner and used his prosthetic arm to toss her over at Thelo. The Huntress slammed her feet onto the door and knocked the man back down to the ground. Propelling herself off the door, she also fired a series of arrows that pierced through the man''s clothes and kept him pinned to the ground.

    With him wide open for an attack, Chayse landed a devastating blow to the man''s stomach with his prosthetic arm. A shockwave was released underneath them, causing that section of the roof to crack and crumble away, sending them both falling back inside of the hospital.

    Honestly, it was a bit of an overkill. But, Chayse always did have a flair for the dramatics.

    Runa and Elma jumped down through the hole and landed safely on the ground next to Chayse and the unconscious Thelo.

    "Well, that was relatively easy." Chayse stood to his feet and dusted himself off. "How come our first fight against him didn''t go so well?"

    Elma walked past him and approached the downed Exousia. Reaching behind her back, she grabbed onto the collar placed on her belt. She didn''t waste any time clamping it on the target''s neck for safety measures.

    "Probably because you screwed things up by letting him get away." Elma harshly reminded him.

    "How many times do I have to apologize for that already?"

    "You don''t have to apologize anymore for now. You''ve made up for it by capturing him this time." Elma pulled out her Milo and placed it on the ground. Seconds later a holographic male figure appeared above the device.

    It was a man with scraggly hair and stubble for facial hair, dressed in a poorly stitched lab coat, pants, and sandals.

    "Since you''re calling me I assume that the capture mission was a success this time?" A dull voice came from the holographic male figure.

    "Yes, Caz. The Exousia has been apprehended and contained." Elma answered. "The situation is now under control. He won''t be able to cause any more trouble with that subjugation collar around his neck."

    "You can tell the director that we''ll be bringing him to Tartarus as soon as possible," Chayse said.

    "Understood." Caz had nodded before he vanished.

    Elma picked up her Milo and set it back into her pocket. Her gaze then moved to Runa.

    "Thanks for the help back there." Elma extended her arm out for a handshake.

    "No problem. I''m glad that I could''ve been of some help." Runa smiled then shook Elma''s hand.

    "You were more than just "some" help to us. You were of big help." Chayse spread his arms out for emphasis. "Elma and I certainly would''ve had some trouble if you hadn''t worn him out for us."

    "I doubt it was her as much as it was the poison coursing through his veins. Speaking of which..." Elma knelt next to the unconscious man and rummaged through her pouch. She pulled out a syringe and pricked the man in the arm, injecting him with the antidote. "There, now he won''t die on us."

    "I''m not too sure that the people would be happy to hear about that. I know that I''m not happy about it." Chayse said.

    "Anyway, I''m sorry that you had to involve yourself in this mess. Had it not been for the Varvara outside, we certainly would''ve been here much faster to finish what we started with this man." Elma apologized to Runa.

    The fault of the travesty lied solely on them, Elma believed. If Chayse and her had done their jobs correctly and captured the Exousia at the restaurant earlier, then the lives lost on that day would''ve been spared. Someone had to take responsibility.

    And Elma chose to be the one to do that.

    "Don''t worry about it. The Exousia''s been captured, and now we can put this incident behind us," said Runa. Her attention then moved to the collar around the man''s neck. "However, are you sure that subjugation collar will stop him from using his powers?"

    "Yes, ma''am. The outstanding scientists of this country have magnified the effects of the collar." Chayse immediately answered.

    Her eyes widened in surprise upon hearing the information. "Interesting. How did you two obtain such technology despite being only Hunters?"

    "We''re Hunters held on retainer by this kingdom. If we perform missions for this country alone, then we gain special privileges." Elma informed her.

    "So, acquiring such technology is a cinch for us." Chayse bragged.

    Runa approached the target and examined the collar around his neck. She ran her finger across the light blue colored crystals embedded around it. "I see...this collar uses Fulgur Vitalis to seal his powers?"

    "More like to disrupt," Chayse corrected her, "the collar senses for abnormalities in the wearer''s brain. If it detects an anomaly, say an Exousia trying to activate their powers, the collar will catch it and give them a couple of volts to break their concentration."

    "That''s enough talk now, Chayse. We should hurry up and get moving. I believe that everyone outside has been anxiously waiting for us to return." Elma said while motioning for Chayse to pick up the target.

    "You two can go on ahead of me. I need to search for my partner on this floor. I wish you good luck with the rest of your mission." Runa bid the two farewell and then walked off, leaving them behind.

    Elma looked over to Chayse and grimaced at the sight of him perversely fawning over Runa. She just couldn''t understand what her partner saw in the woman. She wasn''t that pretty in her eyes.

    Sure, she could hold her own in a fight. But what did appearance matter in combat?

    In a fit of irritation, Elma smacked her foolish partner across the back of his head and then proceeded to scold him over his behavior as the two of them left the hospital with their prisoner in tow.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 5 - Shame in Defeat!

    Kyros Aleister lied in the back of an ambulance. His body battered and bruised from his fight against an Exousia and the fall he took from the fifth floor of the hospital. His life would¡¯ve met its end if not for ambulance vehicle he landed on, as evident from the human shaped dent that presided on the ceiling.

    A fall like that would¡¯ve killed any ordinary human being. But, Kyros was far from ordinary. As a Captain in the Soterian Military, his body had endured through rigorous training since the early age of seven. At that point, his body might as well be as hard as steel.

    Or, at least that¡¯s how he would¡¯ve liked to believe.

    Fortunately, there were other methods of surviving the fall besides a well-trained body.

    His Praus.

    A natural emanation of power that all living creatures on the planet possess.

    Kyros coated his entire body with his Praus the moment Thelo threw him out the hospital building. It increased his durability and significantly reduced the damage of the fall, but the pain still lingered. He was left unable to move for about half an hour.

    When he finally regained the ability to move, he broke free from his restraints and escaped from the back of the ambulance¡ªmore than ready to continue the fight where he left off.

    With great haste, he rushed back over to the front of the hospital. By the time he got there, he was shocked to see Thelo being carried out over the shoulder of Chayse. Following behind him was Elma.

    Crowds of people, civilians and news reporters alike, gathered around the Hunters, bombarding them with questions and comments about the incident. Chayse stepped forward, all too eager to speak to the people about his capture. Before he could get a word in, Elma forced the people aside, making a path for them to continue towards their destination.

    Just when Kyros stepped forward to approach the Hunters, his subordinates called out to him. They gathered around him and bombarded him with questions about his whereabouts. He was about to answer them until he noticed something strange.

    There were only eight of them. The Fifth Recon Unit consisted of twelve soldiers in total. Three men were missing.

    A knot formed in Kyros'' throat as the worst-case scenario immediately clouded his mind. He had only been out of commission for thirty minutes. A lot could happen in that time frame.

    The military captain swallowed the knot, feeling the sensation reach his stomach next.

    ¡°Where are the others? Shouldn¡¯t they be out here by now?¡± Kyros reluctantly asked.

    The cursed feeling in his stomach only worsened when solemn expressions crossed the faces of his subordinates. Kyros recognized the meaning behind those faces. He had seen it all too many times.

    But, even then, a sliver of hope remained in the back of his mind. After all, his subordinates had not yet given him a verbal answer. With every fiber of his being, he forced himself to demand a straight explanation from his men.

    When they told him, Kyros¡¯ world came to an abrupt halt. Three of his men lost their lives in the battle against Thelo. Argus, Bion, and Homer.

    Well-decorated officers that he recruited into his unit. They had been together for years. And now, they were gone.

    Because of Kyros¡¯ incompetence as a captain, ignorance in battle, and weakness, his friends died. Twenty-one years of rigorous training and that was the result?

    To add insult to injury, two teams of Hunters had to finish what he started. They proved themselves far more formidable than he did. Who could blame them?

    Unlike Kyros, the Hunters weren¡¯t restricted to the confines of the walls that encircled the country. Outside the walls resides dangers that most Soterians are ignorant to. The Hunters, however, have experienced them one way or another. Their strength and fortitude could overshadow perhaps even the best Soteria had to offer.

    ¡°Pathetic. I¡¯m pathetic.¡± Kyros walked past his men as if he were in a trance. His prolonged steps alarmed his subordinates.

    ¡°Captain? Where are you going?¡± The first soldier called out to him.

    ¡°The bodies¡­¡± Kyros said, ¡°have the bodies been collected yet?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. The paramedics have collected every corpse that they could find after the Hunters cleared the building.¡± Another soldier replied.

    Kyros stopped in his tracks. He watched Elma and Chayse take a Nemean and drive off down the road. Soon enough, the civilians and news reporters cleared the area. No one bothered to go near Kyros or his unit.

    ¡°So, the Hunters were the real heroes here today.¡±

    ¡°Captain?¡±

    ¡°You men go on ahead and return to Headquarters. I¡¯m going to stay here in the city for a little while longer.¡± Kyros turned to face his subordinates with a forced smile.

    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± The first one asked.

    The man wasn¡¯t in good shape. That fact was clear as day. To leave him alone to his own devices after such a tragic event¡ªnone of his men wanted to do it.

    ¡°That¡¯s an order.¡± Kyros changed his soft tone into one of absolute authority. His men acted instinctively and saluted their superior officer before heading back to the Nemean¡¯s.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    When the vehicles disappeared down the road, Kyros wandered down another¡ªtaking immediate notice of the destruction the Varvara left in their wake. Homes and establishments laid to waste, nothing more than piles of rubble and debris. Tracks of blood lined the nearly empty streets.

    But, they led to nothing.

    The common thing about Varvara attacks was that finding bodies was nearly impossible. Whenever a Varvara attacked occurred, and people went missing, most chalked up the disappearances as Killed in Action.

    The Alsus breeze gently caressed every inch of Kyros¡¯ aching body. Carried in the refreshing wind were vibrant colored leaves, the dust of destroyed buildings and the stench of death.

    Amusing how a soft gust of wind could bring refreshing delight and debilitating sorrow in a single moment.

    Eventually, Kyros found himself standing in front of an apartment building. Vibrant leaves decorated the concrete steps, utterly undisturbed by the chaos.

    A soft chuckled escaped past Kyros¡¯ lips as he reminisced about the building before him. Two decades had passed since he¡¯d last come here. Ever since he joined the military, he had to stay at headquarters at the far other side of the country.

    Now that he had the chance to visit Pandora city, he thought he might as well say hello to a friendly face.

    Kyros entered the building then immediately approached the front desk. To his confusion, there was no one there. He reached his hand out then rung the bell on the counter. Following the chime of the bell, a loud crash came from the back room.

    ¡°Go away!¡± An angered voice shouted from the back room.

    A familiar voice.

    Ignoring the explicit orders to leave, Kyros continued to ring the bell until the person in the back decided to come out and reveal themselves. Eventually, his desire was granted. A stout man came out to the front wielding a wooden bat. He swung it around wildly, swearing up a storm.

    Kyros raised his arm and caught the bat in the palm of his hand, tightening his grip on the blunt object until he crushed a portion of it with a firm grasp.

    ¡°Is this any way to treat an old friend, Elias?¡± He asked.

    Elias blinked in surprise and set down the bat behind the front desk. He came out from behind the counter then embraced Kyros in a tight hug, lifting him off the ground while also cutting off his circulation.

    ¡°Kyros?! What are you doing here? Finally decided to come down the peak to visit me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, something like that,¡± Kyros answered once he was put back down on the floor. "How''ve you been?"

    "Pretty good. Business is going well as usual." Elias returned behind the counter. "So, what brings you all the way down here?"

    "I decided to come stay here for the night. I''m too tired to travel back to the capital." Kyros rested his hand on his aching shoulder.

    "Well, you''re in luck. I''ve still got some rooms open." Elias turned his back to Kyros, searching the key rack behind him. He grabbed one of the keys then tossed it over to his friend.

    Kyros caught the keys then bid his friend goodnight before he prepared to head upstairs. He stopped once he heard the television turn on from behind him.

    It was the Soterian News.

    The news reporters detailed information regarding the initial sighting of Thelo. About how Elma and Chayse confronted the Exousia at the restaurant. Their first clash resulted in the destruction of the establishment and the deaths of many.

    "Goddess damn it! What''s with these Exousia?!" Elias complained. He heaved a sigh and continued to listen as the news reporters informed their viewers about the attack on Pandora Hospital. Slaughter of innocents, the Varvara attacks, they left nothing out. "Varvara too?! What''s happening in this country?!"

    Kyros clenched his hands into fists once he heard the news reporters mention the arrival, defeat, and death of his squad members. He figured that it was intentional, the unconcerned and monotone the reporter used when detailing the event. He couldn''t hear a shred of sincerity in their voice.

    He didn''t care if they didn''t respect him. But, they had to respect his subordinates, especially the ones that gave their lives to protect the people.

    ¡°You were there at the scene, Kyros? You even fought against the Exousia?¡± Elias called out to Kyros.

    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± Kyros reluctantly answered, making sure not to turn around and show his weary face, ¡°But, it turned out just how the reporter said. I was defeated and thrown out the building.¡±

    ¡°Who cares if you lost? You still showed great bravery today, and you survived.¡±

    "So what if I survived? Three of my subordinates didn''t. Argus, Bion, Homer, all three of them are dead."

    "Kyros..." Elias paused once the news reporters mentioned the capture of Thelo by the hands of the four Hunters.

    "My men and I couldn''t defeat the Exousia. It took four Hunters to capture him," Kyros'' gaze dropped to the floor. "Recently, it''s been the Hunters that have been solving the problems of this country. While the army and police force sit on the sidelines.¡±

    As humiliating as it was to admit¡ªit was the truth nonetheless. The job of a Hunter was just as it sounded; it was their job to hunt down and slay creatures. It was rare for them to get employed within the walls of Soteria, so imagine the surprise of many once four of them arrived in the city.

    Usually, Hunters didn¡¯t involve themselves in the affairs of the police or military unless permitted by the higher-ups. However, special privileges were allowed to them as long as they didn''t break any laws.

    ¡°Does it matter who has been doing what as of late? In the end, peace is getting restored to the country,¡± stated Elias, ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s the Hunters, police force, military, or even the Goddess that settles our problems.¡±

    Elias had always been a laidback guy. He often went with the flow and figured that problems would solve themselves with time. It was thanks to that attitude of his that he was discharged from the military over a decade ago.

    ¡°Of course, a retired military officer wouldn¡¯t. I bet you have lost all of your military pride.¡± Kyros turned and scowled at his friend. "Hunters are meant to slay monsters. It''s up to the police and military to deal with the Exousia."

    "The Exousia are monsters, Kyros. The Hunters did the right thing in capturing it before anyone else could get hurt." Elias nodded his head. "Yeah, it sucks that you lost some of your men. But, that''s just what happens in battle."

    "What would you know about a battle? You''ve never experienced one." Kyros spat. The venom in his voice momentarily shook his friend. When he realized his outburst, he took a step back. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to..."

    "Don''t worry about it. You''re right," Elias shrugged his shoulders, feeling nothing of the outburst. "I can''t imagine what you''re going through right now. Losing comrades, friends, it''s nothing something one gets over with easily. You''ve had a rough night. Go ahead and get some sleep."

    "Yeah, yeah, you''re right." Kyros turned around and headed up the stairs.

    Elias sighed and looked at the television screen again. He arched his eyebrows at the photos displaying the four Hunters. ¡°Huh. I didn¡¯t know that they were involved in the incident.¡±

    ¡°Who are you referring to?¡± Kyros stopped.

    ¡°The one-eyed Huntress with the spear. She and the little brown-haired girl next to her rented a room out here the other day." Elias rubbed his chin. "If the people were to learn that my apartment building houses heroes, imagine all the money I could make."

    "Leave those Hunters alone, Elias." Was all Kyros could say before he headed to his room for the night.

    Although it wasn''t much, his interaction with his old friend made him feel a little better. His defeat at the hands of Thelo and the loss of his men had yet to hit him as hard as he knew it would. As a soldier, one had to always prepare for the loss of lives. Kyros was no exception.

    Throughout his years as a Captain, he had never lost a single subordinate until today. And it had to be at the hands of an Exousia no less. He took no pride in the fact that it took a supernatural being to bring down members of his unit. None at all.

    The Exousia had taken enough from the world for seven years. Kyros didn''t know how long it would take, but he swore that it would all end. One way or the other.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 6 - The Encounter!

    All was quiet. Despite the wave of chaos that crashed through the city; the night passed peacefully. A warm sensation enveloped Kyros¡¯ body as he lied in his bed. He tossed and turned, groaning in discomfort. The familiar feeling belonged to only one thing¡ªthe sun.

    Reluctantly, he opened his eyes and regretted it immediately. He was blinded by the sun¡¯s rays that bleached through the windows and illuminated his room.

    It was a fresh, new day. And the military captain didn¡¯t even want to get up and greet it. Not after all the tragedies that occurred last night. He wished to remain in bed and hope that it was all a dream. But, of course, his wish wouldn¡¯t be granted.

    Life was never that simple for him.

    With great reluctance, he finally got out of bed then washed himself up for the long day ahead of him. He skipped out on breakfast and immediately headed to the roof of the building to collect his thoughts in the fresh air. The moment he entered his way onto the roof, his feet carried him over to the edge of the building where he then proceeded to watch the civilians of the city go about their day.

    He found it amusing how happy and peaceful they all seemed¡ªlike the events of last night never happened. The tragedy the people faced was nothing more than a memory of the past. The civilians continued to go about their days in ignorant bliss.

    Kyros couldn¡¯t blame them.

    With an enormous wall encircling the nation, a massive army standing at the ready for defense, and the leadership of the Generals--how could anyone not feel safe and secure? The people saw all three of those things as symbols of hope.

    However, some doubt lingered in the back of Kyros'' mind.

    Were they truly safe?

    The combined efforts of the police and military force weren¡¯t even enough to bring down a single, wounded Exousia. And yet, the combined efforts of four Hunters managed to do what they couldn¡¯t? What was even the point of having police and military forces if four people from the Gardens of Eden could just show up and upstage them as if it were nothing?

    ¡°You didn¡¯t come out here to kill yourself, right?¡± Kyros turned to see Elias approaching him while lighting a cigarette.

    ¡°I just came out here to get some fresh air.¡±

    Elias took a drag of his cigarette then blew his smoke in his friend¡¯s direction. ¡°There¡¯s fresh air everywhere, Kyros.¡±

    ¡°Not if you smoke in this direction,¡± Kyros grimaced and wafted the smoke elsewhere, not wishing for the harmful substance to invade his body and destroy his lungs, ¡°how many times have I told you to stop smoking? Those things kill, you know?¡±

    ¡°As do the Exousia and the Varvara,¡± He waved off the warning, ¡°so, you still gonna beat yourself up over what happened last night?"

    "Losing a battle and comrades isn''t something one gets over in a span of a night''s sleep," Kyros stated. He turned his back to his friend and continued to watch the civilians pass on the street.

    "Yeah. That''s true," Elias nodded. "But, moping about it on this rooftop won''t make things any better."

    "I know that..." Kyros'' hands balled into fists. "I''m not moping. I''m just trying to decide my next course of action. There''s just so much to do."

    "Like what?"

    "My original mission," Kyros faced his friend. "Before the Exousia sighting, my unit was tasked with finding the source of the Varvara infiltrations."

    Elias dropped his cigarette to the ground and crushed it with his foot. He pulled out another and lit it. "Right. That has been a problem here as of late."

    "You''re far too lax about this," Kyros complained, not knowing whether to feel fortunate or insulted that his friend remained ignorant to most of the dangers the country faced. "The country''s been under Varvara attack for over a month."

    "Guess the military needs to get off their asses. It''s been years since those monsters managed to breach the walls." Elias took a long drag of the cigarette. "Honestly, I blame the Exousia for all of this."

    "How come?"

    The thought of blaming the Exousia never crossed Kyros'' mind. Sure, Exousia were just as destructive as the Varvara, if not more. However, those two forces had nothing to do with each other.

    "Think about it. Last time the Varvara breached the walls were around forty or fifty years ago."

    "For obvious reasons," commented Kyros, trying to figure out where his friend was going with the conversation.

    "Well, that obvious reason is gone now. However, new ones have shown up."

    "The Exousia." Kyros assumed.

    "Bingo," Elias flicked his cigarette off the roof. "Remember, Varvara spawn where large concentrations of negative energy gather. No doubt the Exousia have the people terrified all around the world. I bet we''re not the only country going through this."

    Kyros frowned and crossed his arms. He couldn''t refute the words of Elias. It made sense. The arrival of the Exousia negatively altered the world. Ordinary people couldn''t feel safe with those beings around.

    Their fear and anxiety would act as beacons for the Varvara.

    "That theory alone has made my job much harder, Elias." Kyros ran his hand through his hair. He stepped away from the edge of the building and paced back and forth. "I can''t exactly return to my superiors and tell them the Varvara can''t be stopped."

    "Everyone already knows that. They''ve been around for as long as man can remember." Elias pointed out. "Besides, don''t you need to report back to Headquarters anyway? Don''t you still have to give written reports on how your mission went?"Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Kyros stopped pacing. A wave of anxiety coursed through his entire body.

    Elias was correct about the procedure.

    After every mission, it was mandatory for the soldiers to give detailed reports. But, Kyros didn¡¯t want to make the report.

    He was already under the microscope¡ªhad the higher-ups breathing down his neck, carefully surveilling his every move. Reporting his defeat would only give them another reason to kick him out of the military. And if he returned without any progress on his initial mission, no doubt the higher-ups would have a field day with him.

    Kyros wanted to avoid that at all costs.

    He needed something. Anything that would help him make his trip down from the peak worth it.

    "The military still on your ass?" Elias inquired.

    "Yeah..." Kyros hung his head.

    "Ever thought about quitting?" Elias suggested. Unlike Kyros, the man hadn''t an ounce of respect for the military. He understood long ago how things worked in that organization. Fortunately, he left before it got worse for him. "You spent nearly you''re entire life faithfully serving them. And yet, any mistake you make, they hold it against you."

    "I''m a Captain after all, Elias. That''s how it works."

    "You know what I mean, Kyros. No matter how high up the chain of command you climb, they''ll never see you as anything else than a potential tra--"

    "That''s enough!" Kyros exclaimed. He sharply turned around and glared at his friend.

    Elias didn''t even flinch. Knowing for a fact that Kyros wouldn''t harm him. Not without proper provocation.

    "Touchy." The man shrugged his shoulders and slipped his hands into his pockets. Finished with his smoke break, he turned left Kyros alone on the rooftop.

    Kyros took a few deep breaths and ran his hand through his hair again. Losing his temper by mere words was one of the first things he was taught not to do.

    He turned and faced the city, taking in the beautiful sights and collecting his thoughts. No matter what adversity Soteria faced, Kyros believed that the country would stand strong. It always had since the beginning.

    Confident with his conviction, Kyros headed back inside, stopping in front of the door once he heard two unfamiliar voices making their way up the stairwell.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s on our agenda today, Runa?¡± Sarra asked.

    "Hopefully complete the Varvara mission and get paid," Runa answered. "I''m getting sick and tired of this place, Sarra."

    Runa and Sarra.

    Kyros recognized those names from the news report last night. They were the Huntresses that helped Elma and Chayse capture Thelo. It was an opportunity of a lifetime, overhearing how Huntresses would perform their duties.

    His curiosity getting the best of him; Kyros moved around the door and hid behind the wall before the Huntresses made their way out onto the rooftop.

    ¡°Where should we go first?¡± Sarra asked.

    ¡°Not sure,¡± Runa shrugged her shoulders as she approached the edge of the building. She stared across the vast city before her, silently admiring its beauty. ¡°This country¡¯s massive. I don¡¯t even know where to begin.¡±

    Sarra approached the edge as well, preparing to sit on it until Runa stopped her. Pouting, the little girl rested her arms on it instead.

    ¡°The client wants us to figure out how the Varvara are getting here and deal with the source, right? It¡¯s gonna be tough to do that when we have to deal with Exousia.¡± She complained.

    ¡°Hopefully there aren¡¯t any more here. But, that¡¯s just wishful thinking.¡± Runa looked over at her partner. ¡°Besides us, you mentioned there were six Exousia in the area, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Sarra nodded.

    Kyros¡¯ eyes widened once he heard the revelation.

    Runa and Sarra, Huntresses from the Gardens of Eden, were Exousia. A deadly combination. It was unfair for a mix like that to even exist in the world. It certainly explained how they managed to defeat Thelo last night.

    They had supernatural powers.

    Kyros wanted to act quickly by arresting the both of them before anything else happened. However, he had no proof of their statement. If anything, it¡¯s all hearsay. Without definite evidence, all he could do was let them go free.

    He had no plans to let them off that easily. He figured that his best option was to wait things out and collect information on them for the time being.

    ¡°What do you think is gonna happen to that Exousia from last night anyway?¡± Sarra asked.

    ¡°Does it matter?¡± Runa shrugged her shoulders, showing her indifference towards the situation. ¡°I dunno how this kingdom handles its criminals, but it¡¯s none of our concern. Whatever they have planned for him, it¡¯s probably not good.¡±

    ¡°This kingdom doesn¡¯t think too highly of Exousia do they?¡±

    ¡°Can you blame them? Exousia haven''t exactly been making good names for themselves the past seven years." Runa mentioned; the hint of disdain in her voice reached Kyros and Sarra.

    ¡°But, isn¡¯t it horrible how everyone categorizes all of them as horrible people? You and I are nothing like the one from last night.¡±

    ¡°I know that we are, but others don¡¯t. If anyone in the country were to find out that we¡¯re Exousia, there¡¯s no telling what they¡¯ll do to us.¡±

    ¡°So, we gotta make sure to stay on our toes. So far, I¡¯ve sensed the presence of six Exousia in this country besides us,¡± Sarra said.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there were more out there somewhere. With a country of this size, there¡¯s plenty of holes for the Exousia to hide in.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯m sensing another Exousia in the area. It¡¯s close,¡± Sarra mentioned¡ªher voice trembled, ¡°I think one perhaps lives in this apartment building.¡±

    Kyros¡¯ heart rate increased at alarming levels. He clutched his chest in a desperate attempt to settle his beating heart.

    The situation had changed. It was too dangerous to stay there any longer. He looked around the roof for any means of escape since the door wasn¡¯t an option.

    The emergency exit was also out of the question. It was on the other side of the roof¡ªthe Huntresses¡¯ side to be exact. Kyros would¡¯ve been spotted immediately if he walked out over there.

    That left him with only one option.

    The rooftop of the other building. It didn¡¯t seem to be that far. If he built up enough momentum, escape would be possible. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

    Just when he prepared to proceed with his half-baked plan of escape, a throbbing pain coursed through his head, instantly stopping him. The pain flared up in his head like a raging inferno. It felt like his head was going to split in two.

    Kyros pressed his hands against his head and yelled out in excruciating pain, which captured the attention of the Huntresses. Runa and Sarra wandered over to Kyros and attempted to help him in any way that they could.

    ¡°What the hell is with this guy?! Where¡¯d he come from?!¡± Runa exclaimed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! But he¡¯s hurt! We gotta do something!¡± Sarra panicked.

    Standing proved too much for Kyros. He dropped to the ground and writhed in pain. All his strength and willpower directed to ease the unbearable pain in his head.

    The Huntresses shook Kyros and called out to him. But, their voices were drowned out by the screams.

    Multiple visions raced through Kyros¡¯ mind as the painful sensation coursing through his head decided to traverse through his body as well. He saw and heard several events occurring that he had no recollection of¡ªas if he was there, at that moment. Once the visions had finally ceased, Kyros sat up, trying to recapture his breath.

    The pain that plagued his body quickly disappeared along with the visions. He disregarded the sudden relief of pain and focused solely at the palm of his hands. Though he was no longer in any pain, a slight burning sensation lingered.

    The palm of his hands began to emanate a small source of light as he continued to stare at them. On his left hand, an engraving of the number one. On the other hand, the number fifty.

    Runa and Sarra stared intensely at the man. Sarra moved her hand behind her back and gripped the handle of her dagger. Runa slowly pushed the little girl behind her while she held her spear tightly in her other hand.

    Kyros froze as an immense killing intent exerted from the Huntresses.

    He thought he¡¯d grown used to that feeling¡ªthat dread. But, time and time again, he was proven wrong. Even as the Huntress raised her weapon to strike him; his body refused to move.

    Was that it?

    Was that where he was going to die?

    He didn¡¯t want to die.

    All he had to do was raise his hands and guard against her attack. But, that moment never came. The shaft of Runa''s weapon struck him in the back of the head.

    Darkness clouded his vision as he drifted off into unconsciousness.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 7 - Exposed!

    Darkness.

    That was all Kyros saw, even when he regained consciousness after an allotted amount of time. He felt a warm, soft sensation over his eyes, mouth, and hands. It was the fabric used as his blindfold, mouth gag, and hand restraints.

    His hearing was the only thing that wasn''t restricted. That was all he could do. He focused his attention on listening.

    Hasty footsteps followed up with the vexing creaking of the wooden floor. It suddenly stopped.

    Eventually, he sensed a presence in front of him. A hand reached out and lifted the blindfold over his eyes. There stood his captors, Runa das Meer and Sarra Zosime.

    Runa carried her spear tightly in her hand, holding the blade dangerously close to Kyros'' neck. He could feel it. The cold, polished steel lightly pricking the flesh of his neck. Blood trickled down the edge of the spear.

    ¡°Let me make something very clear to you. If you try anything, and I do mean ANYTHING, that I don¡¯t like. I promise you that I¡¯ll drive this blade through your neck.¡±

    Kyros nearly suffocated underneath the immense pressure of killing intent that the Huntress exerted from her body. It was like over a thousand needles had pierced his body. Throughout his years in the military, he had grown accustomed to glares and feelings of killing intent. But, there was something about her gaze that sent a chill down his spine.

    She made it no secret that she was the one in charge. Kyros had no control at that point. He was at their mercy.

    Eventually, Runa stepped aside and allowed her partner to approach the man. ¡°I¡¯m going to remove your gag now. Please don¡¯t shout or try to escape.¡± Sarra said as she nervously drew her shaky hands close to the mouth gag. She quickly removed it then moved away.

    ¡°Can I get some water? My throat¡¯s a little dry after being knocked out¡­again¡­¡± Kyros said, feeling somewhat groggy. His head throbbed in pain from the blunt force trauma he suffered earlier.

    Runa seemed discontent with the idea of giving in to his demands. Kyros immediately figured that he failed with his first tactic. But, after looking over to Sarra, he realized that it had worked after all.

    Sarra seemed to be the most sympathetic out of the two.

    She nervously looked around everywhere expect at Kyros. She struggled to decide on whether to accept the request. Thankfully, she gave in. She rushed over to the kitchen area, grabbed a cup of water, then returned over to the couple. She inched closer and closer to the man. The cup of water was very unsteady in her hands. Most of it spilled onto the floor.

    Just when it was close to Kyros¡¯ mouth, Runa held her arm out in front of the little girl to stop her. ¡°Don¡¯t give him any water, Sarra. Depending on how this turns out he might not need it.¡±

    ¡°Is that a threat?¡± Kyros looked up and stared the Huntress right in the eye.

    ¡°More like a promise if you don¡¯t answer all my questions,¡± She pulled up a chair nearby and took a seat. Her sharp, cold glare never left Kyros. ¡°First, start off by telling us who you are and what you want.¡±

    ¡°My name¡¯s Kyros Aleister. Captain of the fifth recon unit that serves under General Zofia¡¯s army. And what I want is to get out of here.¡±

    What followed his sarcastic remark was swift, yet painful.

    Runa''s fist greeted Kyros¡¯ face. His head snapped back¡ªblood dripped out from his nose as he glared fiercely at the Huntress. Had it not been for the restraints binding his hands together, he wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to pay her back for the cheap shot.

    ¡°That¡¯s one strike against you. Two more of those and then you¡¯re done. Don¡¯t be a smart-ass.¡± She ordered, returning the glare.

    ¡°That was a swear word, Runa,¡± Sarra called out to her partner.

    Runa signaled for the little girl to keep her mouth shut as she continued to speak, ¡°Moving on, why were you eavesdropping on our conversation earlier and how much of it did you hear?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t intentionally try to listen. I was up there earlier speaking with the landlord of this building,¡± Kyros answered, ¡°Unfortunately, I overheard everything you two were talking about.¡±

    ¡°So, you know what we are,¡± She extended her arm out and opened her palm. Kyros shut his eyes closed and turned his head away. An odd reaction for a military soldier. "Why''re you closing your eyes? Open them."

    "No." Kyros refused, knowing exactly what he''d see if he did.

    "Open them," demanded Runa as she slammed the blade of her spear into the floor. Fear seeped into Kyros'' body. He wasn''t in any position to refuse the demands of his captors. Against his wishes, he slowly opened his eyes and stared at the palm of Runa''s hand.

    Engraved on her palm was the number eighteen.

    Kyros shook his head and sighed, dreading the sight of the mark on the woman''s hand.

    "You can see it, can''t you?" Sarra inquired.

    "If you can, then that means you''re just like us. Ordinary humans can''t see the Brand." Runa declared as she retracted her hand. "You''re an Exousia."

    She had done it. She brought up a topic that Kyros had wished to avoid at all costs.

    Inevitable it was. A secret as major as his could never stay buried forever.

    "If you went unnoticed on that rooftop, what were you planning to do concerning our identities? Tell your military about us?" Runa moved her spear to Kyros'' chest. With it, she poked the medallion.

    An intense rage swelled up inside of Kyros. Despite his restraints, he leaned forward and snapped, "Don''t touch my medallion!"You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Runa pointed her weapon at the man''s face while Sarra moved her hand to her dagger. Tension swirled around the room. The group anxiously waited for one another to make a move.

    Time passed in complete silence. No one attempted to make any aggressive movements. None of them were looking for a fight, but it was wise always to be prepared for one.

    The group eventually settled down, albeit with great difficulty.

    Runa lowered her weapon and sighed. She had to admit that the military man had grit, snapping at her like that despite his current position and situation. The medallion was essential to Kyros. That much she understood. She made a mental note not to mess with it again.

    A fight against a military officer was the last thing she wanted, especially with Sarra nearby. Unfortunately, as time passed, it looked like that''s how things would go down. Things progressed too smoothly in her favor.

    Her captive hadn''t attempted to escape by activating his powers or his Praus. Besides when Kyros snapped at her; he remained calm and collected. She couldn''t let her guard down around him.

    Not again.

    It was thanks to her blunder, her negligence, that she and Sarra were in a precarious situation in the first place. Her time in Soteria must''ve dulled her senses of awareness.

    Now that their secret was out, the best option was just to abort the mission and leave the country as soon as possible. If Runa let Kyros go, then their lives would be in grave danger. That was a fact.

    Runa couldn¡¯t trust him. She wouldn¡¯t trust him.

    The quickest route to salvation would¡¯ve been to kill him. Soteria was a massive country. There were plenty of places to hide a body. If not for Sarra; Runa would¡¯ve chosen that as Plan A.

    "I repeat, what''d you plan to do if you went unnoticed on that rooftop?" Runa asked.

    "I would''ve investigated you. You''re both Exousia after all. I couldn''t let you both go free without knowing your intentions here." Kyros answered with a monotone voice.

    "Our intentions?" Sarra asked.

    "You two are here to help deal with the Varvara and nothing more, right?" Kyros answered with a question of his own.

    "Yeah." Runa nodded her head.

    "If that''s the case, then I see no reason to out any of you to the military or the public."

    The tension in the room slowly dissipated. Neither Runa or Sarra ever expected to come across someone willing to keep their identities a secret, especially another Exousia. Kyros had nothing to gain from keeping their secret. In fact, if he outed them, he''d gain the upper hand and have the entire country on their asses.

    "Runa," Sarra approached her partner and tapped the blue-haired woman on the shoulder. "Do you think that he doesn''t want to..." She stopped when Runa shook her head.

    Unlike her partner, Runa wasn''t too quick to change her mind about the man. From her perspective, the man was using a tactic. She wouldn''t be fooled.

    ¡°Next question, what''re your powers and what''ve you been doing with them for the past seven years?¡± Runa continued with the interrogation, not easing up for a moment. Not until she was convinced that the man didn''t pose a threat to them.

    ¡°Can''t this interrogation go both ways? I¡¯ve already given you information about me. So, how about you give me some information about you?¡± Kyros suggested.

    In response to the suggestion, Runa chalked it up as a second strike. She punched him in the face again. His head snapped back so far that he nearly fell over in the chair. Runa reached her arm out and returned him to his previous position.

    ¡°Strike two. One more and you¡¯re done.¡± Runa warned him. Her tone was angrier than the last time. ¡°You already know more information about us than anyone else in this kingdom. Don¡¯t get cocky.¡±

    Kyros groaned in pain then spat out some blood onto the floor. ¡°I have the power to perceive future events before they happen. Precognition.¡±

    ¡°Precognition?¡± Runa exclaimed. She tossed her hands up into the air then shook her head, letting out a frustrated groan. She couldn¡¯t even begin to process how irritated she was. Out of all the powers in the world for someone to have, the man before her had the power of precognition.

    It wasn¡¯t fair.

    There was no telling how overpowered he was when compared to other Exousia. If that was indeed his power, then there lied the possibility that he foresaw the meeting between them long before it happened.

    It certainly explained why he appeared so calm. Kyros must¡¯ve prepped himself.

    How long ago? When? Was he prepared from the beginning?

    Runa didn¡¯t know. She couldn¡¯t know. As far as she was concerned, Kyros was too dangerous to have around. She couldn¡¯t continue with the interrogation anymore. She wanted to end it as soon as possible.

    She stood from her chair and prepared to strike him down with the spear.

    ¡°I should¡¯ve expected as much from a single digit. Of course, you¡¯d get blessed with a power that outclasses the rest of us; you¡¯re the First Exousia after all.¡± She coldly told him.

    Years of anger and frustration swelled inside of Kyros. That title¡ªthe First Exousia¡ªit was a position that granted much strife for him over the years.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± Kyros ordered.

    It wasn¡¯t the smartest thing to do¡ªordering around someone that held him captive. But, he wasn¡¯t in the right frame of mind.

    He despised his title. It reminded him of the curse placed upon him by that vile woman seven years ago.

    Runa sensed his frustration and slowly lowered her weapon down to her side. ¡°The number one is engraved in the palm of your hand, right? Or was I mistaken when I checked?¡±

    ¡°No. You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll admit. I¡¯m an Exousia,¡± He began, ¡°My Exousia Brand is number one. However, I don¡¯t want to be associated with the Exousia. I¡¯m nothing like them. I don¡¯t want to have any part in this sick and twisted game orchestrated by that vile, faux Goddess.¡±

    He had done it.

    He revealed himself as one of the supernatural beings that plagued Salome for seven years. Never had he spoken such words aloud to anyone, not even to himself. He believed that if he never thought of it, never talked about it; then it would eventually become a reality.

    But, as his luck would have it, nothing worked.

    Everything started seven years ago, on any other regular day. The day suddenly turned to night¡ªno¡ªthat wasn¡¯t right. It¡¯d be best to say that darkness befell the planet and obscured the sun.

    Then, down from the sky rained spheres of light. Those that touched them suffered a terrible fate. The spheres of light absorbed through their skin and entered their bodies.

    Kyros recalled the intense, burning sensation in his body at that time. He thought that he would¡¯ve melted from the inside out. Next thing he knew, he wasn¡¯t even in his country. Or rather, he wasn¡¯t even on Salome anymore.

    He was in space. No, there were no stars. Not a single glimmer of light existed in that place. It was a void.

    In that void, there were others. Kyros called out to them, but none answered. There was also no detail on them. They were all silhouettes.

    Things only continued to get stranger once a large woman appeared before his very eyes, sitting on a throne with seven other people standing by her feet. She called herself Shura, the Goddess of Creation, the overseer of the world.

    She said that she wanted a successor and that those in the void were candidates for her throne. It was then at that moment that she gave everyone one specific order.

    Kill.

    The Goddess of Creation, the one responsible for saving the world from sure extinction thousands of years ago in myths and religion, gave the order to kill. Not just anyone, though. Each other. She wanted her candidates to kill the other people that stood in that void.

    It was asinine.

    Without giving anyone a chance to speak, Shura returned everyone to their world. At first, Kyros wished it all to be just a dream. But, it wasn¡¯t.

    He found the number one engraved on his left hand and the number one-hundred and fifty on the other. Then suddenly after that, visions of events that he had no recollection of flashed through his mind at random moments.

    Since he didn¡¯t want any part of it, he ignored them. He moved about his day, acting as if everything was normal.

    Days would pass. Weeks. Months. Years.

    Not a single day went by where people wouldn¡¯t hear about people with supernatural abilities killing others.

    Villages, towns, cities, countries. All types of civilizations were either taken over or destroyed by those beings. Eventually, those people were labeled as Exousia.

    That word. Exousia. In that country or perhaps all around the world, it was a word that was synonymous with a slaughterer.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 8 - Partnership!

    The Exousia were monsters--ruthless walking disasters that destroyed anything and everything in their path. That was how the public viewed them. Kyros knew better than to categorize or profile people solely based on rumors and appearances. However, Exousia like Thelo didn''t help their image.

    It was painful, keeping a secret from his friends and loved ones for seven whole years. When Kyros first discovered his powers of precognition, he wanted to tell his comrades in the military. But, deep down inside of him resided a seed of doubt.

    If he revealed his identity as an Exousia--would his country finally accept him? The man already walked on thin ice with the military and the nation. Should anyone learn of what he''d become; he dreaded the consequences. Execution would be a form of salvation to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not like them,¡± Kyros muttered, ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary person.¡±

    The military man repeated that to himself for countless nights--hoping that the mantra would fool his brain into actually believing him. But, there was no hiding what he was. Not anymore.

    ¡°Right. An ordinary person that can see into the future,¡± said Runa with a mocking tone of voice.

    ¡°I only use it when necessary. Unlike other Exousia that jumped at the chance to use their powers for their selfish needs, I¡¯ve used my powers for the greater good. I¡¯ve prevented over dozens of crimes over the past few years thanks to my abilities.¡±

    ¡°You almost sound grateful.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not grateful for this curse placed on me.¡±

    How could he feel grateful? Anyone that acquired vast power without putting any effort to obtain it would naturally succumb to hubris. And to make matters worse, the powers were given to people without discrimination or forethought.

    The man thought back to the early days of the Exousia. People from different backgrounds and social classes marveled at their newfound powers and attempted to seize control of the country. They were soundly defeated and imprisoned inside of the maximum-security prison, Tartarus.

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t plan on participating in the God selection? Why not kill yourself and get it over with? It would save us some time.¡± Runa moved the blade of her spear close to the restrained man¡¯s neck. If he so wished, she¡¯d end his life right then and there.

    Kyros leaned his head back, cringing at the sight of the blade. One wrong move and it¡¯d be curtains.

    Sarra came out from behind Runa and placed her hand on the shaft of the weapon, moving it away from Kyros.

    ¡°Runa, you¡¯re being rude.¡± She scolded.

    ¡°She¡¯s far beyond the point of rudeness.¡± Kyros pointed out, earning himself a sharp glare from the blue-haired huntress. ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t want to participate. I¡¯ve no interest in playing into that woman¡¯s hands. However, if I¡¯m to be attacked by an Exousia, I don¡¯t plan on dying.¡±

    His eyes burned with fierce determination and focus. Every single word weighed heavily on the shoulders of the Huntresses.

    She couldn¡¯t deny it anymore. No matter what excuses crossed her mind at that moment, Runa couldn¡¯t ignore the genuine conviction in the man¡¯s voice. He wasn¡¯t like the others she had encountered¡ªat least for the most part.

    ¡°Well said,¡± Runa looked over to Sarra then nudged her head in Kyros¡¯ direction. ¡°Cut him.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Sarra exclaimed.

    ¡°Loose. Cut him loose.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right!¡± Sarra hurriedly approached Kyros, reaching behind her back for her dagger. However, Kyros shook his head and brought his hands out from behind his back. The Huntresses looked down and found the man¡¯s restraints on the floor.

    ¡°No need. I already helped myself.¡± Kyros revealed.

    ¡°Show off,¡± Runa commented. ¡°You could¡¯ve done that from the very beginning?¡±

    ¡°Not immediately,¡± Kyros worked on the restraints to his legs. Afterward, he stood from the chair. ¡°It took a few seconds to loosen the restraints.¡±

    ¡°I told you that you needed to work on your knots, Runa,¡± Sarra said.

    "Not now."

    ¡°Anyway, is that it? You¡¯re just going to let me go now?¡± Kyros asked.

    ¡°For now, yes. I know what your powers are, so you¡¯re not that much of a threat to us anymore,¡± Runa concluded, albeit she still had some reservations about the situation. ¡°Plus, you seem genuinely upset about being an Exousia.¡±

    ¡°Infuriated.¡± Kyros looked down at the palm of his hands. There they were¡ªthe brands--a constant reminder of what he was. What he had become. ¡°So much has changed in the past seven years. The only thing threatening humanity were the Varvara and Jaya Acolytes. But now, this supposed ¡°Goddess¡± appears out of nowhere and grants us the power to become Gods ourselves? Telling us to kill each other while she watches from the sidelines? Unforgivable.¡±

    ¡°The last eight,¡± Runa suddenly said, ¡°only when there are eight Exousia standing will the God selection come to an end. And only one among those eight will have the honor of becoming a God.¡±

    Kyros responded with a scoff of disgust. What an absurd concept. Countless people died around the world for such a ridiculous thing. If people were to learn the exact origin and purpose concerning the existence of the Exousia, there was no doubt in his mind that all-out war would break loose.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let this continue. I¡¯ll see to it that this cruel game ends once and for all.¡± Kyros brazenly announced to the Huntresses.

    ¡°How do you plan to stop it?¡± Sarra inquired.

    A question Kyros had asked himself thousands of times over the past seven years. He racked his brain trying to find an answer that would spare as many lives as possible. In the end, he only saw two answers through his mental journey.

    ¡°I¡¯ve thought of two ways to stop the God Selection. One, if I can find one of the Higher Exousia, I can use them to speak with Shura. Surely, they would be able to convince her to stop it.¡±

    The Higher Exousia¡ªentities of tremendous power that surpass the Exousia. They were the guardians of Shura and acted as the overseers of the continents. They would supervise other Exousia and ensure the God selection proceeded accordingly. From Kyros¡¯ understanding, there were two ways for them to do that.

    One, they would remain in the realm of Gods and look down on Exousia from there. Or two, they would wander around the continent and personally keep tabs on Exousia. Kyros had his hopes set on the second option.

    ¡°And the second?¡± asked Runa as she gestured for Kyros to continue.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°If that plan fails, then I¡¯ll have no other choice than to play it smart and let the Exousia kill each other off until I¡¯m one of the last eight remaining. That way once that fake Goddess shows herself again, I¡¯ll take her down.¡±

    ¡°You do remember that she has those bodyguards with her, right? The Higher Exousia?¡± Runa reminded.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll take them down too if they get in my way,¡± Kyros proudly proclaimed.

    Bold, but foolish.

    That¡¯s how Runa classified Kyros. For a moment, yes, just a moment, she believed the man had a concrete plan to end the God selection. But, of course, he proved otherwise. She mentally kicked herself for having any sliver of hope.

    She thought she discarded that foolish concept.

    ¡°Good luck with that. Perhaps Sarra and I will see you there as one of the final eight,¡± Runa said before she gestured toward the door with her thumb, ¡°there¡¯s the door. Let¡¯s get moving.¡±

    ¡°Get moving?¡± Kyros asked. ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°Anywhere other than here. Until Sarra and I complete our mission and leave the country, you¡¯re going to stick with us. We could use the help of a military captain.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Runa gets easily lost. You could act as our tour guide.¡± Sarra added. Runa sent a sharp glare in the girl¡¯s direction, but the little girl ignored it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind helping out whenever I can. But, I¡¯m still a military officer. I¡¯ve my duties to attend to as well,¡± Kyros informed them, ¡°so, what¡¯s your mission in the first place?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been hired to exterminate the source of the Varvara infiltrating your kingdom as of late,¡± Sarra answered.

    ¡°Well, what a coincidence,¡± Kyros crossed his arms, ¡°most of the recon captains in Zofia¡¯s army have been tasked with the job of finding the source as well.¡±

    ¡°So, our jobs are the same then!¡± Sarra grabbed the hands of Kyros and Runa, placing them together on top of each other. ¡°We¡¯re like a team now!¡±

    Her bright smile and enthusiasm radiated around the entire room. Kyros looked at Runa and smiled as well, seeing no problems with working alongside the Huntresses. Runa, however, didn¡¯t seem as eager. If anything, she planned to merely use the man''s connections to get places around the country. Plus, it never hurt to extort the man for classified information.

    Runa pulled her hand away from Kyros then wiped her hand on her pant leg. ¡°Has anyone in the army found any valuable information?¡±

    After seeing the eagerness in the eyes of the Huntresses, Kyros felt reluctant to answer the question. So far, nothing concrete had been discovered.

    ¡°No. Nothing yet.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just go over what we know then,¡± Runa suggested. ¡°Varvara are nocturnal creatures. They¡¯re attracted to negative emotions and spawn where large concentrated amounts of it gather. Yesterday, they spawned near the hospital.¡±

    ¡°That was because an Exousia attacked the hospital,¡± Kyros added.

    ¡°Was it?¡± Runa wandered over to the table in the middle of the room. She reached into her bag and pulled out a few dark colored shards. She showed them to Kyros. ¡°Before the Varvara attacked last time, I heard something shatter from behind the police barricades. After that, black smoke covered the area. Then, the Varvara attacked. Notice anything wrong with that pattern?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Varvara don¡¯t appear in smoke. They come through portals.¡± Kyros approached Runa and inspected the shards in her hand. He felt an ominous presence from them. ¡°What are these things?¡±

    ¡°Beats me. I found them at the scene of the crime. Decided to take them with me.¡± Runa shrugged her shoulders then set the shards on the table. ¡°I¡¯ve got a feeling that these aren¡¯t natural Varvara attacks.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°It''s just a hunch. But, I think someone¡¯s smuggling them here.¡±

    Kyros¡¯ eyes bulged in horror. It was one of the most absurd announcements he¡¯d ever heard in his life. Someone smuggled the Varvara, enemies of humanity, into the country?

    Insanity. All of it.

    ¡°That can¡¯t be! No! Why would anyone run the risk of smuggling those monsters here?!¡± Kyros exclaimed, losing his composure.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been in this kingdom for very long, so I¡¯m not aware of its history. But, does Soteria have any enemies that would wish to see it burnt down to the ground?¡± Runa took a seat on the couch along with Sarra.

    Kyros ran his hand through his hair then heaved a sigh. Enemies of Soteria. A touchy subject for anyone aware of its rough history.

    And that was putting it mildly.

    Kyros mentally listed off the enemies that he could think of. It rounded up into the thousands, possibly even the millions.

    ¡°The number is vast. There are the Titans, infamous criminals down in Tartarus, the Beastia race, Cyclops race, other countries around the world.¡± Kyros listed off a few. ¡°But, your theory is flawed. The Varvara attack all living creatures besides themselves. It¡¯s impossible for anyone to smuggle them.¡±

    Impossible. A common word people fell on to describe things they weren¡¯t willing to accept. But, not Runa. In her life, anything was possible.

    ¡°After having supernatural powers for seven years, anything is possible.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you that. But, how would anyone smuggle Varvara into the kingdom without anyone knowing?¡±

    The weight of the conversation took its toll on the military captain. He heaved another heavy sigh then took a seat on the chair he was once held captive on.

    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a mole in your military?¡± Runa suggested.

    Kyros¡¯ expression turned grim. Once again, another absurd suggestion reached his ears. It took every ounce of his strength to control his temper.

    ¡°There¡¯s no mole. The brave men and women in the military would never do anything like allowing those monsters into Soteria.¡±

    ¡°Mole or no mole, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that the Varvara are here,¡± Runa stated. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the damage they¡¯ve caused. Wasn¡¯t one of your villages reduced to dust thanks to them?¡±

    Runa recalled the moment she and Sarra first set foot within Soteria. Utter destruction greeted them. There was once a small town at the forefront of the kingdom named Salus. However, the Huntresses never got the chance to see it.

    For when they arrived at the area where it should have been¡ªall that awaited them was a vast, empty wasteland. Not a single structure could be seen for miles. It was as if the town never existed in the first place.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the Varvara destroyed Salus. I think an Exousia was behind it.¡± Kyros theorized.

    ¡°Yeah, perhaps the Exousia from yesterday was responsible.¡± Runa agreed.

    ¡°I won¡¯t lose another town. No matter what, I¡¯m going to put an end to this.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯re you gonna do that?¡±

    ¡°When my powers suddenly activated on the rooftop earlier, I saw a vision of us fighting against the Varvara in Elpida Town,¡± He answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll confront the creatures, but that place is my next destination.¡±

    ¡°Elpida Town?¡± Runa leaned forward and interlocked her fingers. ¡°How accurate are your visions?¡±

    ¡°It depends. The future¡¯s subjectable to frequently shift due to my knowledge of the events to come. Accuracy¡¯s not much of a problem rather than relevance. Sometimes my visions are entirely unrelated to situations that I wish to see.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite the drawback you have,¡± Runa commented, an arrogant smirk soon formed on her face after hearing some of the flaws in his power.

    Perhaps the single digits weren¡¯t as powerful as she was initially led to believe. After all, she subdued Kyros, the First Exousia, quite easily.

    ¡°If the Varvara are gonna attack that town, then we need to stop them!¡± Sarra¡¯s eyes beamed with sheer excitement as she jumped to her feet, all too eager to face the dangers that lied ahead.

    Runa reached out and grabbed Sarra¡¯s braided ponytail, pulling her back onto the couch. ¡°Let¡¯s not do anything rash until we come up with a plan.¡± She grabbed her spear then pointed it at Kyros. ¡°Since you know where the next attack will take place, you should tell your superiors about it. Have them prepare countermeasures.¡±

    ¡°I already intend to do that. I¡¯ll request for multiple units.¡± Kyros said.

    ¡°Good. Go pack your bags, Sarra.¡± Runa ordered.

    ¡°On it!¡± Sarra jumped up then headed to her room as instructed.

    Afterward, Runa glared daggers at Kyros. A chill ran down his spine, and he froze again.

    ¡°Let me tell you how this is gonna work. Right now, I still don¡¯t trust you. You know we¡¯re Exousia, and you¡¯re also in the military.¡± Runa said. Unsure of where Runa was going with the conversation he decided to keep quiet and listen to what she had to say. ¡°I know this country¡¯s severe hatred toward the Exousia. So, if you let it slip that Sarra and I are Exousia, I can only imagine the worst possible outcome. So, if our identities are exposed and we''re gonna go down. I''m taking you down with us.¡±

    For once possible throughout the entire encounter, Runa averted her gaze from Kyros. He saw it. The genuine concern on her face. Runa¡¯s gaze rested on Sarra when the young girl entered the room with a bright smile on her face as she carried a backpack.

    It was at that moment that Kyros understood the reason behind Runa¡¯s cruelty. All she wanted was to keep that little girl safe.

    Understandable.

    Kyros knew that if information leaked about Runa and Sarra being Exousia, the authorities wouldn¡¯t hesitate to have them captured, incarcerated, or executed. Soteria showed no mercy towards criminals or those that they deemed to be criminals. Exousia were classified as criminals.

    ¡°I assure you that I¡¯ve no intention of telling anyone that you two are Exousia. You both seem like good people.¡± Kyros said.

    ¡°Well, just to be sure, Sarra and I will shadow you. Try anything funny¡­¡± Runa raised her spear again in a threatening manner.

    ¡°Okay, okay, I get it. Message received. I¡¯ll be sure to be careful.¡± Kyros raised his hands up in a defensive manner, showing that he wasn¡¯t a threat.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t screw things up, we should get along just fine.¡± Runa set her spear behind her back then grabbed her bag. ¡°Lead the way to Elpida Town.¡±

    Kyros nodded then led the way as instructed. With that, his partnership with Runa and Sarra began.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 9 - Gigas Alcaeus and Dire!

    Humans.

    Arguably the most prominent beings on Salome. They''re believed to be intelligent, resourceful, and powerful, as they''re the most technologically advanced species. There was some truth to that statement. At least from the viewpoint of humans.

    But, what about the other races?

    How did the races that had all been affected by the influences of humans view them? The answers vary. But, they were all often very similar.

    Humans were disgusting, worthless pieces of trash that wasted air as much as they did lives. Because of the mere fact that they outnumbered all races, they believed that the world belonged to them alone. The world''s dark history proved that fact.

    In Salome, there were seven continents, each controlled by a kingdom. Out of those seven, only two of them were run by races other than humans. Their relationship with the other five wasn''t the most ideal.

    The primary cause behind that was racism. It wouldn''t be much of a stretch to claim that humans were the ones responsible for it.

    It was human nature to control¡ªto dominate. It made them feel powerful to make up for their weaknesses. Humans weren''t naturally as strong as the other races at birth. So, of course, they trained to build up their strength. If some couldn''t get stronger using training, they turned to science. They''d modify their bodies, engineer them, create weapons and technology.

    No real shame in that.

    But, then came the question as to what they should do with that strength. The answer was as clear as day. They''d showcase their power and strength under the pretense of protecting humanity.

    From the first floor of a run-down tavern in Spero Town, the truth of humanity displayed for all to see. Big, fat, sweaty men loudly chatted among themselves, holding tightly onto chains with their free hands. On the other end of those chains, however, were people of various races.

    Most of them belonged to the Beastia Race¡ªhumanoid beings with physical animal characteristics such as ears or tails.

    Out of all races, humans despised theBeastia''sthe most. No, that wasn''t right. Feared would be the correct word.

    Slavery was a suitable way to showcase the might of the most dominant race.Beastia''swere the most common targets of slavery. One would fetch an exceptional price for the specimen.

    Most of the slaves on the first floor were young, probably around ten to twelve years old. They were battered, bruised, and starved. Far too weak to even lift their heads to beg their masters for food.

    However, some of them looked up to the second floor, where their hope of escape resided. Leaning against the railing on the second level was a young man, no older than nineteen. He stared down at the slaves with a smile of sheer arrogance. Despite his expression, his appearance brought sparkles of hope to the eyes of the slaves.

    The ears on the sides of his head relaxed, his long, sleek, furry tail wagged back and forth. Best of all, not a single collar or chain was around his neck--further signifying his freedom.

    He was free to save them from their pain and suffering. Or at least that''s what they hoped.

    Their supposed savior, however, had no intention of saving them. His smile of arrogance was directed toward everyone on the first floor, regardless of their status. Nobleman, soldier, officer, slave, none of those mattered to him.

    In the end, they were all beneath him.

    Why would he bother wasting his time with the weaklings downstairs? No matter how long the slaves desperately stared at him with pleading eyes for salvation, he ignored them.

    They weren''t worth it¡ªespecially his fellow Beastia.

    He prided himself on his strength and the might of his race. Those that couldn''t live up to the expectations of the race didn''t deserve his sympathy or attention. If they were so weak to get captured by humans in the first place, then they deserved to become slaves.

    The young man''s attention was drawn to the entrance of the tavern once the doors swung open. The music came to an abrupt stop as nearly everyone turned to watch a group of menenterthe establishment.

    There were five of them.

    The one in front was a large, rugged man that had the best-looking equipment out of the group. The group of men made a massive scene as they moved around the tavern. They openly mocked and jeered the others on the first floor, stole their food and beverages, and groped the waitresses in their tiny miniskirts.

    Some of the bar''s patrons stood and left, knowing better than to stick around when those group of men entered.

    "Anyone find anything good here?" The leader of the group, Eugene, scanned the first floor searching through the stack of wanted posters in his hands. None of the people matched the images on the posters.

    "Nothing yet, boss." His lackeys replied.

    "Hmph," Eugene shook his head and continued to search. He noted that there were a lot more people on the first floor than usual. He spotted several instances of where ten people crowded around a single table. The man arched his eyebrows and looked up at the second level. His eyes soon rested on the Beastia upstairs.

    The entire establishment kept silent as the two traded glances. Eugene narrowed his eyes and scowled at the Beastia, knowing that the mongrel was challenging him. The man raised the stack of wanted posters in his hand and searched through them. He stopped and smiled once he found one that matched the appearance of the Beastia.

    It read, "Wanted Dead or Alive" Dire. Underneath the picture was the price rewarded for his capture¡ªfifty thousand Axia.

    With a confident stride, Eugene and his lackeys headed up to the second floor, eventually surrounding their target of interest. The man sneered as he held the wanted poster close to theBeastia''sface for verification.

    It was a perfect match.

    "So, you''re Dire?" The large man addressed the Beastia with a haughty voice. "The one that caused all that trouble on Albus? Destruction of noblemen houses, churches, orphanages, the slaughter of dozens." He listed off a few of the man''s crimes.

    Dire''s ears perked up, and his tail wagged after being pointed out. He understood that the men were Bounty Hunters. His wanted poster was of him¡ªback when he was ten years old.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Eugene set the wanted poster on the railing. From there, he plunged his knife into it. The blade punctured the picture through the eye.

    "You''ve got some nerve coming into my town with such a hefty price on your head. Fifty thousand Axia for your little head? We could live like kings." Eugene leaned in and increased the volume of his already incessant voice, "Shouldn''t you be wearing your subjugation collar? Those belonging to the Beastia race should always wear those when out in public with their masters."

    Subjugation collars.

    A dominating piece of technology created by humanity to control their slaves. It was rather simple. A collar embedded with Ignis Vitalis was attached to the slave with a chain held in the hands of the owner. Should the slave try to escape and remove the chain from the collar; a sixty-second time frame would be given before the collar exploded.

    A gruesome display of fireworks.

    As for master, Eugene referred to another large man nearby that sat alone at a table, enjoying his cuisine without a care in the world.

    Tall and imposing he was. Eugene and his lackeys couldn''t help but feel intimidated by the man. His rough and rugged face, and evident muscular physique they, certainly couldn''t compare to him.

    However, the leader of the group felt nothing of the man. As far as he was concerned, the two of them were equals. He approached the table and pulled up a chair, sitting down next to the man.

    "You the master of that mutt?" He asked.

    The large man looked up from his food, shooting the bounty hunter a displeased glance. Even from that single glance, all the bounty hunters on the second floor felt their blood run cold.The freezingtouch of death pierced their bodies as if warning of them of the potential danger that awaited them.

    The people on the first floor felt anxious, a sense of foreboding left them frozen in anticipation to see what would become of the Bounty Hunters should they continue to mess with the two on the second floor.

    "Don''t take this personally, but we''re gonna take that mutt and turn him over to the police. He''s a wanted criminal, and it''ll be in your best interest to hand him over to us. If you cooperate, I''ll give you a percentage of the reward money." Eugene snaked his arm around the man''s shoulder, trying his best not to lose his composure in front of his men. "You can buy a lot better food and alcohol than these table scraps that you''re having."

    When the Bounty Hunter reached his hand out to grab the alcohol, the large man gripped Eugene''s arm.

    "Don''t. Touch. My. Alcohol." The large man demanded.

    His grip on Eugene strengthened, causing those within earshot to cringe and grimace as the Bounty Hunter''s yell combined with the creaking and grating of his armguard resonated in the tavern. Eugene stumbled out of his chair the moment his arm was released. His lackeys crowded around him, ensuring that he was okay.

    "Are you alright, Boss Eugene?!"

    "Damn. I didn''t hear his arm break, Gigas." Dire complained as he looked over at the large man at the table. "Soft as always."

    Gigas rolled his eyes and returned to his meal as if nothing happened. As far as he was concerned, nothing did.

    But, to Eugene and his men, Gigas had committed one of the most heinous crimes. They were some of the top Bounty Hunters in the town. No one dared to disrespect them or their authority until today.

    "Son of a bitch! I''ll have both your heads!" Eugene, in a fit of rage, pulled out a giant sword from the sheath on his back. He brandished it around dangerously with a flushed face.

    "You can''t do that, boss! If you kill the target, you''ll lose seventy percent of the bounty!" One of his lackeys warned him.

    "And we can''t kill the other one. I don''t see a bounty in our stack of posters." Another one warned.

    "There''s no need to cry, idiot. We''re right here in front of you." Dire placed his hands over his ears. The man''s hollering irritated him.

    "Use your inside voice," Gigas ordered. He reached for his drink, but then quickly retracted his hand once Eugene sliced the wooden table in half with his sword.

    Laughter erupted from the group while Gigas stared at the food and beverage that spilled on the floor. The people on the first floor held their breaths, knowing that the bounty hunters made a mistake of a lifetime, as did most of them beforehand. Angering Gigas, that was a mistake they would take to their graves.

    A mistake that even if they spent an eternity in the afterlife¡ªit would never manage to compensate for angering that man.

    "Oh, you shouldn''t have done that," Dire said to the soon to be dead men.

    Gigas stood up from his seat, glaring daggers at the man that ruined his meal. When he stood, his shadow loomed over Eugene and his men. An immense pressure exerted from him, nearly suffocating and overwhelming everyone nearby. Even some parts of the tavern took physical damage from the force. Tables broke, walls cracked, railings on the second floor collapsed to the level below.

    Eugene and his men wanted to run. Their fear registered throughout their entire bodies. But, they couldn''t budge a single inch from their positions. They believed that any movement, no matter how slight, would incite Gigas to kill them on the spot.

    "Let''s take this outside." Gigas stopped in front of Eugene. With a fierce straight punch, he sent the Bounty Hunter flying out from the tavern.

    His lackeys exclaimed in shock at the sight of the human-shaped hole left in the wall. They rushed over to the hole then looked through it, capturing a glimpse of their leader lying flat on his back in the middle of the alleyway.

    "Out of the way," demanded Gigas, his words alone were more than enough to frighten them away. He exited through the hole in the wall and dropped down to the alleyway down below to confront Eugene.

    Dire followed close behind, not wanting to miss out on all the fun.

    Eugene leaned up from off the ground, glaring at Gigas with eyes filled with pure hatred. It was like the punch dispelled all the fear he felt from before. Blood trickled down his nose and stained his clothes.

    "He''s mad, Gigas." Dire pointed out.

    "Don''t care. He ruined my meal." Gigas bluntly responded.

    Eugene stood to his feet and tightened his grip on the handle of his sword. He recklessly raised it and charged at the two. At first, it appeared as if his target was Gigas. But, that was a ruse.

    His actual target was Dire.

    He lunged at the Wolf Beastia with his sword at the ready. Gigas stepped out in front of Dire and batted the sword away thanks to the protective vambraces on his arms. Eugene recoiled back, but quickly regained his balance and continued to swing away.

    The Bounty Hunter''s display of swordsmanship was pathetic. Hisskillswere that of a complete novice. He had no tact to his swings. If they could even be called that. It looked more like flailing.

    All of his attacks contacted Gigas'' vambraces. Thankfully, the seemingly never-ending stalemate stopped once Eugene pulled his arm back to deliver some single strike.

    Again, and again that man proved to be a novice. His actions left him wide open for a moment. A moment in which Gigas took advantage. He closed the distance between them and punched the man in the face, sending him reeling farther back down the alleyway.

    "This is getting embarrassing to watch," Dire announced while scratching the back of his head.

    Eugene seemed so arrogant in his skills, but, he couldn''t even manage to land a single hit on Gigas. His arrogance was no longer amusing to Dire. It was insulting.

    "You''re telling me." Gigas agreed.

    Dire and Gigas looked down the alleyway once more to see the Bounty Hunter on his feet. His legs quivered, more blood stained his clothes and the ground beneath him. After only taking two shots to the face, he had trouble standing.

    The difference in strength between them was as clear as day. However, Eugene didn''t learn from his mistake. With a desperate roar of intimidation, he charged. Gigas took a step forward and threw another punch aiming for his face. But, his fist didn''t make contact.

    Eugene surprisingly showed a bit of athleticism by ducking under the punch then diving for his sword on the ground nearby. Once he grabbed the sword, he turned around and swung. But, he only sliced through the air.

    The corner of Dire''s lips nearly reached his ears as he watched with glee while Eugene frantically searched the area for any sign of Gigas. It was impossible for a man of his size to just disappear out of thin air.

    "Where did he go, you filthy Beastia!" Eugene set his sights on Dire, brandishing his sword again.

    "Weren''t you paying attention? Don''t you know that you''re not supposed to let the enemy leave yoursightduring a battle?" Dire taunted him, treating the entire situation as if it were a game.

    Why wouldn''t he? There wasn''t a single threat to him in the entire town.

    "So, he got scared and ran away, huh? Fine by me! I''ll just finish what I started with you!" Eugene raised his sword and rushed Dire again.

    Ordinarily, Dire would''ve kicked the man''s head clean off his shoulders. The thought definitely crossed his mind. But it wasn''t his fight. He leaned against the nearest wall and waited for Gigas to finish Eugene off once and for all.

    That time soon came. A portal opened above Eugene. Out from the portal came Gigas'' hand. He grabbed onto the back of the man''s head. His entire body soon came out afterward, landing directly on the man''s back. Eugene slammed into the ground, losing consciousness almost immediately.

    That was a knockout.

    Flawless victory.

    No contest.

    Perfect.

    "Now it''s over." Gigas removed his hand from the man''s head then stood up.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 10 - Assault on Spero Town!

    All was silent in the alleyway. The spectators from the tavern watched the fight between Eugene and Gigas anxiously from the hole in the wall. Well, to call it a fight would be insulting to Gigas. To him, it was nothing more than a nuisance.

    He had done nothing wrong, and yet those Bounty Hunters chose to pick a fight with him, as did many others inside of the tavern. However, like all those other incidents, he dealt with them. Violence wasn''t always his first choice. He only resorted to that method when necessary, or whenever he was annoyed.

    Speaking of annoyance, the primary source of his irritation came from the Wolf Beastia down on the other end of the alleyway¡ªDire.

    "He''s down and out! Congratulations, Gigas!" Dire cheered the large man on his one-sided victory. However, Gigas ignored the praise. The man folded his arms and sent a glance of displeasure in the Beastia''s direction. "What''s your problem?"

    "You know what my problem is." Gigas pointed accusingly at Dire.

    Did he know? Doubtful.

    Dire didn''t recall doing anything to incite the skirmish between Gigas and the Bounty Hunter as far as he was concerned. He never lifted a finger. Gigas was the one that threw the first punch.

    If anything, the blame fell on Gigas, not him.

    "I told you to hide your ears and tail. If you had followed that simple order, those Bounty Hunters wouldn''t have recognized you. And what were you doing sneering at them like that?" Gigas pointed out. "Have you forgotten that we''re supposed to remain inconspicuous here?"

    Dire already knew the procedure. Should anything ever happen while they were together, Gigas would immediately place the blame on him. Because through some mystical force, everything had to be Dire''s fault. Gigas could never be wrong.

    Dire accepted that fact a long time ago.

    So, he understood exactly what to do in those situations.

    He''d keep his mouth shut for the most part and nod his head occasionally, pretending to listen to the man''s scolding. Through one ear and out the other.

    "Yes, Gigas. I''m sorry. I''ve learned the error of my ways. It''ll never happen again. It''s not you; it''s me..." Dire continued to ramble on with his meaningless apologies in monotone. At that point, he''d be willing to tell his partner anything he wanted to hear just so that he would shut up.

    Knowing full well that his scolding held no effect, Gigas shook his head.

    "Shut up. I get it. You''re not going to reflect on your actions any time soon."

    A small smile crept onto the Wolf Beastia''s face. It was always refreshing to see when Gigas of all people gave up.

    "See, this partnership of ours could go a lot smoother if you just accept that fact from the beginning," Dire looked over to the unconscious body of Eugene. "Think he has anything of value on him?"

    "Nothing that will pay for the meal that he ruined earlier," Gigas spoke with broad disdain for the man, "I knew bringing you with me would be nothing but trouble. You don''t possess any tact."

    "Excuse me, but I have tact," Dire claimed as he brought his hand to his chest, "besides, what''s the point in hiding my ears and tail? I''m not ashamed of what I am."

    "It''s not a matter of shame," corrected Gigas. He pointed at Dire then continued, "It''s the fact that you have a bounty on your head. The fact that you''re a Beastia already draws enough attention. But, should anyone know of your bounty--"

    "You have a bounty on your head too, hypocrite," Dire shot back at him, "what does it matter if I have a bounty? It''s not like anyone in this kingdom has the strength to take my head."

    There it was.

    Dire''s limitless arrogance. Another source of Gigas'' frequent irritation. The Beastia couldn''t go a single day without boasting about his superior strength.

    Unfortunately, it was warranted.

    Members of the Beastia Race are five times stronger than humans at birth. With training, that number can be multiplied by tremendous amounts. Dire was proud of that fact.

    Throughout his travels around Salome, he''d encountered countless foes. All of them fell before him--except for one.

    "That arrogance is going to get you killed one day," Gigas warned his partner. But, as usual, his words fell on deaf ears. Dire was seated on a nearby trash can, staring at a newspaper that had caught his eye. "Why are you trying to read that newspaper?"

    "Focusing on the pictures mainly. Look at this," Dire turned the newspaper around then pointed to one of the faces shown on the front page. "Tell me why our buddy Thelo is on the front page."Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    "What?" Gigas approached then took the newspaper from Dire''s hand. He skimmed through the front page that detailed the series of attacks across Pandora City. When he finished, he dropped the paper and sighed.

    "So, what happened?" asked Dire, a grin etched on his face. "Something good, right? What did he do?"

    "Thelo got himself captured by Hunters. They''re transporting him to this country''s maximum-security prison known as Tartarus." Gigas answered.

    Dire''s ears perked up. "Captured, huh? Sucks for him. He shouldn''t have wandered off from us like that."

    "True." Gigas agreed.

    He thought back to that day when all three of them were in Pandora City. Gigas ordered that they stayed together, but Thelo chose to disobey and separate himself from the group. Gigas had no tolerance for people that couldn''t follow orders. As far as he was concerned, Thelo could rot in Tartarus. It''d serve him right for going off on his own.

    However, there also lied a problem in Thelo''s capture. He knew too much. If pressured, Gigas believed that Thelo would spill everything about himself and the others. That wasn''t something he could allow.

    Gigas'' train of thought was interrupted once he heard whistles and the rhythmic stomping of feet from the end of the alleyway. Dire and Gigas exchanged glances before making their way to the main road. The townspeople cleared the streets as a large unit of armor-clad soldiers marched down the street.

    "A parade?" Dire asked as he watched the scene with mild interest.

    "They''re increasing their security," Gigas made sure to stay hidden in the alleyway. "This is one of their commando units that serve under General Amos'' army. Things will get more difficult if this continues."

    "I don''t see how. With many troops like this mobilizing¡ªgetting into the capital city should be a piece of cake."

    Suddenly, the marching soldiers came to a halt. The villagers quietly began to mutter among themselves.

    "Something''s happening."

    Dire''s tail wagged back and forth earnestly. "You''re telling me. Think we should investigate?"

    The frown on Gigas'' face gave Dire all the answers that he needed. Even when Gigas'' lips moved, Dire couldn''t hear a thing. His curiosity of the event far outweighed Gigas'' warnings.

    Dire leaped into the air then landed on the rooftop of a nearby building to escape from Gigas. Up there, he got a much better view of the situation.

    The first thing that caught his eye was a tall, imposing man with bull horns on his head standing in the middle of the road, blocking the path of the military soldiers. Carried over his shoulder was a broad ax.

    "Red sashes?" The man pointed out the attires of the soldiers. He heaved a sigh and scratched the back of his head. "None of you are in Zofia''s army. Damn it; I picked the wrong place."

    The soldiers and townspeople grew restless. Various frightened murmurs from the people brought a smile to the man''s face. The voices became silent once the Captain of the unit stepped forward and confronted the man.

    Although the Captain was tall and muscular as well, his physique and size paled in comparison to the man before him. His armor and weapon were of top grade, and the medallion on his chest featured an image of a dog with a fire-like mane.

    "Move, Beastia!" The Captain demanded, immediately drawing his sword. "You''re in the way of our march!"

    The Bull Beastia wasn''t intimidated. He remained there in that spot, staring right through the Captain. The military officer could feel it¡ªan ominous presence emitted from the man. Nonetheless, he stood firm. Not wanting to show weakness in front of his men or the townspeople.

    "You''re the one in charge, right? Get on your Milo. Call General Zofia. Tell her that Taurian is here to settle things." The Beastia ordered.

    "Insolent hybrid! You dare speak to me in such a manner?" The Captain shouted, his face seething with intense rage. It was one thing to interrupt one of his marches. But, to completely ignore his presence was something his pride wouldn''t allow.

    When the Captain raised his sword with the intent to strike, Taurian reached his arm out and grabbed the officer''s neck. He lifted him off the ground with ease. Despite the Captain''s desperate struggling, his efforts proved useless as the Beastia''s strength far exceeded his own.

    "You should''ve kept your mouth shut and did what I told you to." Taurian reached into his robes then pulled out a small, black orb. He pressed the orb against the Captain''s armor. It seeped into the man''s skin and entered his body. When he writhed in Taurian''s grasp, the Beastia dropped him.

    The Captain''s cries of pain and agony frightened the soldiers and the townspeople. Right before everyone''s eyes, the military officer suddenly transformed into a Varvara. A Lycan to be exact.

    The Lycan pounced on the first soldier and sank its teeth into his neck, quickly converting the man into a monster as well.

    The remaining soldiers regained their composure and attacked the Lycan''s while the townspeople panicked and ran for their lives.

    "Odd. That Beastia can turn people into Varvara?" Dire took a seat on the edge of the building, watching the chaotic scene unfold with a sadistic smile. "I thought only Varvara could do that. Wonder how they got their hands on such an unusual power. Don''t you think so too, Gigas?"

    Dire didn''t bother to turn around to face his partner who stood behind him with a stern expression. At first, the large man wanted to reprimand his partner for disobeying orders. However, the situation at hand took more precedence.

    "We should tread lightly," Gigas suggested.

    Dire stood up on the ledge and set his sights on Taurian, who stood in the middle of the road, watching as the Varvara continued to slaughter people.

    "This''ll be fun."

    "Don''t even think about it," ordered Gigas.

    "Think about what?" Dire feigned ignorance. The ecstatic swaying of his tail revealed his true intentions, however.

    "This has nothing to do with us, and I would like to keep it that way. Besides the army has the situation under control."

    "Somehow, I highly doubt that," Dire pointed to the streets and sneered at the sight of the helpless people getting slaughtered, "It looks like the people in this town are in danger here, Gigas. It would be wrong of us to ignore this situation and leave it as it is. We should lend a helping hand."

    "Don''t give me that. I know that you don''t give a damn about this town or anyone in it."

    "That''s true. But, the people won''t know that when I take down that Beastia. He''s giving my race a bad name after all."

    Without another word of exchange, Dire jumped down to the ground. He landed on a Lycan and crushed it underneath his feet. After confirming the kill, he headed toward the Beastia. He struck down anyone that crossed his path. Varvara, soldier, townspeople¡ªit didn''t matter to him. Anyone or anything in his way was his enemy. Regardless of what was in his way, he''d have fun taking it down to achieve his goal.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 11 - Dire Vs. Taurian!

    The town of Spero turned into a war zone. Thanks to Taurian''s initial attack, Varvara flooded the streets, attacking the townspeople and soldiers. Buildings were destroyed and set ablaze, rows of corpses lined the streets, the screams of pain, anguish, and terror from the people brought a smile of delight to the face of one man--Dire. The young wolf Beastia leisurely walked through the chaotic battlefield without a care in the world. Anytime a Varvara attempted to attack him; he''d retaliate with a swift kick to its face, destroying the monsters instantly.

    Dire''s ambers eyes trained on Taurian, the sole person responsible for the chaos that befell the town. His tail earnestly wagged as he approached the Bull Beastia. So many questions flooded his mind the closer he got closer.

    Taurian stood in the middle of the road, watching eagerly as the monsters continued to reek havoc across the townspeople. Numerous soldiers bravely stepped forth and fought against the creatures of destruction. However, their bravado only led them to their untimely deaths. As their numbers fell, the numbers of their enemies increased. Each death only strengthened the forces of destruction.

    The man was so absorbed in the carnage that he failed to notice Dire standing directly behind him. The wolf boy reached his arm out and tapped Taurian on the shoulder to gain his attention. Taurian sharply turned around and moved his hand to the handle of his ax, ready for anything. The tension in his body eased when he spotted the pair of ears on Dire''s head.

    Dire tilted his head to the side and gave the man a warm smile. Gigas had always told him that it never hurt to greet someone with a smile now and then. So, he figured he''d give it a shot.

    An anxious smile crept on the face of Taurian. The sudden and yet so casual encounter with the stranger was far beyond his expectations; especially in a situation where dozens of people were getting slaughtered.

    ¡°Hey there," Dire said.

    "What do you want?" Taurian asked.

    "Name''s Dire," The young wolf boy pointed to himself with his thumb, the smile on his face growing ever wider as the carnage around him escalated. "I''ve got some questions I wanna ask you."

    Taurian''s brows furrowed. The Beastia before him was far too calm and casual about the situation. Even though Taurian caused the attack; he felt uneasy in the presence of Dire. "Yeah? Well, spit ''em out already."

    ¡°How¡¯d you manage to turn those soldiers into Varvara?¡± Dire crossed his arms. The unconcerned smile on his face never succeeded. "It was that orb, wasn''t it?"

    That time, a smile spread across the face of Taurian as he answered, "Interested in my power, are you?"

    "Definitely. I''ve never seen a Beastia turn a human into a monster before. After all, no ordinary being could do that, right?" Dire''s eyes narrowed. He quickly shifted his gaze to the palm of Taurian''s hand. It was there he spotted the number eighty-five engraved on the skin. Everything became clear at that moment.

    Within the blink of an eye, Dire raised his leg and kicked Taurian in the face. The large Bull man was knocked off his feet and came crashing down to the ground. He lied there for a moment--stunned. When his senses returned to him; he shot up from the ground.

    ¡°Mangy mutt! You have some nerve striking me out of the blue like that!¡±

    ¡°My bad. It''s just a habit of mine to attack when I spot an enemy," Dire nonchalantly revealed as he shrugged his shoulders. "Especially a candidate for God''s throne."

    "God''s throne?" Taurian''s eyes quickly widened then narrowed. The dots connected in his mind. "So, you''re like me, huh? An Exousia?"

    "Yeah. However, I''m above you. Way above you," Dire extended his arm out and opened the palm of his hand, revealing his Exousia Brand, which featured the number two engraved on the skin.

    A sense of dread spread throughout Taurian''s body as he swallowed. Out of everything he expected to encounter throughout his attack on the town; a single digit wasn''t one of them. As an Exousia, he was aware of the catastrophic capabilities the single digits possessed. Other than the Higher Exousia, the single digits were the most feared. They had the highest potential to claim the throne of God.

    What made things even more terrifying was the fact that the Second Exousia was a Beastia. A carnivorous one at that. They were most feared out of the race. They were more aggressive and bloodthirsty--which made them far more adapted and suitable for combat.

    Taurian''s entire body trembled, his heartbeat skyrocketed, and bullets of sweat raced down his face. It was as if his instincts warned him of the potential danger that he''d face the longer he remained near Dire.

    He stood in front of an apex predator.

    Dire''s ears perked up the moment Taurian took a step back. "Running away? Try it, and I''ll kill you."

    "Don''t get cocky. Retreat was the last thing on my mind." Taurian shook his head, regaining his composure. "So, you''re here to kill me, right?"

    "I am now. However, I still want an answer to my question." Dire demanded.

    "Tell you what, I''ll answer your question if you agree to become my subordinate." Taurian offered.

    Dire''s ears drooped, his eyes furrowed. Even the seemingly perpetual smile on his face vanished. "Huh?" He exclaimed in a low tone.

    "We''re both Exousia, we''re both aiming to survive this whole ordeal, right? No reason for us to kill each other," Taurian slightly shifted his gaze to the side of Dire, where many Lycans approached the young man from behind. "If we work together, we can surely reach the final eight."

    A haughty scoff escaped from Dire in response. The notion of teaming up with Taurian was far too ridiculous for him even to consider.

    "Why would I wanna work with you, dumbass?" Dire leaned forward and stuck his tongue out at him.

    Taurian''s face turned bright red as his anger swelled up inside of him. But, that anger quickly subsided once the Lycan''s behind Dire attacked. They lunged at the Beastia with their claws and fangs at the ready.

    Dire smirked and leaped into the air at the last second, evading the attacking creatures with ease. The monsters collided into each other and collapsed onto the ground in a single pile, giving Dire a perfect target. The wolf boy landed on the creatures; crushing them beneath his feet.

    "Nice try," Dire looked at Taurian. The fierce gaze and killing intent presented in the man''s eyes nearly overwhelmed him. "Gonna take more than a few pets to take me out of the picture."

    Taurian regained his composure and smiled at the sight of more approaching Lycan''s. They surrounded the two Beastia''s--snarling ferociously.

    "Wonder how long you can keep it up." Taurian taunted.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    As if on cue, the Lycan''s attacked. Dire jumped out of the way and evaded the claws of the creatures while Taurian stood his ground and deflected them with his ax. Once Dire found an opening, he lunged towards the monsters and struck them down with fierce kicks. Bodies of the defeated creatures flew out in multiple directions, evaporating into nothingness upon hitting the concrete.

    When numerous Varvara attacked in unison, Dire leaned forward in a handstand position and spun around rapidly, delivering savage kicks to them all.

    "Might as well deal with me yourself," Dire stood up and pointed at Taurian after the Bull man threw another Varvara away from him. "Your pets can''t even provide me a decent warm-up."

    ¡°You¡¯re an arrogant son of a bitch I¡¯ll give you that.¡± Taurian spun his ax in his hand and smirked.

    ¡°Leave my mother out of this,¡± Dire responded sarcastically.

    Taurian''s nostrils flared as he rushed at Dire with his ax at the ready. The one that made the first strike was Dire. He spun around and swung his leg out, aiming for a gut kick. But, the hard surface of the ax blocked the kick. The force of the strike repelled Taurian back a few feet--although it wasn''t enough to knock him down.

    Taurian moved in and swung his ax. Dire leaned back and watched the blade pass through the open air with an amused glance and light chuckle before he retaliated with another kick. But once again, it was blocked. That time by Taurian''s forearm.

    Before he could retract his leg, Taurian grabbed hold of his foot¡ªtrapping it in between his arm and side. Dire jumped up and performed a backflip, using his free leg to land a swift strike to his chin. The force of the kick left Taurian staggered enough to release Dire.

    Once free, Dire moved in. He didn''t plan on giving the enemy any time to recover.

    Dire jumped up and attacked with a fierce barrage of kicks. Taurian stood his ground and blocked each kick with his ax.

    Gravity took its course and forced Dire back onto the ground. At that moment, Taurian went for another swing. It hit nothing but air since Dire dropped down to his hands and feet to evade. Afterward, he spun around with one leg out.

    But, Taurian stepped back to avoid the leg sweep.

    Quickly returning to his feet, Dire brought his leg up again for another kick; however, Taurian retreated far enough from the range of attack. Dire moved in for the offensive once again. He spun and went for another kick.

    Taurian sidestepped the kick and drove his fist into Dire''s unprotected stomach. Dire''s legs buckled from underneath him, forcing him down on his knees. His eyes went wide, and his body throbbed as he gasped for air. The tangy taste of blood lingered in his mouth.

    He wasn''t granted any time to recover. His face immediately met the end of Taurian''s knee. His head snapped back as he was launched away from him.

    "Where are you going?!" Taurian taunted once again. He reached out and grabbed an airborne Dire''s leg and slammed him to the ground, destroying the concrete underneath. Dire''s mouth was left agape as the force of the blow traveled through his body. He coughed up some blood and stained his shirt. "Now die!"

    Taurian raised his ax above his head. His eyes shined with excitement and pleasure as he performed the fatal swing. Dire rolled out of the way and watched the ax connect to the ground. It cut through the concrete as if it were paper and it tore through the road several feet ahead.

    When the bull-man raised his ax again, Dire used both his feet and stuck the man in the stomach, catapulting him further down the road.

    "Bastard nearly had me there for a second," Dire muttered as he wiped his mouth clean of his blood. He looked down the road and spotted the arrogant gaze from his opponent.

    An inviting gaze¡ªtaunting Dire to come at him.

    Dire accepted the invitation without hesitation. He rushed at Taurian again. When he closed the distance, he performed a quick roundhouse kick, which was blocked. He went in for another kick¡ªbut that was also blocked. He followed up with a flurry of fierce kicks.

    Those landed.

    Taurian skidded back a few feet and dropped down to one knee with his hand on his stomach. His torso immediately took on dark shades of purple and blue as foot-shaped bruises appeared. When he straightened his position, Dire jumped and landed a knee strike on his face, immediately following up with a spinning back kick to his stomach with the other leg.

    The force of that kick sent Taurian into a nearby building. Dire smirked in satisfaction at the sound of shattering glass and crumbling of the structure.

    A moment passed, and Taurian climbed out from the rubble. His face seething with immense rage.

    "Pretty sure I heard a lot of glass breaking in there. You should be ashamed of yourself." Dire teased.

    "Go ahead, keep making your jokes. You''ll slip up if you keep underestimating me." Taurian assured him.

    The two Beastia quickly rushed each other, moving in for their attacks. However, before they could land, Gigas appeared between them and blocked their attacks with his armguards.

    "What the hell?! Who''s this guy?!" Taurian scowled at the sight of Gigas. He leaned forward and applied more pressure to the blade of his ax. Gigas'' arm didn''t budge.

    "That''s enough." Gigas declared. He extended his arms out and pushed back Dire and Taurian.

    ¡°Damn it, Gigas! Who told you to come down here and interfere with my fight?¡± Dire yelled.

    "I''ve watched on long enough. Besides, the military''s begun to gain the upper hand." Gigas pointed down the street, where the soldiers took formation and struck down a majority of the Varvara.

    Taurian scowled and slowly backed away. "It wasn''t supposed to go like this! Damn it! You two...I''m going to remember your faces!"

    "Where do you think you''re going? Don''t you remember what I said? If you try to run, I''ll kill you!" Dire announced.

    "Try it," Taurian challenged. He reached into his robes and pulled out several dark orbs. He tossed them on the ground and smiled as black smoke obscured him from the visions of Dire and Gigas. Out from the smoke came more Lycan''s. They let out a mighty roar and surrounded the area.

    ¡°This is all your fault, Gigas! If you stayed outta my business, I would''ve killed that rotten Bull!" Dire openly blamed Gigas.

    "Your constant thirst for battle is what got you into this mess," stated Gigas. He closed his eyes and focused. A portal opened up next to him seconds later. He reached into the portal and pulled out a large hammer. With one mighty swing, he destroyed the pavement and launched debris and the Lycan''s in multiple directions.

    Those that were out of range from the initial attack lunged at him. Gigas raised his hammer and knocked them away with ease. Meanwhile, Dire bared his fangs at the approaching enemies and slaughtered them with his claws. He tore through the bodies of the monsters and rushed down the street once a path cleared up. The scent of Taurian still lingered in the air. Therefore, the hunt was on.

    Because of his hulking size, Taurian didn''t get very far. It didn''t take long for Dire to chase him down and attack. The wolf boy lunged at him and tried to strike him in the back of his head.

    Taurian sensed the incoming attack ahead of time and lowered his head. However, Dire''s foot connected with one of his horns, knocking a portion of it clean off his head. Taurian stopped in his tracks and gasped at the sight of his horn on the ground.

    ¡°M-My horn! You bastard! You won¡¯t get away with that!¡± He shouted.

    Dire knelt and picked up the horn. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You seemed so intent on running away earlier. You¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re now going to stay and fight to avenge your pathetic little horn?¡± Dire tossed the horn up and down in the palm of his hand with a coy smile.

    ¡°How would you like it if I tore off those ears and tail of yours?¡± He threatened Dire in response.

    ¡°Go ahead and try it. See where that gets you.¡±

    ¡°You just don¡¯t know when to quit, do you?¡±

    ¡°When I find some suitable prey to help me kill some time, I make sure to give them my full attention. So, do you have any last words?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be killed by some mangy mutt!¡± Taurian proudly declared as he reached into his robes and pulled out more orbs.

    "No, you don''t!" Dire rushed Taurian. When he lunged at the Beastia, a portal opened in front of him. He traveled through the portal and wound up on the other side of town. He looked around anxiously and spotted Gigas leaving another portal nearby. "Seriously?! You got in the way again?!"

    "I told you that enough was enough. Fighting against that Beastia wasn''t part of the plan," Gigas scolded as he closed the portals.

    "Who cares?! He''s an Exousia! I gotta kill him and thin the numbers down as soon as possible!" Dire declared.

    "If you keep rushing into battle like that, you''re going to end up dead," Gigas warned him. Time and time again he would advise his partner the flaws of his tactics. But, each time they fell on deaf ears.

    Having reached his breaking point, Dire retaliated and swung his leg out, aiming for Gigas'' neck. The large man foresaw the attack and blocked the leg with his armguards.

    The two remained utterly silent, glaring daggers at each other. They waited for the other to make the next move. They''d shared a battle against each other once before, and they had no qualms about doing it again. They knew each other''s strengths and weaknesses. Should they fight again, they couldn''t afford to make careless mistakes.

    Eventually, the two settled down and relaxed their bodies.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Gigas. I could¡¯ve sworn that you wanted me to break your neck from your previous statement.¡± Dire joked.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not like your weak little kicks could inflict any form of damage to me anyway.¡± Gigas decided to land one last verbal shot against him.

    ¡°What are we doing? We don¡¯t have time for this.¡± Dire declared, deciding to move along. ¡°We can settle our fight another time. With that cowardly Bull gone, I see no reason to stay here.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡± Gigas extended his arm out and activated his powers. A portal opened in front of him. The two of them entered, thus leaving the town to its fate once and for all.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 12 - Rest Stop!

    Eirene Town. A beautiful, urban settlement located to the northeast of Pandora City. Vast, serene fields of green farmland and crops stretched out across the plots of land. People of all shapes and sizes tended to the fields, planting and retrieving food from the ground. The sight of the hard work and unity showed by the townspeople brought smiles to the faces of Elma and Chayse as they passed by the fields on the dirt road nearby.

    The fields of green that stretched on seemingly forever reminded the Hunters of the Gardens of Eden.

    The town was rather small in population. Ranging up to only about three hundred people. But despite that, the place was still beautiful; especially the women from Chayse''s perspective. Most of them were breathtaking¡ªhopefully single. Even as they worked the fields, building up a sweat, their bodies glowed elegantly as the rays of the sun shined down on them, illuminating their flawless features.

    It was like watching angels.

    All the fatigue Chayse felt from his battle against Thelo immediately melted away at the sight of the women. Their sweet, harmonic voices and gentle gestures as they welcomed the team into the town boosted his spirits and ego to the moon. Oh, how he wanted to spend quality time with them. Unfortunately, his partner refused to let him out of her sight.

    She was cruel that way.

    Whenever they were on the job, Elma would focus solely on that and nothing else. She''d claim that their missions took priority over their wellbeing.

    Not even twenty-four hours passed since Elma and Chayse captured Thelo in Pandora City. Their hunt for the man proved difficult considering his powers of telekinesis. It was thanks to their Technical Officer, Caz Homer, that they managed to track the Exousia down in the first place. And because of the assistance from another Huntress, Runa das Meer, they defeated Thelo and took him into their custody.

    Through nearly the entire trip to Eriene Town, Chayse couldn''t keep his mouth shut about the blue-haired beauty that stole his heart in an instant. His ramblings about her strength and features annoyed everyone in the vehicle. Elma considered throwing him out and making him walk the rest of the way to the capital.

    If not for needing at least two people to watch over their prisoner, she would''ve done it.

    Each irritable glare or groan that escaped from Elma''s mouth throughout their trip, Chayse chalked it down to jealousy. The two of them had teamed up for years, so they were pretty close. Chayse would often flirt with Elma, only to receive insults or physical assaults here and there. Elma would try to make sure to keep their relationship strictly professional.

    But, Chayse never got the memo. As far as he was concerned, if he never spotted a ring on the finger, everyone woman was free. He couldn''t help himself. Chayse was a lover before a hunter. Spreading his love to every beautiful woman he came across was a necessity.

    A necessity that wound up with him getting punished by Elma each time she felt that he crossed a line. Her punishments were far from safe. While cruel, there was nothing Chayse could do. Elma was the master. He was the prot¨¦g¨¦. He had to follow her orders no matter what.

    He owed her at least that much.

    So, when Elma left him on babysitting duty, he accepted the job, albeit reluctantly. Thelo remained heavily chained up in the back of the Nemean. He kicked and screamed his head off about how he''d escape and that he had friends look for him.

    Elma and Chayse ignored him for the most part. It wasn''t unusual for their prisoners to spout out nonsense upon their capture. If his boast about having friends proved correct, the Hunters had no qualms about taking them down as well.

    Outside of the Nemean lined a crowd of angry townspeople. If looks could kill, Thelo would''ve died the moment the group arrived. Although their glares of disdain and hatred weren''t directed at the Hunters; even they couldn''t help but feel somewhat intimidated by their presence.

    Most of the townspeople shouted and threated to kill the Exousia for all the chaos and mayhem he caused throughout Pandora City. They waved around weapons and pitchforks, a classic angry mob scene. None of them seemed hesitant to resort to violence.

    The Hunters hoped it wouldn''t come to that. The last thing they wanted to do was protect the man responsible for the massacre of innocent civilians. Their orders were to capture the Exousia and bring him to Tartarus. If anyone got in their way, they were granted permission to neutralize them.

    That was just the filtered version of the order.

    They didn¡¯t want to have to attack the townspeople. But, if they left them with no other choice, then there was nothing else that could be done.

    ¡°These villagers seem hostile.¡± Thelo nonchalantly commented, ignoring the insults and death threats that came from those outside the vehicle.

    ¡°And they have every right to be.¡± Elma harshly stated. ¡°Once we reach our destination you¡¯re going to tell us everything that you know about the Varvara invading the kingdom.¡±

    ¡°I already told you that I had nothing to do with that incident. You Hunters always assume that we Exousia are behind everything.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s usually true.¡± Chayse decided to cut his way into the conversation. "If you hadn''t attacked all those people, the Varvara wouldn''t have shown up in the first place."

    "We''ve been through this already! You Hunters attacked me first!" Thelo kicked the back of Chayse''s seat.

    ¡°Stop kicking the seat!" Elma demanded. She slammed her foot on the brakes, stopping the vehicle abruptly. Thelo flew forward and smashed his face into the back of the seat. "Prepare yourself, Chayse. Things could get messy."

    "Yeah." Chayse nodded.

    Elma took a deep breath and stepped outside from the safety of the Nemean. The angry mob crowded the vehicle, preparing to tear it down if they needed. If there was one thing Elma liked about the situation, it was that the sun still hung high in the sky. If not for that fact, there wasn''t a doubt in her mind that the Varvara would''ve appeared and attacked the town long ago.

    That was always an issue in the country. The people had to bury their emotions at night at the fear of being attacked by the Varvara. So, whenever the sun rose, so did the hidden feelings of the people. Anger, sadness, jealousy, it didn''t matter what it was. Daytime was when people could release their tension.

    For the most part, Elma stood in front of the Nemean and allowed the people to vent out their anger and frustration. There was never any point in speaking to people when rage clouded their minds. No rational thought could form in their small brains.

    When things finally calmed down, Elma opened her eyes. The ferocity in her eyes unsettled the townspeople.

    "I understand that you''re all enraged and frustrated. I''ve heard all of your complaints and grievances," Elma stepped forward. "The man chained up in the Nemean is an Exousia. For seven years, they''ve reeked havoc across the world, laying waste to anything in their path. I''m sure all of you have lost loved ones to these monsters."

    The townspeople roared in agreement, brandishing their weapons toward Thelo.

    "And I''m sure you''d like nothing more than to tear that Exousia to pieces. Trust me; I want to do the same thing. But, that wouldn''t solve anything. Your loved ones would still be dead. They wouldn''t come back to life." The white-haired Huntress shook her head, the ferocity in her eyes slowly died down as her tone of voice turned smoother, calmer and gentle. The subtle change in her glance and voice slowly eased the townspeople. They slowly lowered their weapons. "There''s much we can learn from the Exousia. But, we need them alive. I promise you that he''ll pay for his crimes."Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Although reluctant, one by one the townspeople dispersed and returned to their daily duties. Chayse exited the Nemean and dragged Thelo out with him.

    "Guess we''re good to go?" Chayse asked.

    "Yeah, come on." Elma nodded and led the group into an Inn. Traveling from Pandora City to the country''s capital, Soteria City, would take at least a day and a half by driving. It wasn''t a long time, but, the Hunters were far too exhausted from their fight to continue.

    They entered the establishment and showed the innkeeper their military clearance. Thanks to that they were given a free room on the second floor. Being a retainer for the Soteria Kingdom had its perks. Ordinary people could only dream of the privileges the Hunters got.

    The group entered the spacious, refurbished room. Two large beds occupied one section of the room, a small dining area with a table took another. Through the double doors on the other end of the room resided the balcony, which provided a fantastic view of the town and the fields of grass and farmland beyond it.

    "This room ain''t half bad. We got two beds this time." Chayse commented as he tossed Thelo against the nearest wall. He hopped onto one of the beds, letting out a sigh of exhaustion as he allowed the soft mattress and sheets absorb his fatigue. He looked over at his partner, who seemed occupied with something else entirely as she paced around the room. "Something wrong?"

    "Why hasn''t the military arrived yet? Didn''t the council demand that they increase their presence?" Elma wondered.

    "They did. It just takes time to mobilize, Elma. Caz told me that a commando unit in General Amos'' army got dispatched here." Chayse answered.

    Elma stopped pacing and clicked her tongue. "Those War Dogs always take their sweet time."

    "Relax, Elma. The sun''s still up. We don''t have to worry about anything right now." Chayse assured as he continued to settle into the bed.

    ¡°That''s the same thing you said the last time we captured an Exousia. Remember what happened?" Elma moved her hand to her hip, shooting her partner an irritated glance.

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? What happened last time?¡± Thelo suddenly asked.

    ¡°The last time Elma and I captured an Exousia and attempted to bring him to the capital. A large angry mob banded together and executed him themselves without the consent of the council.¡± Chayse revealed.

    Fear immediately sparked in Thelo¡¯s eyes after hearing the story. He pictured many gruesome details as to how that could''ve happened. His fear and anxiety only continued to spread once he thought back to the faces of the townspeople he passed earlier. No doubt none of them were satisfied with how he got to escape from their hatred and rage. It wouldn''t surprise him if some of them tried to assassinate him in the middle of the night.

    He had every right to be terrified. Without his powers, he was as weak and vulnerable as any ordinary person.

    ¡°What¡¯s with that expression of yours? You scared of the townspeople?" Elma looked over at Thelo with a mocking grin on her face, clearly enjoying the sight of the man cowering.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about a thing, Elma and I won¡¯t let you get killed by the people,¡± Chayse assured him. While his words sounded convincing enough, the menacing expression on his partner¡¯s face said otherwise.

    ¡°He won¡¯t let you get killed. I may be a little lenient and turn my back for a little while.¡± Elma headed for the door. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell the Director about our situation. Make sure you keep a sharp eye out on him.¡±

    ¡°I know, Elma. You don¡¯t have to keep treating me like a child. I think I know how to watch a prisoner.¡± Chayse leaned up from the comfort of his bed.

    ¡°Oh really? Because it didn¡¯t seem that way back when¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright! I thought I apologized for that already!¡± Chayse quickly interrupted her. He didn''t know what she was going to bring up. But, past experiences with her had made him realize that apologizing immediately often kept her quiet.

    Elma held her head up in triumph before she finally departed from the room. Once she was gone, Chayse did as instructed and kept his gaze on Thelo.

    An awkward silence hung in the air as the two stared at each other. The hatred and disdain between the two were as clear as day. On one side of the room was the man that slaughtered dozens of innocents in a single night. On the other was one of the people that put a stop to him.

    Even though Thelo was in a compromising situation, his shit-eating grin irked Chayse. If given the option, the Hunter would''ve shot an arrow through the Exousia''s smug face. No one would''ve complained or missed him.

    But, Chayse wasn''t Elma. He suppressed his rage and kept a cool head.

    The only thing that kept him calm was the thought of all the money and recognition he''d receive after completing the mission. His name as the great hunter would spread even further throughout the kingdom. Hell, possibly even the Gardens of Eden. With great money and fame¡ªcame beautiful women. He already pictured it, being surrounded by beautiful women from all over the world; wishing to get acquainted with him and his greatness.

    ¡°I see that your partner doesn¡¯t treat you very well, huh?¡± Thelo suddenly called out to Chayse, breaking him away from his delusions.

    ¡°Yeah, she can be a bit of a bitch sometimes. But she means well.¡± Chayse responded.

    ¡°If by well you mean that she treats you like an incompetent monkey, then yeah. I guess she does mean well.¡±

    Incompetent monkey.

    Chayse was surprised Thelo could use those words in the same sentence and not crack a smile. That was a new one. The Hunter had been called many things before, but never an incompetent monkey. He kept a straight face and humored the prisoner.

    ¡°I¡¯m not some incompetent monkey. Sure, I make mistakes sometimes, but I¡¯m completely capable of handling things myself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about that.¡± Thelo tilted his head back. ¡°I mean back when we were in Pandora city she appeared to be the one in charge during the fights.¡±

    ¡°I could care less about being in charge. As long as we get the job done, I¡¯m okay with Elma treating me like this for the time being.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a good mindset to have you know. You¡¯re a man, aren¡¯t you? You should be more assertive and stand up to her when she treats you like that.¡±

    That guy was a riot. It took everything Chayse had not to laugh at him. He remained silent and allowed Thelo to keep talking, leading him on to believe that he was convincing him.

    ¡°You two are meant to be partners, right? What kind of partnership revolves around one being more dominant than the other? I think you should confront her and¡­¡±

    Chayse reached his limit. He burst out into laughter and mockingly pointed at Thelo. The priceless look of confusion that crossed the Exousia''s face made the reaction all worthwhile.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re terrible at trying to convince me to betray Elma. She and I have been through too much together to be separated by mere words and a little mistreatment. Plus, I don''t feel like losing another arm.¡± Chayse brought his hand over to his Neoframe with a faint smile. His fingers slid across the smooth, steel frame of the prosthetic.

    ¡°You¡¯re no fun at all.¡± Thelo dejectedly said while hanging his head, giving up on his plan of escape.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I didn¡¯t mean to laugh at you like that. But you must be pretty damn desperate to escape by trying to convince me to betray Elma.¡± Chayse told him after calming down. ¡°You¡¯re not the first prisoner to try and do that, and you certainly won¡¯t be the last.¡±

    ¡°Well, you know what they say about cornered animals.¡±

    "Comparing yourself to an animal, huh? You know things wouldn''t be so hard on you if you just cooperate with us. Once we reach the capital and bring you in front of the council, there¡¯s no doubt in my mind that you¡¯ll get sentenced to death for your crimes. But if you work with us, we can convince the council to spare you.¡±

    Despite his anger toward Thelo; Chayse attempted to appeal to the man''s better half. No one was truly evil in the world, no matter how much people claimed they were. He had no plans to forgive or forget everything Thelo had done. However, he didn''t think it was too late for the man to change. That''s what he offered him.

    A chance to change.

    Thelo shook his head and scoffed at Chayse''s words before he responded, "Don''t patronize me. You and I both know that your council won''t spare my life. Everyone detests the Exousia. As far as you humans are concerned, I''m a heartless monster hell-bent on destroying everything in my path.¡±

    ¡°Well, your attacks across Pandora city didn¡¯t exactly scream out that you were a loveable person.¡± Chayse nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Well perhaps if you people only stood out of my way and let me continue with my work, then maybe those attacks wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re not going to cooperate? You¡¯re going to resist us until the very end?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I am.¡± He nodded his head with a look of determination in his eyes. ¡°You can bring me to the council and sentence me to death all you want. Things will never go your way. I will escape from this situation one way or another.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± I declared.

    Our conversation ended when the door to the room opened. Elma stepped into the room and set her gaze on Thelo. "You''ll be brought to the capital where you''ll be kept in Tartarus until the day of your execution."

    She approached Thelo and knocked him unconscious after punching him square in the face. Poor bastard never saw it coming. Neither did Chayse for that matter. He collapsed to hard, wooden floor.

    Afterward, Elma returned to her bed and stared up at the ceiling without another word.

    ¡°You seem a little stressed out. Did something happen?¡± Chayse asked.

    ¡°Nothing that you need to concern yourself over.¡± Elma gave him the cold shoulder. She turned her back to him and said, ¡°You take the first watch, Chayse. Wake me up in four hours.¡±

    Chayse offered no resistance. He got up from the bed and headed out onto the balcony, watching the sun slowly lower from the sky.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 13 - Assault on Eirene Town!

    Chayse watched the day pass in complete bliss. The sun had long vanished, only for the moon to illuminate the entire town in its silvery light. Thousands of stars joined and painted the vast sky with their brilliant luster.

    The Hunter relaxed in his chair and continued to stargaze, marveling at the beauty of the world in spite of its chaos. Unlike most, Chayse always found the time to take joy in the little things in life. There was so much more to life than just hunting and fighting. Not that he didn''t enjoy those things.

    However, he preferred it when he could settle down and get comfortable. Find someone women, drink, gamble, anything that he could imagine in his rotted mind brought him joy.

    Unfortunately, his moments of relaxation didn''t last long. The brown-haired man''s gaze shifted from the sky down to across the street. Three men flew out from a tavern onto the dirt road by an individual in a dark, hooded robe. At first, Chayse decided to ignore it. But, once he took a second look at the hooded figure, he found himself uneasy.

    His hand instinctively clenched, searching for the security that his trusty bow--Bellatrix--could provide him.

    The three men returned to their feet, albeit they stumbled. Their faces flushed and speech slurred as they barked curses and insults at the hooded individual.

    "Hey! You! You have some nerve tossing us out of the tavern like that!" The first man slurred.

    "Yeah! We''re paying customers! We''re allowed to be as loud and rowdy as we please!" The second man added.

    "You must have a death wish for you to mess with us so carelessly!" The third man reached for the weapon on his waist.

    "Deathwish, you say? That is not the case for this one." The hooded man shook his head in response to the drunkard''s words, "Besides, in your current state, this one doubts you three could do any harm."

    "What was that?!" The third drunkard unsheathed his sword and stepped forward, dangerously brandishing his weapon as he approached the hooded man.

    "Fool..." The hooded man reached into his robes and pulled out three dark orbs. Within a matter of seconds, he pressed the ominous objects against the skins of the drunks. At that moment, all three men dropped to the ground, writhing in agonizing pain as their skin turned pitch black.

    Over time, the drunks vanished. Their cries of pain got replaced with the shrilling howls of the monsters they became--Lycan''s. At the sight of the wolf-creatures standing in the middle of the street, Chayse jumped out of his seat.

    "What the hell?!" He quickly grabbed his bow, pulled out three arrows from his quiver, and shot down the monsters. The arrows pierced through the heads of the Lycan''s, slaying them almost instantly.

    The hooded man sharply turned his gaze to Chayse once the monsters vanished. The unnatural glare from the man''s purple colored eyes unnerved the Hunter. However, he regained his composure and grabbed another arrow from his quiver.

    "You with the hood! Don''t you dare move from that spot unless you want an arrow in you!" Chayse shouted. The mysterious man smirked from under his hood and tested the waters. Ever defiant, the man took a step back. Chayse aimed his arrow. "I''m warning you!"

    The man clad in black ignored the warning and took off down the street. Chayse released his grip on his arrow and watched it soar through the air as it headed straight for the fleeing individual.

    But, it missed.

    Or rather, the hooded man took a sharp turn around a corner, narrowly avoiding the arrow.

    Chayse lowered his bow and clicked his tongue. While it pained him to miss a shot, a moment of relief flushed over him when he realized Elma hadn''t caught it.

    "Elma! Get up!" Chayse entered the room and rushed over to his slumbering partner. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. When she woke up, she immediately swung and punched him in the face.

    "What do you think you''re doing?! What''s all the yelling and screaming about?!" Elma demanded while Chayse recoiled back, gripping his nose.

    "Grab your bow! There''s trouble in the town! Come on!" Chayse hurried out the door and jumped from the balcony, landing on the ground below with ease. Elma collected her gear and followed suit.

    "What''s going on, Chayse? Who are we chasing after?" Elma asked.

    "No idea to be completely honest with you! But I saw a person in some robes transform three people into Varvara!" Chayse informed her.

    "What?! How is that even possible?!"

    "I don''t know. But we''ve got to find that person right now before they can cause any more harm!" Chayse picked up the pace with Elma following close behind. They turned the corner and raced through the alleyway the hooded man went down earlier.

    The Hunters stopped in their tracks upon losing any trace of the target. Nothing seemed out of place in the area.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    "Damn it! Where could he have gone?" Chayse walked on ahead and surveyed the area, hoping to find something that could help him locate the mysterious individual. That man was far too dangerous to be left alone in the town.

    "He couldn''t have disappeared without a trace," Elma stated. "You said earlier that this person turned people into Varvara, right?"

    Chayse nodded his head in response. "That''s right. I know it sounds crazy. But, I saw him do it with my own eyes. He used these black orbs. They looked like Vitalis."

    Elma folded her arms underneath her chest and closed her eyes to assess the information. The absurdity of transforming humans into Varvara without assistance from said monsters themselves was a concept that never crossed the mind of the Huntress. Humans couldn''t turn other humans into monsters. It wasn''t possible.

    It shouldn''t have been possible.

    However, Chayse wasn''t one to make such incredible lies. If he believed that''s what he saw, then Elma trusted him one hundred percent.

    "Well then, perhaps this mysterious man has something to do with the Varvara attacks recently." Elma assumed.

    "More reason to find him now before he causes any more trouble." Chayse and Elma continued with their search around the area. They investigated the alleyways and the roads ahead. It wasn''t until they reached the town square that they found a clue as to where the hooded man went.

    A large pack of Lycan''s surrounded the area, growling and snarling as they approached the Hunters. Chayse and Elma readied themselves for combat and went on the offensive. Wholly synchronized, the Hunters fired arrows into the crowd of monsters. Upon hitting their intended targets, the projectiles exploded, consuming some of the surrounding monsters.

    Elma stepped forward and reached behind her back for more arrows. Several Lycan''s charged her with their fangs and claws at the ready to tear her apart. But, Chayse stood in front of her and knocked them away with his Neoframe arm. Elma took advantage of the downed monsters and shot them dead.

    Afterward, the two scattered, running around the area firing multiple arrows at the enemies. The bodies of their fallen prey piled up one by one. The smoke from their evaporating bodies provided enough cover for the Hunters to conceal themselves. They jumped out from the smoke and continued to thin the numbers of the Lycan''s.

    Eventually, the entire town square got cleared, leaving only Chayse and Elma. The Hunters lowered their weapons and took that moment of silence to rest and catch their breath.

    "Damn it! Did that man in the hood do all this?!" Elma scouted the area for any sign of their new target.

    "This is my fault..." Chayse proclaimed. "So many people got turned into monsters because I didn''t stop him in time."

    "Don''t beat yourself up over it, Chayse. Stay focused."

    "I didn''t even warn the people."

    Elma approached Chayse and stopped once the ground beneath them violently shook. Out from the ground came a giant, serpentine creature with black scales, amethyst eyes, and sharp fangs. A black substance oozed from the serpent''s mouth and dropped to the ground, corroding it.

    "A Balkan?! Here?!" Chayse aimed at the monster.

    "I hate snakes," Elma complained.

    The giant serpent unhinged its massive jaw and lunged at the Hunters. Chayse and Elma jumped out of the way and fired explosive arrows at the monster. The explosions didn''t even seem to scratch thehideof it.

    The Balkan whipped around and lunged at the Hunters once more. They maneuvered around it again and watched it crash through the building behind them. The building collapsed and buried the serpent. The Hunters shielded their eyes and slowly approached the pile of rubble.

    Once the dust cleared, the serpent had vanished.

    "Did we kill it?" Chayse asked.

    "Doubt it," Elma looked down once she felt the ground beneath her shake again. The Balkan erupted from below the Hunters and sent them flying.

    Chayse skidded across the ground while Elma flew into the air. The Balkan honed its gaze on the airborne Huntresses and lunged with its jaw unhinged.

    "I don''t think so!" Elma fired multiple explosive arrows into the mouth of the snake. The creature recoiled and let out an agonizing screech. The Huntress slid down the back of the monster and safely reached the ground.

    Chayse jumped toward the snake, grabbed it by the fang with his Neoframe arm, and jammed it into the ground. Before the monster could react, the Hunter held his arm out and smirked. The Ignis Vitalis embedded into Chayse''s shoulder glowed brightly. Afterward, a torrent of flames shot out from the palm of Chayse''s hand into the open mouth of the Balkan.

    The Balkan''s entire body expanded to massive proportions until it exploded.

    "Is that all of them? Please say yes." Chayse pleaded.

    "Not quite," Elma sharply turned around and fired an arrow toward a nearby building. The projectile soared across the air at its intended target--the hooded man. The man reached his arm out and captured the arrow with his hand. He snapped the object in half with ease and dropped it. "I guess that''s him?"

    "Yeah, that''s the one," Chayse confirmed, "although you really shouldn''t be firing your arrows at people if you''re not certain they''re the culprit."

    "He shouldn''t have been staring at me so intensely like that. It was beginning to creep me out, you know." Elma lowered her bow and approached the building. The Hunters made their way to the rooftop where the hooded man waited.

    "You two are more skilled than this one initially assumed. Those Varvara proved no match for you." The hooded man congratulated the Hunters.

    Elma ignored the sarcasm and stepped forward. She raised her bow and aimed an arrow at the man''s head. "Who the hell are you?! Why''re you turning people into Varvara?!"

    "Getting straight to the point? Very well, this one will play along." The person removed their hood, revealing his sweptback black hair, purple eyes, and devious smile. "This one''s name is Maur."

    "Why''re you suddenly introducing yourself?" Chayse asked, feeling weary about the whole confrontation.

    "Because this one is showing common courtesy. You Hunters should feel the need to know the name of the man that will send you to the afterlife." Maur revealed.

    Tension spread throughout the bodies of the Hunters. The man before them exuded such arrogance. However, it felt different from their confrontation with Thelo. Maur felt all the more dangerous to them.

    "You sound confident," Elma noted. "You really think you can kill both of us? We just laid waste to your entire pack of monsters."

    "Indeed. You Hunters accomplished such a task." Maur nodded his head in agreement. Despite the severity of the situation, not a single shred of panic or concern showed through the man''s actions or manner of speech. "However, those were mere pawns in the grand scheme of things. Nothing more than mere decoration for what is to come in the future."

    "What''s to come in the future?" Chayse repeated. "And what do you mean by that?"

    The smile on Maur''s face dropped. "Not even going to bother taking a guess? Very well, this one shall give you a hint. It is Mother''s arrival."

 Exousia V1 Chapter 14 - Chayse and Elma Vs. Maur!

    A long, heavy silence hung in the air. The Hunters, Chayse, and Elma stood face to face with Maur--the man that turned the peaceful town of Eirene into a battlefield. When confronted and questions, the Hunters were flummoxed by his unusual response.

    ¡°Mother¡¯s arrival?¡± Elma questioned the man. She slowly lowered her bow.

    ¡°That is correct,¡± Maur nodded his head in confirmation before dramatically tossing his arms in the air, ¡°mother¡¯s arrival is soon upon us! Can you not sense her presence? Her unrivaled power resonates in the very air tonight!¡±

    ¡°What are you blabbering on about?" Chayse demanded.

    The dreadful smile on Maur''s face vanished. His arms lowered to his sides as he said, "Of course, someone as close-minded as you would not understand. An illusion has been cast over your eyes, preventing you from seeing the truth of this country, the world even." He reached into his robes and pulled out several dark orbs. ¡°Fear not! This one shall cast away with that illusion with the help of the Varvara! The New Path dictates that this one shall offer mercy and salvation!¡±

    The frantic ravings of the man alarmed Chayse and Elma. The Hunters raised their bows and aimed.

    "I thought as much! You''re one of them!" Elma declared. "These Varvara attacks have been your doing!"

    Maur moved his hand to his chest and mockingly bowed to the Hunters. "This one cannot take all the credit. These attacks have been a long time coming. You Soterians should realize that your walls cannot protect you from the chaos outside. Hiding like this only traps you in a nest of chaos."

    ¡°This whack job is seriously bad news,¡± Chayse commented.

    "Let''s put an arrow in him and be done with it," Elma ordered.

    Just when the Hunters started to ease their holds on the arrows, Maur dropped the orbs onto the floor. Plumes of smoke erupted from the shattered pieces until it eventually disappeared; Lycan¡¯s immediately taking its place.

    Elma''s eyes widened in shock while Chayse narrowed his. It wasn''t his first time witnessing Maur''s unusual method of summoning Varvara. He showed no hesitance as he fired his arrow and shot one of the Lycan''s down. Elma regained her composure and shot down the remaining monsters.

    Maur stood still and watched as the creatures evaporated into nothingness before him. His expression remained the same.

    "Resistance is futile. Fear not, Hunters. Although your lives will be sacrificed to Mother, you may die knowing that your deaths will go to a good cause."

    "Good cause?! Look at what you''ve done!" Elma waved her arm out, indicating to the destruction of the area from their previous battle. "You''ve killed innocent people! Unleashed monsters of destruction upon this country! What part of this is a good cause?!"

    In a fit of rage, the white-haired Huntress fired multiple arrows at the man. Maur grabbed one of his daggers secured to his side and deflected all of them with ease.

    ¡°Stubborn. A common trait shared by you Hunters.¡± Maur complained as he grabbed his second dagger. The moment he removed it from the sheath, an ominous pressure propelled from his body and reached the senses of the Hunters. They immediately understood the gravity of their situation. "This one offers you salvation, and yet, you so rudely discard it. Rejecting an offer from this one is like rejecting an offer from Mother. That cannot be forgiven."

    For once throughout the entire confrontation; Maur displayed his anger. The intensity of the pressure around the area increased. Beads of sweat traced down the faces of the Hunters. The longer they stood in front of Maur, the more turbulent the feeling got.

    It felt as though they stood before a tornado of murderous intent. And at the center of that tornado was Maur.

    However, before that massive amount of killing intent, neither Chayse or Elma felt the need to run. Their hearts and bodies remained steadfast, even in front of such adversity. Despite Maur''s fury, the Hunters believed he had no right to express it.

    Not after everything he had done to the country and its people.

    In spite of the pressure, Chayse and Elma stepped forward with their bows raised.

    "As if we give a damn about being forgiven by someone like you!" Elma yelled.

    "Now drop your weapons and surrender," Chayse demanded. "You don''t want to fight us."

    Maur''s smile disappeared once again. Another silence hung in the air for a moment. It broke when a small chuckled escaped from the man''s lips. He covered his mouth with his sleeve. However, his humble attempt to hide his amusement failed.

    He threw his head back and laughed.

    "You Hunters are right. This one does not wish to fight you. This one wishes to kill you." Maur revealed. He lowered his head and displayed a sinister smile.

    Chayse and Elma immediately launched their arrows. Maur stepped forward and sliced the projectiles in half with incredible speed. Afterward, he raised his leg and crushed the arrowheads mercilessly beneath his foot.

    "Just like those arrows, your country will suffer the same fate. No matter how much you struggle, the Varvara will overwhelm you. Why must you insist on fighting it?"

    ¡°Because that¡¯s our job as human beings!¡± Elma angrily responded as she approached Maur while firing off multiple arrows at him.

    Maur stood his ground, deflecting each arrow away from him with his daggers. When Elma halted with her arrows, she and Chayse rushed him and attacked from both sides with blades of their own. With swift movements once again, he blocked their blades with his.

    The Hunters leaned in and added pressure to their weapons from both sides, engaging Maur in a power struggle.

    He came out as the victor of that struggle by spinning around rapidly, knocking the Hunters off their balance. He took advantage of that moment and performed expertly placed kicks that sent them sprawling across the rooftop. By the time the Hunters sprung back to their feet; Maur had already closed the distance.

    Chayse''s face met the end of Maur''s boot, knocking him back even further across the rooftop. The Hunter''s head throbbed like crazy.

    Meanwhile, Elma rushed the man alone and swung away at him with her dagger. Her motions were rash and reckless, but her swings were considerably nimble. Even Maur had difficulty evading her blade. Only his robes suffered damage.

    He was pushed back all the way over to end of the rooftop. Any further retreat would result in his plummet to the ground below. Elma thrust her dagger towards him, aiming to impale the man through the stomach.

    The blade was stopped inches away from his belly after Maur grabbed hold of Elma''s wrist. He tightened his grip, instantly forming a bruise on the woman''s skin. Elma painfully exclaimed and dropped her knife.

    In her moment of defenselessness, Maur capitalized and drove his knee into her stomach. Elma dropped down to all fours and coughed violently.

    "Pathetic," Maur raised his leg in preparation to crush the woman under his foot. Before he could, an arrow pierced his shoulder. The man exclaimed and looked ahead. He spotted Chayse, grinning triumphantly after his spectacular shot.

    "Sturdy bastard," Chayse complained as he prepared another arrow.

    Elma quickly recovered and entered her way back into the fight. She jumped up and landed a fierce uppercut to Maur''s chin. The unsuspecting blow knocked him off his feet and into the air. The Huntress followed up with a spinning back kick.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Maur flew over the edge and hit the street below. When Chayse returned to his partner''s side, he spotted Maur already on his feet with his arrow removed.

    "This guy''s gonna be tough," Chayse noted.

    "Let''s take him down," Elma demanded. The Hunters fired more arrows at Maur. The black-haired man stepped back and watched the projectiles lodge themselves into the ground.

    "Those arrows are pointless," Maur claimed. His attention moved to the arrows once he heard a constant beeping sound resonate from them. Before the man could react, the arrows exploded and released a bright flash of light. He covered his eyes and roared out in pain.

    Chayse and Elma jumped down from their building and rushed their blinded enemy. The first to attack was Chayse.

    The brown-haired Hunter landed several blows across Maur''s face. He weaved out of the way once the man furiously swung his arm out in a desperate attempt to counterattack. Elma jumped in and planted a kick across his chest, knocking him down.My partner jumped in then planted a boot to his chest, knocking him down.

    Maur rolled back and recovered to his feet. The moment he opened his eyes he leaped into the air. Elma aimed and launched her arrows. As expected of an unmatched archer, all arrows hit. One in his stomach and the other two in each of his shoulders.

    Maur grabbed the shaft of the arrows in his shoulders and attempted to pull them out. Volts of electricity coursed through his body the moment he touched them. He convulsed violently in mid-air until he came crashing down to the ground.

    The Hunters shielded their eyes as dust the dust kicked up into the air the moment he hit the ground. Even though Maur was down, the Hunters weren¡¯t confident that he was out. They remained on their guard and carefully approached him with their arrows at the ready.

    "Today wasn''t your lucky day," Elma taunted the downed man. Her face exuded great confidence as she switched from her bow to her dagger. She knelt and pressed the blade against Maur''s neck. "Now you¡¯re going to tell us how you¡¯ve been transforming people into Varvara."

    Maur slowly opened his eyes once Elma spoke to him. His eyes shifted back and forth between the dagger and Elma. His lips curved upward into the shape of a crescent moon before a small chuckle escaped. He sensed no genuine danger from Elma''s threat.

    Elma gritted her teeth and pressed the blade closer to the man''s throat and drew blood. There was something peculiar about the color of the blood. It was black.

    Not red.

    Black.

    "What the hell?" Chayse exclaimed.

    While the Hunters were distracted, Maur grabbed onto Elma¡¯s wrist and guided the blade into her abdomen. It tore through her flesh with little effort. Blood gushed from the wound and splattered onto Maur¡¯s cloak. Though her mouth was left agape, nothing but ragged gasps escaped.

    Horror quickly spread across Chayse''s face as he stood there, watching Maur slowly remove the dagger from Elma''s body. Unlike Maur''s; Elma''s blood was indeed red.

    Elma placed her hands on the wound to prevent as much blood from exiting her body as possible. But her attempts were futile. Blood seeped through the cracks in her fingers and sullied her clothes. Eventually, the shock and blood loss was too much for her. Her eyes closed shut as the strength left her body.

    ¡°Elma!¡± Chayse snapped out of his frozen state and caught his partner before she could hit the ground. He gently set her down and inspected the injury. So much blood exited from the would. Her Praus couldn''t activate and stabilize the wound in her condition.

    Chayse placed his hands over the wound and concentrated. A bright, red-orange light radiated around him then it passed over to Elma. It was his Praus.

    To preserve the life of his partner, he had to give her some of his own. It worked. The blood stopped, and the wound closed. It would take only a matter of minutes for her to return to the fight.

    But, Maur wouldn''t allow that.

    The black-haired man rushed Chayse with Elma''s dagger in hand. Chayse stood and grabbed the man''s wrist, flipped him over his shoulder, then disarmed him when he hit the ground.

    Maur rolled to his feet and pulled out his daggers.

    "Do not worry, Hunter. This one will make sure you suffer the same fate as your partner." He taunted.

    With steady conviction, Chayse grabbed his knife and engaged his enemy in combat. The Hunter attacked with vicious slashes and swift kicks. All were either blocked or evaded.

    When Chayse spotted an opportunity, he moved in for a jumping knee strike. Maur sidestepped and slammed the butt of his knife into Chayse''s side. A loud cracking sound resonated.

    Once a moment presented itself, I moved in for a jumping knee strike. That too was evaded. He stepped to the side then slammed the butt of his knife into his side. A loud cracking sound resonated.

    Chayse doubled over and hollered in agonizing pain.

    "What happened to all that confidence you Hunters had earlier?" Maur taunted. He approached the downed Hunter and kicked him in the same spot. Chayse fell to his side and curled in a defensive position while Maur continued his assault.

    With each kick that Chayse suffered, he felt his consciousness and confidence fade. For a moment, only a moment, he wondered if he and his partner would survive the encounter. It pained him to admit it, but Maur possessed a terrifying talent for combat.

    All that Chayse and Elma went through for years would come to an end by Maur''s hands. Determination swelled inside of Chayse''s body at the mere thought of it. The moment Maur went in for another kick, he rolled out of the way.

    Afterward, he lodged the blade of his dagger into Maur''s foot. His screams of pain felt like music to Chayse''s ears. But, it didn''t stop there.

    Chayse stood up and swung away at Maur with his fists. Each hit landed. Each one was heavier than the last. The sight of his partner getting stabbed right in front of him flashed through his mind repeatedly, only fueling the rage he felt toward the bastard.

    His barrage of punches came to an end once Maur captured Chayse''s fists in the palm of his hands. He reeled his head back and smashed his forehead against the brim of the Hunter''s nose. Chayse hit the ground and gripped his nose.

    "Archers should stick to long-range combat. Close range does not suit you," Maur eyed the dagger in his foot. A bright light emitted from his hand. The entire weapon disintegrated seconds later; reduced to nothing but dust. "Time for you to die," He took a step forward with his daggers at the ready.

    However, he stopped the moment his Milo went off. The black-haired man sighed and answered the communication device. A holographic image of Taurian appeared.

    "About damn time you answered, Maur! Did you destroy the village already or what?!" Taurian yelled.

    Maur''s face twisted in annoyance at the sight of the Beastia. "This one has not yet managed to do it. Complications have arisen.¡± He answered in a monotone.

    ¡°The same goes for me as well, unfortunately. Some wolf Beastia and muscle guy attacked me while I was busy dealing with the army.¡±

    ¡°Were they affiliated with the army?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. They didn¡¯t appear to even be from this kingdom. Enough about that. How are things going on your end?"

    ¡°As of right now, this one is currently in a little battle with two Hunters. Well to be exact, one Hunter. But, he will be dead soon enough.¡± Maur looked over at Chayse and smirked. "Unlike you, it will only further prove that this one is far more capable of accomplishing my assignments."

    "Bastard! You only won last time because you used your powers and--"

    ¡°Was there a point to this call?¡± Maur inquired.

    ¡°I¡¯m calling to tell you not to bother with the village anymore. The Soterian Army should be there soon, and we cannot afford to have you captured as of now.¡±

    ¡°This one will not be seized by some pawns of Soteria. With this one¡¯s power, destroying this village would only take¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you not to bother with the village anymore. Melanie wants us to move on with the schedule. We¡¯ve wasted enough time already.¡±

    Maur glanced back and forth between the Bull Beastia and Chayse, contemplating whether to follow orders.

    ¡°Well¡­if the orders are coming from Melanie.¡± Maur hung up the Milo and lowered his arms down to his side while keeping a close eye on Chayse. ¡°It is your lucky day, Hunters. This one has been ordered to move on. So, this one shall spare your lives today. However, if we are to cross paths ever again, you will die for sure.¡±

    "Damn it! Don''t think I''ll let you get away!" Chayse aimed his arrow and fired a shot. Maur tilted his head to the side and smirked as the projectile passed him.

    "Should you wish to continue, this one has no qualms with that. However, do you not wish to save your partner?" Maur pointed to the wounded Elma. Chayse gritted his teeth and turned to face his partner. By the time he came back to his senses, he had found that Maur had long vanished.

    "Elma!" Chayse rushed to Elma''s side and returned to healing her with his Prause. Elma slowly opened her eyes and looked around.

    "Chayse? What are you doing?" She groaned.

    "Healing you. You took a bad hit." Chayse answered. A broad smile painted on his face.

    "What happened to Maur?"

    "He escaped."

    "Idiot. What are you doing healing me, then? I can do that myself. Go after him." Elma weakly pointed in any direction.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m leaving you behind like this! You¡¯ll die if I leave you untreated!¡± Chayse disobeyed the order.

    ¡°More innocent people are going to die if you leave him to do as he pleases.¡± She immediately countered. ¡°We¡¯ve finally found the bastard responsible for the attacks. We can''t let him escape. Hurry up and go after him. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°No, you won¡¯t, Elma! I¡¯m not going to leave you to die!¡±

    Elma looked up at Chayse and frowned. But that frown eventually turned into a smile. ¡°You¡¯re such an idiot you know that? If our positions had been switched I wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to leave you behind.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know. That¡¯s what makes us so different.¡± Chayse forced a laugh, hoping that she was joking. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about a thing, Elma. You¡¯re going to be fine. I¡¯ll keep giving you my Praus to heal you, even if it takes all of it.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, Chayse. I¡¯m not worried about me. I¡¯m more concerned about Maur.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll catch up to him eventually.¡±

    ¡°What does that man want? Why is he doing things like this to the kingdom? These people have done nothing wrong.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what that man wants. In the end, we will stop him and whatever he¡¯s planning. Now that we know what kind of enemy we¡¯re up against¡­we can plan things out.¡± Chayse assured her.

    Before she could respond, their attention was brought down the road where the military could be seen finally arriving. However, despite the arrival of their salvation, their defeat and failure would be engraved in their hearts for a long time.

    Defeat was something the duo rarely experienced. But, each loss made them stronger. It pushed them to get better so that failure would never happen again. It wasn''t the end of them.

    The Hunters swore to confront Maur someday again and defeat him.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 15 - War Dog Territory!

    A single Nemean traveled down a dirt road. Inside of the military vehicle was the three-man team consisting of Kyros Aleister, Runa das Meer, and Sarra Zosime. Kyros took the liberty of driving while Runa and Sarra stayed in the back. For the entire ride, Sarra kept the window down, gazing at the nearly endless fields of green race by. Occasionally, she''d wave and call out to the people out in the areas.

    Kyros couldn''t help but smile at the girl''s childish nature. In his country, Hunters weren''t perceived in a good light. Not a day would pass where he''d hear something pleasant about them from his men. He''d heard that all Hunters were mere brutes and savages. However, Kyros was the type of person that needed to see to believe.

    And what he saw from Sarra''s personality washed away nearly all the bad rumors he heard about Hunters.

    Unfortunately, the reason all of it didn''t disappear was because of the blue-haired Huntress that kept glaring at him from the backseat. Throughout their entire ride in the Nemean, he felt the burning gaze from the woman burn a hole in the back of his head. At random moments, he''d find himself unconsciously reaching behind his head to find it.

    Two hours. One Hundred and twenty minutes.

    That''s how long the woman kept her eye on him. The woman''s threat looped in his mind over and over. If their identities as Exousia ever got leaked, Runa wouldn''t hesitate to drive her spear into his face. Kyros looked up at the rearview mirror and noticed the Huntress with her weapon in hand. Always paid to be prepared.

    He didn''t dislike that about Runa. The woman was determined, that was for sure. He wished that she''d lighten up at least. He already mentioned that he wasn''t a threat to them. If anything, they were on the same side. But, he knew it wouldn''t be that easy to convince Runa.

    Actions spoke louder than words. If Kyros wanted to gain her trust, he''d have to prove himself. That''s what he planned to do when they reached their destination.

    "There it is," Kyros alerted the Huntresses. Runa and Sarra looked ahead and spotted the town of Elpida in the distance. Stationed outside were some soldiers with red sashes and medallions that featured dogs with fire-like manes.

    "That a different military unit or something?" Runa noted as she spotted the differences in uniforms of Kyros and the other soldiers.

    "Those are the War Dogs," answered Kyros. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "They serve under General Amos. They typically deal with commando type missions."

    "What about you?" Sarra questioned.

    "I''m a Night Owl. I handle reconnaissance missions and information gathering." Kyros replied.

    "Don''t sound too happy about coming across those War Dogs," Runa pointed out. "Are we going to have a problem with them?"

    The Huntress tapped her spear with her finger.

    "Hopefully not. But, even if we do, you shouldn''t raise your hands against them. The War Dogs are very troublesome to deal with." Kyros warned.

    When the Nemean drew closer to the town entrance, Kyros hit the brakes and stopped the car in front of the soldiers. The walked over to the front window and knocked on it. Kyros lowered the window.

    "Identification. All of you." The first soldier ordered.

    Kyros and the Huntresses complied with the demand. They showed their Milos to the soldiers. The men looked at the information and nodded, moving aside and allowing the team passage into the town. The team stepped out from the Nemean and entered on foot.

    Elpida Town was heavily guarded. One couldn''t turn down a single street without spotting an armed soldier. Kyros felt relieved that the town was getting the protection it needed, however, he also couldn''t help but feel anxious. With so many soldiers patrolling the streets, negative feelings would certainly spread throughout the townpeople and invite the Varvara.

    Kyros was more than prepared for a fight. Thanks to his powers, he foresaw a battle in the town that he and Runa would take part in. And with the help of the War Dogs, he felt confident that they''d come out victorious.

    "So, where are we heading?" Sarra asked.

    "First things'' first, we gotta find a place to stay," Runa answered. "No need to help with patrols until nightfall."

    "Do you know any good places, Mr. Kyros?" Sarra asked.

    Kyros stopped and pondered on the question. "Unfortunately, all places here have probably been taken."

    "Huh?" Runa exclaimed in a low tone. "Whaddya mean everything''s taken? We haven''t even looked yet."

    "You both saw the destroyed town of Salus, right? Well, the refugees from the town have been scattered across the country. They''ve probably taken residence here too." Kyros revealed.

    Distrusting the man''s words, Runa dashed ahead, ignoring the cries of Kyros and Sarra. She ventured to every inn she could and heard the same story over and over. It was just as Kyros stated earlier. All places were at full capacity.

    Having reached the end of her patience after getting kicked out of another establishment, the blue-haired Huntress let out a roar in anger and dropped to her knees in defeat. Kyros and Sarra helped the defeated woman to her feet and continued down the road.

    "Calm down, Runa." Sarra pleaded. The little girl understood her partner''s frustrations all too well. Throughout their travels in the Gardens of Eden, there were countless occasions where they''d have to sleep out in uncomfortable tents or carriages. Nice, soft, comfy beds were difficult to come by.

    "For Shura''s sake! Why does this keep happening?!" Runa complained.

    "Don''t worry, I may know a place where we can stay," Kyros announced. Sharp, focused eyes of judgment faced him the moment those words left his mouth. At that moment he understood his mistake. The Huntresses were in desperate need of a bed. They wouldn''t accept anything less.

    The place Kyros had in mind had beds. However, the problem was whether they would be allowed inside.

    "Where is this place?" Runa demanded. She brought her face close to Kyros''. Her eye burned with intense desire.

    "Follow me," Kyros reluctantly lead the Huntresses down the road. The sunlight began to diminish, and so did the number of people outside. The townspeople quickly shut their doors and locked them, not wishing to be out for the forewarned Varvara attack. There was no guarantee that it would happen today. But, they weren''t willing to take that risk. "It shouldn''t be this way."

    ¡°What was that?" Sarra asked.

    "This town. It shouldn''t be this way. The people aren''t supposed to be frightened when they''re within the safety of the wall."

    "Well, when the town''s littered with armed soldiers, I''d be on edge too," Runa mentioned. She glanced around and took mental notes of each time a soldier sent her a glare.

    "I know they''re here to protect the town, but they look terrifying." Sarra kept close to Runa.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "Just don''t make eye contact with them too much. They''ll take that as a challenge," Kyros revealed. Following his instructions, the team continued down the road until they reached a large establishment. Hanging on the front of the building was a wooden sign with the symbol of a shield with two swords crossing each other. Kyros turned and faced the Huntresses with a bright smile, spreading his arms out as he announced, "welcome to the Great Hero''s weapon shop!"

    Sarra clasped her hands together and looked at the shop with sparkling eyes, letting out a squeal of excitement in the process. Runa on the contrary only stood there with her usual deadpan expression.

    "The great hero¡¯s weapon shop?" She repeated, carefully inspecting the building before her with a cold gaze. For a shop called ''the great hero''s weapon shop''; it surely didn''t live up to its title. The building itself looked somewhat run down. "So, the owner of this shop is a hero, huh?"

    Kyros nodded his head in confirmation and continued to speak, "That''s right. In the capital city, there used to be a statue erected of him due to his great deeds."

    "Keyword being ''used'' to be." Runa pointed out.

    "What did the man do to become a hero in the first place?" Sarra wondered.

    "It''s a bit of a long story." Kyros folded his arms and looked off into the distance as he thought back to the history of the country. "Twenty-two years ago, this country was once ruled by a ruthless tyrant. He was a cold-hearted monster that only did as he pleased."

    "How could someone like that become the ruler of a kingdom like this? I haven¡¯t been here for long, but I¡¯ve never heard a thing about this tyrannical dictator." Runa mentioned.

    "That''s because the council made it illegal even to say his name. Everyone addresses him as the Last King. But before him, there was another, the first ruler of this kingdom. She helped establish the kingdom after the Great Divergence following the World Splitting War. Her name was Soteria. She was a kind and benevolent ruler."

    A warm smile crossed Kyros'' face as he mentioned the first ruler of the kingdom. For that country, no, perhaps even the world, she was the greatest, most benevolent person to have ever existed.

    "What happened to her?" Sarra asked.

    The painted smile on Kyros'' face disappeared. His arms fell to his sides as he answered, "One of her most trusted generals assassinated her. He killed her and became the first and last king. He nearly brought this kingdom to ruin with his corruption and endless waging of wars across the world."

    "So, the Last King assassinated the first ruler to become the second ruler, and immediately took over? No one decided to rise and rebel against him?" Runa asked while giving Kyros a sideward glance.

    "People tried, but he was too powerful. He crushed multiple rebellions with his private military. Plus, he was very influential in the wars he waged. Unfortunately, it''s thanks to him why our military is so powerful."

    "So, where does the hero come into all this?" Sarra asked.

    "After another one of our many wars ended, a small group of warriors rebelled and eventually managed to kill the Last King. The man we''re about to meet is the one that delivered the finishing blow by splitting the Last King¡¯s head open with an ax."

    The eyes of the Huntresses widened. The two quickly glanced at each other and then back at Kyros.

    "Um, Mr. Kyros? Are you sure this person will help us?" Sarra asked. Her eagerness and excitement quickly vanished.

    "Don''t worry; he''s a nice guy. The Last King was a terrible man that had to be dealt with," Kyros turned and faced the weapon shop. "I don''t agree with the methods they used to deal with him. But, I''m sure he did what he felt was best for the kingdom."

    "Doing what¡¯s best for the kingdom¡­" Runa softly chanted. She spoke with a neutral tone, but the animosity in her words was unmistakable.

    Before anyone could say anything else, a group of men flew out from the weapon shop. The team looked to the group in bewilderment. The three men stood to their feet and brushed the dust off their clothes before angrily yelling at the person responsible for tossing them out on the street.

    Then, everyone¡¯s attention shifted to the entrance of the shop where a large, bearded, grease-covered man stood. Kyros'' face brightened at the sight of him. It was unmistakable. The man before him was one of the country''s greatest heroes.

    His teacher, Aion Faure.

    "You have some nerve throwing us out on the street like this, old man! Do you have any idea what time it is?" The first man yelled.

    "Yeah! The Varvara could be coming to this town at any moment! We need weapons to defend ourselves!" The second man chimed.

    "Quit being stingy and hand over some of your weapons to us! You¡¯re one of the heroes of this kingdom, aren¡¯t you? Act like one!" The third man added.

    Aion grimaced after hearing the three desperate men speak out. He slightly tilted his head up then inhaled deeply before shouting, ¡°Are you, three idiots?¡±

    His loud voice forced everyone in the immediate area to cover their ears. Nearby soldiers were so alarmed that a few of them abandoned their posts and appeared to check on the situation. However, once seeing who was responsible for the commotion, they immediately left the area.

    "You have some nerve coming here in my shop, demanding for me to hand over my precious weapons for free. I don¡¯t care if Varvara are going to attack this town. If you want my weapons so badly, then fork over some money." Aion held his hand out, waiting for the three men to pay up.

    ¡°Does it look like we have any money on us? We¡¯re from Salus Town! It got wiped out days ago! We¡¯ve lost everything!"

    "We desperately need your weapons. You¡¯re the best weapons manufacturer in this kingdom. Your weapons could save all of our lives."

    Their pleas fell on deaf ears. Aion turned his back to them, telling them to go away if they weren¡¯t there to conduct any proper business. And with that, the man went back to his shop, closing the door behind him. The men were devastated to see one of the great heroes of the kingdom refuse to offer them any service. They dropped down to their knees then wept quietly, wholly overwhelmed by despair.

    It was painful to watch. Three grown men crying in the middle of the street. Kyros approached the group.

    "You need to stop crying," Kyros said. The men gathered themselves and looked up at him. Their faces of despair instantly altered to disgust. They stood to their face and glared at him.

    "What''s it any business of yours?! Huh?!" One of them said. The men walked circles around the soldier, inspecting his attire.

    "Must be nice, having all that expensive armor. I bet you don''t have anything to worry about when the Varvara attack." The second man assumed.

    "How about you hand it over?" The third man suggested. "You''re in the military; they must have thousands of armor just like that back at Headquarters."

    "Yeah, give us your equipment!"

    "We need to protect ourselves from the Varvara!"

    Kyros closed his eyes and continued to allow the men to speak their minds. The sympathy he had for them had long vanished.

    "I''m not handing it over to you. You''re ordinary townspeople. You don''t need my equipment or weapons; especially since the military is already here to protect you." Kyros declared.

    "Protect us? Like hell that''ll ever happen! Where was the military yesterday when Pandora city got attacked?!"

    "Yeah! I heard Hunters had to come in and save the day!"

    "In fact, there they are right there!" One of the men pointed at the Huntresses. "Must be pathetic, having Wild Landers save your asses!"

    "Military''s so weak that they have to enlist savages to fight for them!"

    The air suddenly grew cold. The three men found themselves unconsciously shaking. Immense fear immediately registered in their minds. Against their instincts, they slowly turned around and saw the source.

    It was Runa.

    Watching the men insult Kyros meant nothing to her. However, when their mocking tones turned in her direction, that''s when she reached her limit. The Huntress raised her spear and settled it on her shoulder as she slowly approached the men who were paralyzed by fear.

    Kyros prepared to intercept the Huntress. However, someone else was already a step ahead of him. Seemingly out of nowhere, a tanned skin man with short, black hair got in between the Huntress and the men. He wore bronze armor with a red cloth draped over his shoulder. Securing the fabric to his shoulder was the medallion that featured the War Dog emblem.

    The soldier unsheathed his short sword and pointed it at the Huntress. "Settle down, Wild Lander," The man commanded. "Put your weapon down, unless you''re looking for a fight."

    "Captain Alec!" The men cheered. The sight of the soldier washed away their fear.

    "Runa! Lower your weapon!" Sarra pleaded.

    Runa clicked her tongue and did as instructed. Satisfied with her compliance, Alec sheathed his sword and turned to the men. "You three should head back inside it''s getting late. Rest assured knowing that I''m here." The man brought his fist over the medallion.

    While reluctant, the three men nodded and headed home.

    "Tch, fucking pieces of shit." Runa cursed. If she had her way, those men never would''ve been able to insult her again with their tongues removed.

    "That was a swear, Runa." Sarra pointed out.

    "What did you think you were doing, leaking out all that killing intent?" Alec faced the Huntresses with a sharp glare. "Were you honestly planning to harm those townspeople on my watch?"

    "It crossed my mind, yeah," Runa nodded, showing no shame in her actions. "They called me a savage. So, I was gonna show them one."

    "That wouldn''t help the situation, Runa," Kyros stated. "I''m sorry about all the trouble?"

    "A Night Owl, here?" Alec''s face contorted in disgust at the sight of Kyros'' medallion. "Are these Wild Landers with you?"

    "Yes, these people are with me." Kyros corrected.

    "Keep a better eye on them. If these dogs hurt any innocent people under your watch, I''ll see to it that I have your head." Alec threatened. "I''ve got enough problems on my plate dealing with the Varvara. I don''t want anymore, got it?"

    "Understood."

    "Good. Now get inside. Or, stay out here. I don''t care." Alec turned his back to the group and sauntered down the road with his hand on his weapon.

    "Funny, him calling us dogs." Runa scoffed. One after the another, she kept coming across soldiers that saw her and Sarra as less than human. If anything were to happen that night, she at least prayed that Alec suffered a painful death.

    "Ignore him. Come on. Let''s get inside." Kyros opened the door to the weapon shop and allowed the Huntresses to enter before he did.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 16 - Soterias Hero!

    "Well¡­that was certainly eventful." Runa sarcastically mentioned as she set foot in the weapon shop of the esteemed great hero, Aion Faure. The woman''s expectations of the establishment were a lot higher than she imagined. When she heard Kyros mention the place, she expected high-quality and high-class atmosphere.

    But instead, she felt like she wandered into the run of the mill weapon shop. Nothing exotic grabbed her eye out of the weapons displayed on the walls or cases.

    "I feel sorry for those men. All they wanted were some weapons to defend themselves," Sarra spoke with a concerned tone. "How come that man from earlier didn¡¯t give them any weapons? Even if they didn¡¯t have any money, he¡¯s a hero, isn¡¯t he?"

    Runa said without hesitation, ¡°Guy seems more like a fallen hero if you ask me."

    The Huntresses'' poor choice of words caused Kyros to turn and glare at her, "It''s not like that!" The man exclaimed.

    Runa''s habit of unfiltered speech was no secret. She didn''t mince her words and had no consideration for the feelings of others--besides Sarra at least. One thing Kyros wouldn''t allow her to do was besmirch the name of his teacher, one of the people that he respected the most in the entire country.

    "No need for the glare," Runa commented, taking a mental note of his aggressive behavior. "I don''t care for that man''s status. If he can provide us with a place to stay, I have nothing more to say about him."

    "After everything that happened out there, it''ll be even harder to convince him. But, I''ll give it a try." Kyros looked at the front desk and spotted a bell. He approached the bell and rang it.

    Out from the back came the man of the hour. He came out from behind the counter and approached the group; his massive size became more apparent the closer he drew towards them. With each step he took, the group felt the hard, wooden floors shake.

    While Kyros and Sarra kept their eyes up; Runa lowered her gaze after having noticed the irregular sounds of Aion''s footsteps. Both of the man''s limbs were made of Neoframe.

    By the time she raised her head, Aion stood mere inches in front of them. He leaned over and brought his bearded face close to Kyros''.

    "Well, look who decided to come pay me a visit." Aion sneered. "How long''s it been? Three years? No calls, no letters."

    "I''m sorry, Master Aion." Kyros immediately apologized. "I''ve just been incredibly busy and--"

    It was like a blur. Aion''s fist connected to Kyros'' face and knocked him to the floor. Runa and Sarra instinctively moved to retrieve their weapons, but the large man''s speedoverwhelmed them. He reached out and grabbed the wrists of the Huntresses.

    "Trying to draw your weapons in my shop? You Huntresses'' have some nerve!" Aion complained. He tightened his grip on Runa''s wrist. The woman cringed and continued to struggle.

    Aion''s absurd strength and speed astonished Runa. She never imagined an old man would force her to have to use her powers. Just when that critical thought crossed her mind; Kyros stood and settled the issue.

    "Wait, stop it!" Kyros demanded. "We''re not looking for a fight!"

    "They tried to pull their weapons on me," Aion defended.

    "That''s ''cause you attacked Mr. Kyros!" Sarra cried.

    "Aion! Let them go!" Kyros said.

    Aion sighed and released the Huntresses. Sarra quickly hid behind Runa and inspected her wrist.

    "Things got a little heated there...sorry..." Aion apologized. He turned his head and jeered at Kyros. "You! How many times must I tell you to stop calling me master?! It pisses me off!"

    "Sorry. Force of habit," Kyros said.

    "Everything''s cool now?" Runa wondered, feeling uneasy after almost getting bested by a senior citizen.

    "Yeah, you ladies can relax. I didn''t mean to harm any of you." Aion assured them. "Your friend here just needed a rough reminder of how to properly address his elders."

    "That¡¯s a weird way to justify your actions." Sarra reluctantly came out from hiding behind Runa.

    "Don''t expect kids like you to understand," Aion folded his arms over his broad chest and looked over at Kyros. "And don''t worry about not visiting lately. I know you''ve been busy protecting the country and all."Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    "Thanks. It hasn''t been easy as of late," Kyros stole a quick glance over at Runa. "I''m glad to see that you''re still alive and well despite everything that''s happened."

    Aion scoffed and stroked his beard. "Don''t insult me, Kyros. These Varvara attacks are nothing compared to the Titans. The military''s gone soft over the years."

    "Well, we don''t have as many wars or revolutions anymore."

    "That''s no excuse," Aion shook his head and turned his back to the group. He walked over to the front desk and took a seat on a single stool that waited for him. "Anyway, why are you three here? What do you want?"

    "Before that, let me introduce you to my new companions. This is Runa das Meer and Sarra Zosime. They¡¯re Huntresses from the Wild Hunt Guild out in the Gardens of Eden."

    "Hello." Sarra nervously waved at Aion. Meanwhile, Runa just folded her arms and nodded at the man.

    "Name''s Aion Faure, weapons manufacturer for Soteria." Aion followed suit with the introductions. "Alright, now, go ahead and tell me what you want. Doubt any of you are here to buy any weapons."

    Kyros stepped forward and nervously laughed. Requesting favors from Aion was always a difficult task for him; especially when the man wasn''t in a good mood. His chances of convincing the group to stay decreased as the seconds of silence passed.

    "We were wondering if you would be kind enough to let us stay here for a few days." Kyros steeled himself and prepared for the worst.

    "Oh? You''ve some serious balls to waltz in here after three years just to seek a favor. What kind of establishment do you think I¡¯m running here, Kyros? Does it say anywhere out there in the front that this is some bed and breakfast?" Aion slammed his fist on the desk.

    Having received their answer, Runa clicked her tongue and turned around, preparing to leave. She didn''t know what she thought when she allowed Kyros to lead them around. She looked out the window. The sun had set, and the moon took dominance over the sky. With no light to protect them, the group had to rely on themselves for cover and safety from the Varvara.

    Runa sighed and headed for the door.

    "Where are you going?" Aion called out to her.

    Runa stopped.

    "Somewhere else. We''re not welcomed to stay here, right? Gotta take our chances out there with the Varvara."

    "Now, hold on, I don''t remember saying that you couldn''t stay here."

    Runa rolled her eye and sharply turned around. The man''s behavior throughout their short meeting irritated her more so than Kyros. "Oh really? ''Cause judging from your previous response; I thought you wouldn¡¯t have wanted us to stay here.¡±

    "Trust me; I don''t want you guys here. I already told the War Dogs out there I wouldn''t let anyone stay in here unless they were going to pay up," Aion scratched his bed and smiled as he thought back to the angered faces of the War Dogs. "But, I''ve heard all places are booked. I don''t you want you to stay outside where you''ll likely get yourselves killed."

    "So, you''ll be giving us a place to stay then?¡± Sarra asked.

    "Yeah, it''s fine. The Huntresses can sleep upstairs while the men sleep downstairs." Aion nodded. "However, I''ll only do this if you do something for me first."

    Aion''s stoic face shifted into a mischievous smile that unsettled Kyros and the Huntresses. Kyros knew all too well that whenever that expression crossed his teacher''s face, almost nothing good followed afterward. It boggled his mind trying to figure out what his teacher could ever want from any of them.

    "What is it that you want?" Kyros hesitantly asked.

    Aion''s intense gaze settled on the weapon hoisted on Runa''s back. "That weapon your friend carries looks quite intriguing. If I could perhaps have a little time to inspect it..." The man''s face turned red, and his breaths became heavy. "You wouldn''t mind letting me hold it for a second, right?"

    The shuddersome look in Aion''s eyes and appalling hand motions freaked out Kyros and the Huntresses. There it was right before their eyes; Aion''s fascination, borderline fetish with weapons. Despite all the eyes Kyros spent under the man''s tutelage, he never quite understood where it came from.

    Runa took a step back and placed her hand on the said spear.

    "Fuck, no!" Runa immediately refused, ignoring Sarra''s warning of her using another swear word. "There''s no way I''m letting you hold this! I''d rather take my chances outside!"

    "Runa!" Sarra said.

    "What''s the harm in letting him hold your weapon?" Kyros asked.

    "It''s my weapon, and I''m allowed to choose who can hold it!" Runa''s gravelly tone and harsh response resonated in the weapon shop.

    A heavy silence hung in the air as Aion and Runa engaged in a fierce staredown. Both stood firm with their demands. It appeared that at any moment, the two of them would break out into a fight. Kyros wanted to avoid that outcome at all costs.

    Shockingly, though, the first that gave in was Aion. He let out a long, drawn-out groan of defeat and hung his head. "I got it. You must have adeep connection with your weapon to refuse to part with it. I can respect that."

    "Is there anything else that you want from us instead?" Kyros requested.

    "No, none of you have anything else that I want. You''re free to stay here for a few days. Don''t break or steal my shit," Aion demanded. With that, the man wandered to the back of his shop.

    "This was a hassle." Runa blatantly said.

    "You two seem to have a confusing relationship, Mr. Kyros," Sarra added.

    "I''ll admit that Aion can be difficult to handle most of the time. But, he''s a nice person once you get to know him." Kyros defended the senior man.

    "How well do you know him?" Runa asked.

    "He''s been my teacher for over eight years. He''s taught me a lot of things about weapons manufacturing--" Kyros stopped when the Huntress pointed her spear at him.

    "You¡¯re not answering my question."

    "¡­Okay, I don''t know him that well. He doesn''t like to talk about himself much. But we have a¡­stable relationship."

    Runa narrowed her eye, clearly not amused by Kyros'' response. She grabbed Kyros'' sash and pulled him closer to her. "Just so you know if this idea of yours hadn¡¯t worked, I would¡¯ve personally beat you down and left you lying in a ditch somewhere for the Varvara to get you.¡±

    "Runa, you don¡¯t mean that do you?" Sarra asked.

    "I guess we¡¯ll never find out now that we have a place to stay for the night.¡± She released her hold on Kyros. ¡°So, you gonna show us to our rooms or what?"

    "¡­Follow me, ladies. Right, this way." Kyros reluctantly led the Huntresses upstairs to the second floor where they would be sleeping for the night.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 17 - Calm Before The Storm!

    "Ladies, welcome to your room." Kyros opened the door to a timeworn, dirty room within the weapon shop. A single bed lied in the back of the room, many barrels that contained various weapons filled the corners. Multiple memories flooded Kyros'' mind at the sight of the place. His years spent as Aion''s apprentice were years he considered well spent.

    While his smile grew more apparent, Runa and Sarra were far from pleased with the condition of their temporary living quarters. The wood was old, cracked, and reeked of possible mold. Numerous bugs crawled around the place. The thought of there being an infestation somewhere brought chills to Runa.

    Through the woman''s adventures, she''d slept in multiple¡ªuncomfortable places. To her, a dark cave would''ve been more comfortable than the room. But, she''d already made her complaints about sleeping outside.

    She''d made her bed. She''d have to lie in it.

    "This place is a complete dump." Runa blatantly complained as she set her hands on her hips. Although she made her terms with the condition of the room, she couldn''t fathom why Kyros would think that the girls would be but sleeping in such a filthy place.

    "I know that it doesn''t look that great, but, you have to consider that Aion didn''t think anyone would want to sleep here," Kyros defended. "Besides, it''s safer to sleep in here rather than outside."

    The group entered the room. Sarra walked to a nearby barrel and ran her finger across it. She brought her dust covered finger close to her face and grimaced. "Do you have a duster somewhere we could use for cleaning?"

    "I''ll go see if I can find one somewhere. But until then, please try and make yourselves comfortable." Kyros waved the ladies goodbye and left the room. Afterward, Runa and Sarra sighed in exhaustion. They ignored the dust and bug problems and lied down on the bed.

    After spending the past few days investigating the Varvara attacks and fighting off the vile creatures, they needed some time to rest their aching bodies.

    "This is¡­this is nice. I mean it¡¯s not great. But it¡¯s nice." Sarra said, looking over at Runa with the usual bright smile of hers. "Runa, can I ask you something?"

    "Sure, whaddya need to say?" Runa responded.

    Sarra fiddled with her fingers, knowing exactly how the flow of the conversation would turn. Getting into an argument with her partner was something she never liked to do. But, something was on her mind, and it needed to get out.

    "Have you apologized to Mr. Kyros yet?"

    "¡­Apologized? For what?"

    Sarra turned her head and frowned at Runa. "For your rude behavior, obviously. Ever since we met him, you''ve been nothing but rude and disrespectful."

    "You do remember that he¡¯s an Exousia, right?" Runa reminded as she turned her body to face Sarra.

    It was rare for Sarra to scold Runa for her behavior unless it had something to do with her swearing. Other than that, the girl would often keep her head down and let Runa do as she pleased. But the situation was different. Runa racked my brain trying to figure out why.

    The Huntresses hadn¡¯t known Kyros for long at all. Sarra couldn''t have formed a close relationship with him that fast. Runa ensured those two weren''t given the opportunity to talk to each other that often.

    "We¡¯re Exousia too, Runa. What does that matter?" Sarra asked.

    "What does it matter? Do I need to remind you that we¡¯ve been making it our goal to avoid other Exousia until the number dwindles down to eight?" Runa raised her hand and showed her the Exousia Counter on her palm. "There''re only fifty of us left, Sarra. Fifty. We can''t get careless now."

    "Then practice what you preach. Don¡¯t you think you''re careless by being rude to Mr. Kyros? He¡¯s the First Exousia after all."

    Runa didn¡¯t respond.

    Or rather she couldn¡¯t respond.

    Sarra didn¡¯t give her anytime too. The young girl continued with her scolding.

    "He has incredible power, and he¡¯s been using it to help people¡ªincluding us. He already said that he doesn¡¯t have any interest in participating in the God selection. He¡¯s a good guy, Runa. I know that for sure. But you haven¡¯t been treating him that way."

    "You¡¯re just too trusting, Sarra. I refuse to trust him in less than half a day. Doing something like that would get us killed out in the Gardens of Eden."

    It was harsh¡ªbut the truth. Runa couldn¡¯t trust others so quickly; especially Kyros. Admittedly, Kyros had the determination to become a God, but he refused to become one by killing others. That was admirable¡ªbut foolish.

    Runa wasn''t anything like him. She wouldn''t hesitate to kill anyone that threatened her life or anyone she cared about. The Huntress had long forgotten the number of lives she''d taken. She didn''t find pleasure in any of it. But, it was necessary for her to survive. That¡¯s what it¡¯s all about in Salome.

    Survival.

    Runa didn''t care what she had to do to survive. In the end, it was going to happen. She was going to ensure that she and Sarra survived and made it to the final eight.

    Sarra was too trusting of others, especially if they acted nicely. Runa couldn''t count the number of times the girl''s naivety got her in trouble.

    "But, we¡¯re not in the Gardens of Eden. We¡¯re in the Soteria Kingdom. We¡¯re safe here," claimed Sarra.

    "Wrong. We¡¯re not safe here. If anything, we¡¯re trapped," Runa corrected her partner, "there¡¯s a reason I often avoid taking missions that involve entering kingdoms, Sarra. And this is one of those reasons. Kingdoms unknowingly shelter Exousia."

    "I know that. But, that¡¯s still no excuse. I know that I¡¯m gullible. But, I¡¯m confident that Mr. Kyros isn¡¯t a bad person."

    "You have your opinion, and I have mine. I don¡¯t have any regrets about what I¡¯ve done."

    Runa refused to falter on my standpoint. Everything that she''d done was to protect and ensure their safety. She knew that it was wrong for her to attack and hold a prominent member of the military captive. Such actions would often result in immediate arrest and possible execution.

    But fortunately for them, Kyros hadn¡¯t mentioned any of that to anyone. He¡¯d kept his word so far. He had multiple chances to betray them. Then again, Runa also considered the possibility that it could¡¯ve been a trap.

    Kyros was the First Exousia. A single digit. One of the nine people rumored to be the most powerful of the Exousia. At first, Runa believed those stories.

    But after meeting him, she figured that rumors were just that¡ªrumors. After all, it wasn¡¯t hard to subdue and get information out of him upon their first encounter. Then again, his precognition power couldn¡¯t be underestimated. He could¡¯ve been aware of several future events that he had yet to tell the Huntresses. Perhaps he was even aware of their deaths, and they wouldn¡¯t be any the wiser.

    Everything could¡¯ve all been a trap laid out for them from the beginning. It may have sounded paranoid, but there was a possibility. There were too many variables that Runa couldn¡¯t even possibly have begun to fathom.

    It frustrated her.

    But, there was nothing that she could do. Runa didn¡¯t have any leads about the Varvara. Kyros did. It was humiliating and unfortunate, but she needed his help. Their missions aligned with each other. So, it was the only reasonable option.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    "Even if you have no regrets. You should still apologize, Runa. Mr. Kyros is a nice man. Perhaps he could even--"

    "Enough," Runa interrupted, knowing what Sarra was going to suggest. "Get some sleep, Sarra. I''m going outside for the patrols."

    Runa got up from the bed and left the room without another word. She wandered down the stairs back to the first floor in search of Aion and Kyros. She moved to the back of the shop, following the sound of indistinct voices.

    "Thanks again for giving us a place to stay for a while, Aion. I''ll make sure to pay you back for all you''re doing for us." The first voice belonged to Kyros.

    "You better," The second voice belonged to Aion, "those War Dogs outside would be jealous if they learned that you¡¯re staying here."

    "Let them be jealous. It''s not every day that you allow military officers into your shop."

    "Don¡¯t get used to it. You¡¯re an exception. Don¡¯t go around bragging or abusing your special privilege."

    "I promise I won''t do that."

    "It¡¯s been awhile since we¡¯ve last spoken to each other. How are things going for you, Kyros? I read in the newspaper that you were involved in the Exousia attack on Pandora city yesterday."

    Silence descended in the room. It only lasted for a moment as Kyros immediately recalled his defeat and the loss of his men.

    "It''s true. I was there. I fought against the Exousia, and I lost. Because of that, I''ve lost the lives of a few of my subordinates," Kyros revealed. He clenched his hands into fists, hoping that would suppress his rage. "I lost great men with promising futures ahead of them. I led them to their untimely demise. I don''t know if I have what it takes to lead a unit anymore."

    Runa thought back to the incident at the hospital. Her encounter with the soldiers was far from pleasant. In fact, hearing about their deaths brought a smirk to her face.

    "You¡¯re not down in the dumps because of that are you?" Aion questioned him. "If you are, then you should get over yourself."

    "Get over myself?"

    "Let me give you some advice, Kyros. You¡¯re a Captain of your unit, right? That¡¯s a lot of responsibility since the fate of your men rests taught your hands. If something goes wrong, the responsibility lies solely with you. Do you agree with that?"

    "Yes."

    "Well, that settles it. No wonder your men died. You''re a moron," Aion bluntly said. Although his words were cruel, neither Kyros or Runa sensed malice in them. "You can''t blame yourself for everything that happens to your men, especially during combat."

    "Yes, I can. If I had been stronger and defeated that Exousia sooner, then my men wouldn''t have gotten killed." Kyros protested.

    "If we¡¯re going by that logic, then that means that the Generals should also blame themselves as well. You''re still in Zoffy''s army, right? Since you failed, that means that she''s failed too." Aion countered. "She and the other generals should blame themselves for the deaths of all their subordinates. There shouldn¡¯t even be an army in this kingdom since they¡¯re unfit to lead anyone."

    Kyros slammed his hands on the table and shot up from his chair. "That''s not true, and you know it! The generals have done nothing wrong! They weren''t even involved in the attack last night! They didn''t fail to defeat the Exousia! I did!¡±

    "Yeah, you failed. You¡¯re not perfect, Kyros. No one is. You think Zoffy, and the other generals never lost any subordinates? Your men are their men as well. Don¡¯t solely blame yourself for their deaths." Aion told him. "I¡¯m assuming they died trying to do the right thing. You should honor their memory and keep moving forward. Don¡¯t let their deaths hinder your progression."

    Kyros settled down and returned to his seat. "I can''t disregard their deaths. I''d be no better than the Exousia that killed them."

    "I didn¡¯t say disregard their deaths. You should always remember the men that died under your command and use their deaths as motivation to grow. Learn from your past mistakes so that incidents like that never happen again."

    Runa closed her eye and nodded in understanding of Aion''s words. The man certainly spoke from experience.

    As a Huntress, death out on missions was unavoidable. There would always be casualties. No one had to like it. But, people had to learn from it; it''s how people got stronger.

    "Those men willingly followed you to battle knowing the risks. Don¡¯t besmirch their deaths. It would be an insult to them and their families." Aion spoke again.

    Kyros closed his eyes and let the words of his mentor sink in. "You''re right. I can''t let this set me back. I have a dream that I''ll accomplish no matter what. I''ll learn from this defeat and use it to become a stronger¡ªcapable leader."

    Aion smiled at the sight of Kyros'' confidence returning. It reminded him of the time the young man first stepped into his shop years ago, begging to become his apprentice. He tossed the man aside more times than he could remember, however, Kyros stood firm and returned every day until the old man finally relented.

    "That¡¯s more like it. It doesn¡¯t suit you just to give up so easily. It also doesn¡¯t suit your friend to eavesdrop on us." Aion suddenly announced.

    Runa''s body suddenly tensed up after getting called out. She knew that she wasn''t a master of stealth or anything, but it still surprised her. She soon came out from the other side of the wall and entered the room.

    She let out a nervous laugh and said, "Didn''t mean to interrupt."

    "Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s not like we were talking about something top secret. Go ahead and have a seat." Aion offered up a place at the table.

    Runa found no reason to refuse the offer. She pulled up a chair and join the men at the table.

    "So, when do you plan on patrolling the town?" Runa looked at Kyros.

    In all honesty, she didn¡¯t need him to come along with her. She didn¡¯t want him to go with me. But, she couldn¡¯t leave him alone with Sarra. Kyros couldn¡¯t be trusted in her eye. She needed to keep him with her always so that he couldn¡¯t do anything behind her back.

    "In a few minutes. I just wanted to catch up on old times with Aion." Kyros replied.

    "I don¡¯t understand the relationship between the two of you. One moment you¡¯re afraid of him and then the next moment you¡¯re casually conversing with him." Runa pointed out.

    "I''ll admit that we do have a complicated relationship. I''d say that it''s a master and prot¨¦g¨¦ relationship." Kyros sheepishly answered.

    "More like reluctant master and annoyingly perseverant prot¨¦g¨¦." Aion cut into the conversation. "Once this brat learned of my identity, he continually visited this shop and begged for me to teach him how to become a hero."

    Runa turned her head away from the men; her cheeks puffed out as she tried to restrain her laughter. The moment her gaze returned to Kyros to gauge his reaction, it became harder to control herself at the sight of his crimson face.

    "A hero you say?" Runa finally managed to say, albeit with great difficulty. "How pure-hearted of you."

    It was rare for her to hear grown men mention childish dreams such as becoming a hero. It was admirable¡ª but funny.

    "Aion! Why did you have to go and tell her that?" Kyros snapped at the laughing old man; his face remained crimson.

    "I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to laugh at you. It¡¯s just that I expected dreams like that to come out of the mouth of children." Runa told him after having settled down. "So, you¡¯re teaching him how to become a hero?" Her gaze moved to Aion.

    He took a swig of his alcohol before responding, "No way. He can figure out how to become a hero on his own. The only thing that I¡¯ve done for him was taught him a little bit about weapon manufacturing. I also crafted those gauntlets of his." He pointed to Kyros¡¯ gauntlets with his bottle.

    "I remember how jealous everyone else was after I told them that I became your apprentice." Kyros happily reminisced. "I can never thank you enough for all you''ve done for me, Aion."

    "Will you quit praising me already? I haven¡¯t done anything special." He brushed off Kyros¡¯ constant praise. It was odd and unbecoming of a hero. Or perhaps it was his way of being humble.

    "Forgive me for bringing this up so suddenly, but I¡¯ve noticed that every time that you¡¯re praised, you cast it aside. Usually, heroes bashfully accept such compliments." Runa pointed out.

    "You¡¯re right; heroes usually accept praises. But since I¡¯m not a hero or anyone special, I don¡¯t deserve such praise." He told the Huntress with a solemn expression.

    "What do you mean you''re not anyone special? You''re one of the great heroes of this kingdom. You''re the greatest weapons manufacturer on the continent. I''d even dare say the entire world." Kyros boasted.

    Before he could say anything else, Aion¡¯s bottle of alcohol flew past his face and shattered against the wall behind him. Silence descended on the room once more. But Aion soon broke that silence.

    "This is your last warning, Kyros. Stop it with the fucking praising."

    "Don''t like being called a hero?" Runa suddenly asked.

    "I would be if I were a hero. But in the end, I¡¯m just a glorified murderer." He admitted, lowering his head so that he could stare at the table. "The people of this kingdom put me up on a pedestal and treat me like a mythical hero. But I don¡¯t deserve their praise. Not when I¡¯ve committed one of the greatest crimes in history."

    Intrigued by the man¡¯s response, Runa leaned in and asked, "What did you do?"

    "Did Kyros not tell you? I ended the life of the second ruler of this kingdom."

    "Yeah, he told me. But, what I have trouble understanding is why you¡¯re so bothered by that fact. The second ruler of this kingdom was a ruthless tyrant, right? Isn''t the country better off with that piece of garbage gone?" Runa exchanged glances between Aion and Kyros.

    "That piece of garbage was also my father," Aion informed.

    Runa was too stunned to respond immediately after hearing his words. The old man was made a hero by killing his father? Who in their right mind would accept such a title after doing something like that? No wonder the country was so messed up. Honoring someone that killed their father would make anyone jaded.

    "I¡¯m sorry to hear that." Runa genuinely apologized to Aion, knowing that she had overstepped the boundaries.

    Aion shook his head and smiled at her. "No need to apologize. That was over twenty-two years ago. I¡¯m over it." He leaned in and gave the Huntress suggestive grin, unnerving her. "Enough about me. Let¡¯s talk about you two. When did the two of you start dating?"

    "Dating?" Kyros¡¯ face turned bright red in embarrassment. He quickly looked at Aion and Runa, rambling incoherently in a desperate attempt to explain their partnership.

    "Don¡¯t misunderstand. We¡¯re not dating. He¡¯s merely acting as our tour guide as we try to complete our mission." Runa dryly responded, calming down Kyros and disappointing Aion in the process. "Speaking of which, we should stop fooling around and begin with the patrol."

    "Right. We''ve wasted enough time." Kyros nodded his head.

    It was at that moment the group heard loud screams and cries coming from outside the shop. Alarmed, they shot out from their chairs and headed out to the front. They were immediately horrified to see the Varvara terrorizing the people of the town.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 18 - Assault on Elpida Town!

    Outside of the weapon shop lied many wounded townspeople and soldiers. They dragged themselves across the road in a desperate attempt to escape from the wild creatures slowly approaching them. In the end, their efforts proved futile. The Varvara eventually caught and converted them to their side.

    Kyros was the first one to act. He clenched his hands into tight fists before he stormed out from the weapon shop, intent on confronting the creatures. Runa grabbed her spear and moved for the door, only stopping when she heard Sarra''s voice from upstairs.

    "Runa? What''s going on?!"

    "Sarra! Stay in your room and lock the door! Don''t come out until I tell you to!" Runa hastily ordered. Afterward, the Huntress rushed outside and assisted Kyros.

    "The vision came true," Kyros looked around as if his head were on a swivel. For every wounded person and destroyed building that he saw; immense rage swelled up inside of him. He directed that rage toward the numerous Varvara that approached from down the road. "You monsters! Stop destroying this town!"

    One of the Lycan''s let out a loud roar, signaling for the rest of the pack to attack.

    Runa stepped forward and slew several of the attacking creatures with mighty swings of her spear. Then, she followed up with a vertical slash which launched a shockwave that sliced multiple of the monsters in half. Another Lycan lunged at the blue-haired woman with its mouth wide open, ready to tear into her flesh with its fangs. She pierced the Lycan''s face with her spear, killing it instantly.

    Meanwhile, Kyros moved swiftly across the battlefield. He struck down several Lycan''s with fiercely swift barrages of punches and occasional kicks. Whenever the pack tried to surround him, Kyros'' gauntlets ignited, consuming his fists in scorching flames. With a mighty yell, he charged the creatures and slammed his fists into their bodies, unleashing torrents of fire that burnt them to nothing.

    Eventually, that entire area was Varvara free.

    Runa nodded her head in satisfaction for a job well done. She rested her spear on her shoulder and turned her head in Kyros'' direction. "Not bad for a military captain." She complimented him.

    She figured that she''d have to babysit him throughout the fight. Kyros'' powers didn''t have offensive capabilities like hers. But, the man proved that he could handle his own.

    "I wouldn''t be deserving of my rank if I couldn''t take down Varvara of this level," Kyros stated, pushing his chest out invictory.

    Their moment of accomplishment shattered once the sounds of screams mixed with gunfire resounded in the distance.

    "What''s with the defenses of this country? Varvarakeeppopping up without anyone noticing," Runa noted. "I thought these War Dogs could handle something like this."

    "Something must''ve happened." Kyros assumed.

    "Well, whatever it is, let''s deal with it," Runa said.

    Kyros and Runa moved their attention to the front of the weapon shop when the door swung open. Out came Aion, carrying a giant hammer in his hand.

    "What the hell is going on out here?! What''s with all the god damn noise?!" He shouted.

    "The town''s under attack," Runa answered. "We gotta hurry up and move. More time we waste are more lives lost."

    "I''m ready when you are," Kyros nodded.

    "It''s been years since I''ve been in a fight! Let''s go and kill those damn Varvara!" Aion raised his hammer in the air and roared, letting his excitement explode.

    "Aion. You should leave the protection of the town to us. We need you to stay here and look after Sarra until we get back." Kyros nervously told him.

    The old man slowly lowered his hammer down to his side and blankly stared at the two before frowning. "Why should I be the one to sit here and do nothing? If anything, you greenhorns should be the ones sitting back and protecting the brat while I deal with protecting the town."

    "Nothing against you or anything, but we would stand a better chance of protecting this place since there are two of us and only one of you," Runa stated.

    "I could take the both of you down with my bare hands alone. These pesky Varvara wouldn''t stand a chance against me if I were to get serious." He bragged.

    "We don''t have time for this. Please Aion, stay here and keep Sarra safe from harm. You''re the only one here strong enough to keep her safe." Kyros said.

    Runa opened her mouth to interject but paused halfway through. It wasn''t the time to make an argument.

    Aion stroked his beard and looked at the two. He eventually gave in and sighed in defeat. "Alright, I''ll let you guys handle things then." He turned his back to the two and returned to the weapon shop.

    Once he left, Kyros and Runa took off down the road. Throughout their search around the town, they encountered many Lycan''s. They quickly dispatched them and assisted in the evacuation of the townspeople and wounded soldiers. Soon enough, they found themselves in the town square.

    Bodies of deceased townspeople and soldiers filled the area, as did Lycan''s. The creatures surrounded a single person concealed in a dark cloak. Kyros rushed ahead and defeated the Lycan''s while Runa stood behind.

    When the area got cleared, Kyros approached the cloaked individual.

    "Are you okay? Can you move?" He asked. "This area isn''t safe. We need to get you out of here."

    The cloaked figure raised their heads and removed their hood, revealing themselves to being a beautiful, young woman with dark hair and unnatural purple eyes.

    "Thank you so much for saving me," She smiled. "I would have died if not for you. Those Varvara killed all these people."

    Kyros put his arms around the woman and led her toward the evacuation point. "It''s okay; you''re safe now. Follow us. We''ll lead you to the evacuation area."

    Runa''s intuition flared up like crazy the more she studied the scene around her. The corpses that strewn the ground were fresh. Color still resided in their horrified, deathly faces.

    Many things bothered the Huntress about the scene. So many bodies crowded the town square, and yet none of them got turned into Varvara. About a dozen Lycan''s surrounded a single woman, but she never bothered to unsheath the sword attached to her hip.

    The largest hole in the woman''s story was the statement she made about the Varvara killing the people. If that were the case, the town square would be void of bodies.

    Runa inspected the wounds of the deceased. Gashes and stab wounds riddled their bodies.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "A blade killed these people," Runa muttered. Her eye honed on the sword carried by the mysterious woman. She tightened her grip on her spear and approached. When she entered the woman''s range, she thrust her spear, aiming for the back of the woman''s head.

    However, the woman unsheathed her sword and redirected the blade of Runa''s spear into the ground. She followed up with a swing toward Runa''s neck.

    "No!" Kyros blocked the blade with his gauntlet. "What are you two doing?!"

    "That woman attacked me! You saw her, didn''t you?!" The woman desperately pleaded as she backed away from the two. Tears welled up in her eyes.

    Runa pulled her spear out from the ground and pointed it at the woman. "She''s the one that killed these people! Not the Varvara!"

    "What?!" Kyros exclaimed.

    "If the Varvara killed these people, there wouldn''t be any bodies left! These people got cut and slashed by a blade! Her blade!" Runa revealed.

    "Runa! Put your weapon down!" Kyros ordered. "Let''s talk this through and--"

    "No! There''s no talking this through!" The Huntress refused. "When we came here, the Varvara never turned their heads in her direction! She''s got something to do with this!"

    "That''s crazy!" Kyros shook his head.

    While the two focused on their argument, the woman raised her sword. She performed a quick thrust, aiming for Kyros'' back.

    Runa shoved Kyros out of the way and blocked the blade with her spear.

    "Nice try," Runa coldly said.

    The woman smirked and proceeded to attack the Huntress with multiple sword slashes. They were swift and precise, forcing the blue-haired warrior on the defensive. Despite being pushed back, Runa kept her cool and blocked each strike.

    The blades of their respective weapons clashed once again, but that time, the woman leaned forward and added more pressure to her sword. She gazed into Runa''s eye. Her eyes beamed with malicious curiosity.

    Runa gritted her teeth and kicked the woman away from her. She quickly recovered and scoffed, showing no signs of damage.

    "You just couldn''t make things easy, could you?" The woman pointed her sword to the sky. A bright light emitted from her hand as a wicked smile spread across her face. "Rise,"

    On command, the bodies of the deceased slowly rose to their feet, surrounding Kyros and Runa.

    "She''s...an Exousia?!" Kyros exclaimed. He brought his fists up to his face and stood back to back with Runa.

    "The power to raise the dead? This''ll be annoying," Runa complained.

    "I planned to kill you both as stealthily as possible. But, one of you had to be more observant than the others," The woman indicated to the bodies around them. "No matter, you two will join my ranks soon enough."

    "You..." Kyros'' eyes narrowed. His body quaked in a seething rage. "Why are you doing this?! You killed all these innocent people! Men, women, children!"

    The woman tilted her head. Her eyes glazed over. "Innocent lives? These innocent lives are erroneous. Mere illusions constructed and fabricated by the vile Goddess, Shura."

    That name.

    It was a name that Kyros knew all too well. At that moment, he lost his sense of reason and rushed ahead. He closed the distance between him and the woman in seconds. Afterward, he engaged her in close combat.

    Each fierce strike he threw was blocked and or evaded.

    "What the hell are you talking about?!" He angrily exclaimed as he kept on the offensive. "These innocent people are erroneous? Illusions? Fabrications?! That''s why you killed them?!"

    The woman evaded another full punch thrown by the enraged military captain. She jumped back and gained some distance. "Correct. By eliminating these empty shells, I''m liberating you from the illusions cast by Shura. I''m returning what was stolen from Mother so that I may return to her side."

    Through one ear and out the other. No matter what the woman said, Kyros couldn''t acknowledge her reasons. He wouldn''t.

    Mercilessly slaughtering an entire town just because she thought of them as illusions--it was beyond insanity.

    "This woman''s fucking sick in the head." Runa proclaimed.

    "You''re telling me! Let''s bring her down!" Kyros banged his gauntlets together.

    "I won''t let anyone interfere with my plans. I will set the grand stage for Mother," The woman swung her arm out. The bodies of the deceased moved in and attacked Kyros and Runa.

    Kyros showed hesitance in fighting back. After all, the bodies that attacked him were once humble people of the town and country. Men, women, children, all were enemies at that moment because of that vile woman.

    Runa held no reservation about defending herself. Sure, she held back on her ruthlessness. She smacked down anyone that got too close to comfort. She cleared a path and headed straight for the woman ahead.

    The woman reached into her robes and pulled out two black orbs. She dropped them on the ground and smiled as plumes of black smoke obscured her from the Huntress'' vision. Once the smoke cleared, Lycan''s joined the woman''s side.

    "She can summon Varvara?!" Kyros exclaimed in shock.

    Runa narrowed her eye. "So, that''s how they''ve been getting in. You''re behind all of this," She concluded as she readied her weapon.

    "Everything I''ve done has been for Mother''s sake. Everything must get prepared for her return." The woman proudly proclaimed.

    "I''m putting an end to this madness!" Runa charged the woman with her spear at the ready.

    The woman extended her arm out and ordered, "Get her."

    The Lycan''s snarled and complied with the demands of their master. They lunged at Runa and attacked in unison. However, they all met their end by her hands.

    Runa raised her spear and attacked the woman once again. Their blades clashed a few times before Kyros joined in the battle. The team of fighters worked in tangent, showing enough precision with their weapons and fighting styles to avoid hitting each other. But despite their impressive display of teamwork, none of their attacks connected.

    The woman''s defensive capabilities outweighed their offense. When she spotted an opportunity, the woman leaped over the team and landed in the center of the corpses. With a snap of her fingers, the bodies rose once again.

    "She can control Varvara, and she''s an Exousia," Runa complained. "This doesn''t seem fair at all."

    "Can''t always come across a fair fight," Kyros said. "We might have to fight fire with fire."

    "You don''t mean--"

    "You might have to use your powers, Runa."

    "Fuck that! I''ve still got some tricks up my sleeve!"

    Another wicked smile spread across the woman''s face once word reached her ears. "Ah, you possess powers as well, do you?"

    Runa clicked her tongue. "Shit! Why''d you open your fucking mouth?! Now I''mma hafta kill her!"

    "How does it feel, Huntress? Being betrayed by the Goddess, you blindly worshipped? You praised her as a savior of humanity, but now here you are being forced to destroy it. It''s quite ironic if you think about it."

    "I''m an atheist," Runa revealed.

    "And we haven''t destroyed anything! You''re the one that''s been doing the destruction!" Kyros pointed at the woman.

    "Isn''t it only natural for me to destroy?" The woman shrugged her shoulders. "I have the power to do so."

    "Just because you have the power to do so, it doesn''t mean that you should! There are consequences for such actions!"

    The woman spread her arms out and continued, "You''re right. I''m one of those consequences. You and everyone else in this country will be judged by the future Goddess of Destruction in the making."

    "Future Goddess of Destruction?" Kyros angrily repeated.

    "Enough!" Runa pulled her arm back and tossed her spear across the town square toward the deranged woman.

    The woman swiped her blade in front of her and deflected the trident. Her confident gaze moved to the Huntress as the spear lodged itself into the ground nearby. She took advantage of the situation and ordered for the corpses to attack.

    Kyros stepped forward and activated the Terra Vitalis in his gauntlets. He slammed his fists on the ground and sent a tremor throughout the area. Some of the corpses lost their balance and fell. Those that were left standing were knocked across the square when Kyros launched rocks at them.

    The woman snapped her fingers again. Like before, the corpses returned to their feet.

    "You can keep knocking them down all you want. They''ll keep getting back up," Runa pointed out.

    "If you have any ideas, I''m all ears," Kyros said.

    Runa regretted the thought that crossed her mind. The team was outnumbered. The odds would never be in their favor as long as the woman remained standing.

    The Huntress closed her eye and focused. A bright light emanated from her hand as she activated her powers. She channeled the energy coursing through her body into her legs. With that, she sped across the square and landed a hard punch on the woman''s face.

    The unsuspecting woman sprawled violently on the ground after taking the full force of the punch. She quickly recovered and stabbed her sword into the ground to recollect herself. But, it didn''t stop there.

    Runa collected her spear and continued to showcase her impressive feats of speed. She raced around the square and ruthlessly dismembered the bodies of the corpses. That action brought her no joy, but she knew that it had to be done. Without the masses, the woman couldn''t use her powers against them.

    "Now, you''re defenseless." Runa declared as she pointed her weapon at the woman once again.

    "Give up!" Kyros demanded.

    The woman stood and raised her sword, remaining defiant to the end. She broke her stance when a spotlight shined down on the area. All three combatants turned their directions toward the aircraft that hovered above them.

    "An Icarus!" Kyros smiled at the sight of the aircraft.

    "Reinforcements?" Runa wondered.

    The Icarus aimed its gun turret at the woman and opened fired. The woman stood her ground and deflected the bullets with her sword. Once the gunfire ceased, the woman responded in kind with an attack of her own. She performed several slashes and launched dark projectiles toward the aircraft.

    The Icarus got sliced into pieces. Kyros and Runa watched in horror as dozens of helpless soldiers plummeted to the ground below. The parts of the sliced-up aircraft crashed down around the town, engulfing the area in explosions. In just a matter of seconds, flames engulfed the town.

    "No! No! This can''t be happening!" Kyros panicked as he watched the carnage unfold in front of him. He turned his eyes spiteful gaze toward the cause of it all. "You won''t get away with this!"

    "It amuses me how you believe you can stop me," The woman shook her head and scoffed. "Now, blinded followers of Shura, continue with your meaningless efforts to stop me if you dare."

 Exousia V1 Chapter 19 - Jaya Acolytes!

    It was a horrible sight. Elpida Town, the once peaceful settlement that Kyros intended to protect, was up in flames. The tragedy that befell the town all happened so fast. Buildings and structures as far as the eye could see burned down, along with those unfortunate enough to be nearby. Cries of excruciating pain and anguish resonated in his head.

    Eventually, the cries and screams died out. In fact, all sounds around Kyros vanished. There was nothing but silence.

    He was demoralized.

    Once again he failed to save those that he''d sworn to protect. He knew ahead of time that the town would get attacked. He made preparations and everything. But, it was all for not. He underestimated the scale of the assault.

    Kyros was returned to the cruel fate of reality when he heard the cold, taunting voice of the woman that so callously spread the chaos and destruction throughout the town.

    "What will you do now, blind followers of Shura? The town that you seem adamant about protecting is burning down before you." The woman reveled in the situation around her. As a future Goddess of Destruction, this much calamity was only to be expected of her.

    "What are we going to do now?" Kyros quietly repeated her words and looked down to his feet where some pieces of the destroyed Ikaros rested.

    His whole body quaked at the sight of the devastation that lied before him. Something inside of him snapped. Unyielding rage consumed him. Without a moment''s hesitation, he charged the woman.

    At that moment, Kyros was no longer a trained soldier dedicated to protecting the people of the kingdom. He was a man hell-bent on bringing down the enemy in front of him by any means necessary. Despite all the attacks, he threw at her; they were all blocked and evaded-- as if she had seen through all of his movements.

    But, that didn''t matter to Kyros. Even when none of his hits landed, he continued to fight. All the people that the woman killed, all the mayhem she caused to the country; he swore to make her pay for all of it.

    The woman evaded another attack thrown by Kyros. She found an opening and kicked him away from her. While Kyros sprawled across the ground, Runa stepped in and crossed blades with the wicked woman.

    The two of them shared a dance of many clashes and parries, neither of them managed to gain the upper hand. Kyros joined his way back into the fight, deciding to strike the woman from behind. But, she jumped into the air at the last second.

    Runa activated the Fulgur Vitalis in her spear. Sparks of electricity coated the blade before it got launched toward the airborne woman. The woman twisted her body and evaded the bolt of lightning.

    "Your determination is admirable," The woman landed on the ground and pointed her blade at Kyros and Runa. "However, you two are beginning to become a nuisance. Playtime''s over."

    With that said, an ominous etheric emanation surrounded the woman''s body. Kyros and Runa immediately figured out that it was her praus. However, what shocked them was the color of it.

    Black.

    In all of history recorded by mankind, never before had anyone mentioned anyone''s praus having that color.

    Before they could come back to their senses, the woman moved fast and raised her sword, aiming to strike the team down when she got behind them. Suddenly, something whished toward her at an incredible speed. The woman swiped her sword at the object. The collision between her sword and the object knocked her back.

    A hand soon came out from behind Kyros and Runa, catching the object before it could hit the ground. It was a hammer. One they immediately recognized as Aion''s. They slowly turned their heads and found the old man standing behind them.

    "So, this is what''s been holding you two up?" Aion rested his hammer on the ground and stared at the woman up ahead. His eyes narrowed.

    "Aion? What are you doing here?" Kyros asked, startled to see his instructor.

    "Where¡¯s Sarra? Did you leave her back at the shop?" Runa angrily snapped at Aion. She looked ready to attack him if he answered incorrectly.

    "Of course, I didn¡¯t. What do I look like, an idiot?" Aion nudged his head and pointed behind him with his thumb. Kyros and Runa looked in the direction he pointed, and both of their jaws dropped at the sight of Sarra hiding around the corner of a nearby building. "I couldn¡¯t just leave a defenseless girl like that inside of my shop. So, I decided to bring her with me."

    "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Runa snapped. "How could you bring her outside like this?!"

    "You two were taking too long to come back. The little girl grew restless," Aion explained himself as he looked over at the woman. "Besides, looks like the battle''s almost over. Melanie over there looks exhausted."

    "Exhausted?" Dumbfounded by his words, Kyros and Runa returned their attention to the woman called Melanie. The woman''s expression turned grim. Her body slightly trembled and beads of sweat ran down her face.

    "Aion? What are you doing here?" Melanie managed to force the question out of her mouth.

    "Shouldn''t I be the one asking the questions here? Where have you been all this time? Why''d you suddenly come back to attack the town?" Aion asked.

    No answer.

    Melanie broke eye contact with the senior man and dropped her gaze to the ground. A fierce scowl crossed her face before she sheathed her sword.

    "I can''t say it''s been a pleasure seeing you again. But, I''m through." Melanie looked up at Aion.

    "Through? What do you mean by that?" Kyros asked.

    Melanie turned her back to the group and started to walk away. A bolt of lightning fired from Runa''s spear and struck the ground inches away from her. Melanie stopped.

    "Running away? I don''t think so!" Runa shook her head.

    "I''m not letting you get away either, Melanie. You still got some questions of mine to answer," Aion raised his hammer and moved toward her. "If you wanna get out of here, you''ll have to go through us."

    "That won''t be a problem," Melanie''s voice exuded confidently. She reached into her cloak and pulled out many dark orbs. With a mighty toss, the orbs shattered on the ground and plumes of smoke concealed her. Once the smoke cleared, only Varvara stood in her place.

    "Impressive trick." Aion scowled at the sight of the Lycan''s. The wolf-like creatures snarled at the group before they lunged and attacked.

    The old man swung his hammer and knocked several of them into the stratosphere. A few managed to slip past him, but Kyros and Runa saw to their destruction.

    Once they cleared the area, they looked around and found that Melanie had long disappeared.

    "Damn it! She got away!" Kyros cursed.

    "Thank you, Captain Obvious! I know she got away!" Runa lodged her spear into the ground and groaned in frustration.

    "Well, this ain''t good. If Melanie''s back in Soteria, then that can only mean..." Aion trailed off once the sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears. The group''s attention moved to the squad of War Dogs.

    It was Captain Alec, followed by his subordinates. The man looked around and scowled at the sight of decapitated corpses strewn all over the town square.

    "What in goddess name happened here?" He exclaimed. His men spread out and surrounded the group, aiming their weapons at them.

    "Are you fucking kidding me right now?" Runa kept her guard up. She didn''t anticipate having to fight against the soldiers. But, wouldn''t hesitate if the situation escalated to that point.

    "Put your weapons down," Aion commanded. "Now isn''t the time for this shit. Don''t you idiots see that the town is on fire?"

    The War Dogs exchanged glances of confusion mixed with their frustration. The situation they found themselves in due to the attack of the Varvara far exceeded their expectations. The number of lives lost and destruction of public property soiled their esteemed reputation as the dominant military faction.

    Reluctantly, they followed Aion''s orders and lowered their weapons. Calming the situation took precedence over their pride. On Alec''s command, everyone split up and sought to douse the flames and search for survivors.

    Hours passed.

    Kyros and his group found themselves back in Aion''s weapon shop, where Aion, Kyros, and Sarra were down on their knees with their heads lowered. Runa''s blade dragged across the wooden floor as she paced back and forth in front of the three.

    "So, let''s start with the supposed "hero" of Soteria," Runa''s ice-cold gaze settled on Aion. "What made you think it was a good idea to bring a little girl outside in a town riddled with Varvara? Answer carefully now."

    "I already told you that the little girl grew restless. She wanted to make sure that you were okay," Aion explained himself. "So, I took her out there and showed her that everything was fine. Sure, we came across some Varvara along the way. But, she''s still alive."

    Sarra nodded and came to the defense of Aion. "He had good intentions, Runa. He''s powerful too. The moment you two left the shop, he grabbed his hammer and took out dozens of Varvara left and right."

    A sudden realization crossed the girl''s face. She quickly covered her mouth with her hands and looked away from the infuriated Huntress.

    "Is, that, right?!" Runa''s expression grew fiercer. "You left the weapon shop the second we ran off?!"

    "Hey, I''m not the bad guy here! There were dozens of people getting attacked, and I refused to sit back and do nothing! Thanks to me, a lot of people are alive!" Aion proudly boasted.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Runa heaved a heavy sigh and ran her hand through her hair. "I appreciate your effort, I do. But, did you even take into consideration that you could''ve gotten Sarra killed? Our enemy was an Exousia that could control the dead."

    "And she could summon Varvara and control them," Kyros added as he thought back to his fight against Melanie.

    "That should be impossible. I''ve never heard of anyone controlling Varvara before." Aion stoked his beard and contemplated how Melanie could''ve achieved such an impossible feat. He had theories. But, all of them seemed far too outrageous.

    ¡°Her praus was black as well," added Kyros. "That woman''s full of mysteries."

    "You got a good look at those orbs she used to summon them, right? They looked like Vitalis." Runa noted.

    Kyros shook his head. "They couldn''t be. Vitalis only control the elements."

    "Okay, well, if they''re not Vitalis, then what the hell are they?"

    "Only way to know for sure is to get our hands on that Melanie woman." Kyros moved his attention over to Aion. "Aion, you seemed to know who that woman was. Can you tell us who she is?"

    Aion''s expression turned strained as he turned his head away from the group. "Melanie is one of my half-sisters."

    "Half-sisters?" Kyros, Runa, and Sarra repeated.

    "As I told you before, I''m the child of the Last King. My father was truly a scoundrel. He had as many children as he did with affairs."

    "So, why''s your sister trying to destroy this country?" Runa inquired.

    "It''s complicated."

    Unsatisfied with his answer, Runa approached him and roughly grabbed the scruff of his shirt. "Don¡¯t screw with me, old man! We almost died because of that woman! If you know something that could help put a stop to her, then you need to tell us!"

    "I know that!" Aion shoved Runa off of him. He took a few breaths and gathered himself. "Melanie and I are siblings despite our huge age difference. Unlike many other siblings and me, she loved our father. She was completely unaware of his horrendous crimes since she was cooped up in the castle for many years. One day, we rebelled against my dad¡¯s tyrannical rule, she was devastated when she learned that I had killed him.¡± He looked on in the distance as if recalling that fateful day. ¡°Her mind was shattered on that very day. She was left in a comatose state for weeks until she final awoken, but she was wearily different. Her childish nature had disappeared, and it got replaced with...something else..."

    "That¡¯s horrible," Sarra commented.

    "No one could blame her honestly. Losing a father at such a young age would mentally damage anyone. Anyway, time passed, and Melanie did something truly drastic which would put the country in another state of panic."

    "What did she do?" Kyros asked. He tried to search through his memories of Soteria''s history. But, he couldn''t think of anything that Melanie could''ve done.

    "One night she snuck into Tartarus and released one of our uncles from captivity. The two of them escaped through the underground tunnels and hadn''t been seen or heard from since."

    Kyros jumped to his feet¡ªstartled. The information given to him had to be false. There was no way he was going to believe that a little girl snuck into their maximum-security prison and released one of the most dangerous criminals in the kingdom¡¯s history.

    "You must be joking! You expect us to believe that a little girl snuck her way into Tartarus, released a prisoner, and then escaped?" Kyros glared at Aion.

    "It¡¯s true, Kyros. I wouldn¡¯t lie about something like this."

    "Okay, say I choose to believe your story. How did this happen?"

    "It¡¯s a long story. But Melanie and another prisoner managed to trick the warden of Tartarus at the time. While he was chained up, they released the old warden, which was one of my uncles, and they managed to escape."

    "How come that incident was never released to the public?"

    "It was a judgment call. After the council members had been selected to govern the kingdom, they decided that revealing such information would do more harm than good. We couldn¡¯t afford for the people to live in fear and despair again. You know what that attracts don¡¯t you?"

    Kyros was hesitant to answer. He could understand why the council would want to keep the information a secret from the people. After eighty years of living in constant fear and depression, news like that would make the situation even worse. It was most likely the best solution to their problems. However, just because it may have been the best option, it didn''t mean that it was the right solution.

    "Fuck that," Runa swore. "A dangerous criminal escapes from your prison decades ago to goddess knows where and you don''t tell anyone?! People outside of your country deserve to know! He could be out there living in some peaceful village, and no one would be any the wiser!"

    "I know your angry--"

    "I''m fucking pissed!" Runa slammed her spear into the floor.

    "Look, the council didn''t want to involve themselves in a scandal like that on their first day on the job," Aion informed her. He knew that it wouldn''t appease the Huntress. However, he wasn''t looking for that.

    "So, at the cost of risking their necks, they were willing to disregard and endanger the lives of those outside of their walls? What a delightful group of people this kingdom is run by," The sarcasm and disdain in Runa''s voice carried great weight.

    Kyros and Aion shared the woman''s grievances. Nothing about the situation was the most ideal. If they had a chance to take it all back, they would''ve.

    "You think I''m thrilled about their decision? Believe me, as the years flew by I began to hate the methods the council used to maintain their delusional description of peace." Aion revealed. "I eventually left and searched for Melanie and my uncle myself. As you can see, I never found them."

    "Until now," Kyros spoke up. "She''s back, and she wants this country destroyed."

    "All ''cause Mr. Aion killed their father?" Sarra asked, trying to make sense of the entire situation.

    "No, I think there''s more to this," Runa assumed as she thought back to her encounter with Melanie. "She mentioned that she did this ''cause she''s a future Goddess of Destruction in the making."

    "Future Goddess of Destruction? The hell?" Aion tried to rack his brain around the absurdity of the statement. Although he never believed those words would come out the mouth of his half-sister, he found it strangely acceptable.

    "This may be a stretch, but I think I know who we''re dealing with here," Runa announced. All eyes moved to the Huntress as she continued, "You''ve heard of the Jaya Acolytes, right?"

    How could they not have heard of them? Out of any organization in the entire world of Salome, the Jaya Acolytes were the most feared. They were worshippers of the Goddess of Destruction, Jaya, who was believed to be the Mother of Varvara. They were a radical religious group that toppled small countries and civilizations for as long as humanity could remember--all in the name of their Mother.

    One believed to be associated with the group would find themselves on death row and face immediate execution.

    "Yeah, we''ve heard of them," Aion answered. "I didn''t believe they existed. Always figured they were nothing more than tall tales parents would tell their kids to make them behave."

    "This doesn''t make sense. She''s destroying this country over someone that doesn''t exist?!" Kyros exclaimed.

    He didn''t want to admit it, but deep down, he knew that the Goddess of Destruction existed. If Shura existed, then, who was to say that Jaya didn''t?

    "Believe it or not, that''s what''s happening. It''s my first time encountering an Acolyte. I''ve seen and heard the damage they''ve done out in other countries." Runa said.

    "If Melanie''s in Soteria, could that mean that her uncle is here too?" Sarra wondered.

    Silence overwhelmed the room. It was a difficult question to answer. After thinking back to the recent attacks across the kingdom, it was a possibility that Melanie was not alone. No one could perform frequent assaults in quick succession by themselves.

    Aion and Melanie¡¯s uncles were fearsome people that helped the last king assassinate the previous ruler of the country. Like the last king, they possessed incredible power that could quickly bring down small nations. If either one of them were with Melanie, then the group would have no other choice than to request the assistance of the Generals.

    They were the only ones believed to be powerful enough to stop them.

    The group''s attention shifted to the door when someone came through the entrance. It was Captain Alec. The man stood before the group with his arms crossed; his eyes settled on the Huntresses.

    "What?" Runa demanded.

    "Do you want to explain what happened in the town square? Dismembered body parts were all over the place. You four were caught standing in the middle of it all." Alec said.

    "C''mon, you think we were behind that?" Runa exclaimed. It was just one frustration after another. She couldn''t go a single day in Soteria without someone finding a way to piss her off.

    "You''re covered in blood." Alec pointed out. "If you were only fighting Varvara, you shouldn''t have anything on you. So, care to explain where the blood came from?"

    Runa clicked her tongue. She knew she''d have to come clean about what she did to the people in the town square. She didn''t regret what she did. They were nothing more than corpses being controlled by the enemy. If anything, she felt like she did everyone a favor.

    "Runa didn''t kill those people, Alec," Kyros quickly came to Runa''s defense. "Yes, she was the one that cut theminto pieces. She only did that because our opponent was an Exousia that could control the dead. She killed all those people in the town square and outnumbered us."

    "I reduced her numbers, plain and simple." Runa held her spear out in front of her.

    "That stunt of yours caused us many problems. It took us forever to collect the respective body parts of the victims." Alec complained.

    "You here to arrest me or something?" Runa asked.

    "Unfortunately, no, if your story holds up, then you''ll be fine. I came here to give a status report since you all participated in defense of the town," Alec pulled out his Milo and read through the list of damages and casualties suffered throughout the attack. "We''ve confirmed the deaths of one hundred and thirty people. Eighty of them were townspeople."

    "Eighty of the townspeople died? Are you fucking kidding me?!" Aion forced a laugh. "What were you War Dogs doing the entire time? Sitting around on your asses?!"

    "The moment the Varvara attacked, we set up a perimeter and evacuated as many townspeople as we could! The situation could''ve been a lot worse if not for us!" Alec immediately stated. It was one thing to acknowledge his failure to protect the town. However, he wouldn''t accept criticism from a man that abandoned the military decades ago. To him, Aion''s words were nothing more than ravings of an old, battered dog.

    Aion arched an eyebrow and spat at the man in disgust. "So, you''re telling me that eighty townspeople dying is an acceptable loss?"

    "That''s not what I''m saying. Any casualty in battle is unacceptable, but it''s unavoidable," Alec stated. "We did our best to keep the town safe. Even with Kyros'' forewarning, we just weren''t prepared for an attack of this scale."

    "I''ll say. I heard you idiots called reinforcements in an aircraft. What good that did, acting as a target for the terrorist."

    "That''s not fair, Aion. Alec did the right thing in calling for reinforcements." Kyros suddenly came to the War Dog''s defense, much to his surprise and dismay. He never thought he''d see the day when he''d defend a War Dog. It wasn''t out of obligation. "Runa and I were the ones that failed to stop her from destroying the Ikaros."

    "Her?" Alec''s eyes narrowed.

    Kyros sighed, knowing that explaining everything would be a hassle. But, everyone would find out sooner or later. So, the man spared no details in telling Alec everything he knew about Melanie and her relation to the attack on the town.

    The War Dog Captain stood motionless for a moment as he struggled to absorb all the information given to him. Insanity. That''s the word he wanted to use for everything he heard from Kyros. However, he couldn''t make sense of why the Night Owl would bother to lie to him in the first place.

    Alec walked to the nearest wall and slumped down to the floor. He carried his head in his hands and sighed. "I guess the others weren''t crazy after all."

    "Others?" Runa asked.

    "Earlier I received word from other military captains around the kingdom. It turns out that this town wasn''t the only one targeted. Two other towns were attacked simultaneously by dark robbed individuals that also had the power to summon the Varvara."

    And with that, their suspicions were confirmed. Melanie wasn''t alone in the attacks. As far as the group was concerned, three people in total possessed the uncanny ability to summon and control Varvara.

    Kyros felt reluctant to ask. But, he forced the question out. "How''s the condition of the other towns?"

    "They''re still standing. Both towns were saved by others with exceptional fighting capabilities," Alec assured them.

    "How many people died? I''m sure you know." Aion bluntly said.

    "In total, over three hundred."

    "Over three hundred," Aion nodded. He walked over to Alec and forced the man to his feet with one hand. "you dogs in the military make me fucking sick. Have you grown so incompetent that you can''t save anyone without Huntresses having to do your jobs for you?!"

    The man''s words struck Alec and Kyros deep. Both were soldiers, and yet they failed to protect the town.

    Alec expressed immediate anger and freed himself from Aion''s grasp. "The military''s doing everything it can to protect the people! The moment we''re informed of a threat; we''re mobilized immediately to neutralize it!"

    Aion smirked and clapped his hands. "And what a good job you did to mobilize that Ikaros here. Sure helped the terrorist in leveling the town."

    "You think I mobilized it knowing that it would get destroyed?! We all make mistakes!"

    "If you¡¯re going to take on an occupation that requires you to protect and serve the people of this kingdom, you had better not make such foolish mistakes." Aion stared the War Dog down. "Innocent lives are being wasted. The military needs to step up or else this country will fall into despair again. Or even worse¡ªruin."

    "These terrorists won''t defeat us. I don''t care what powers they have at their disposal. We''ve fought against fiercer foes." Alec turned his back to the group. "I''m not going to stand here and listen to your complaints, old man. There''s more work to be done. Once again, it turns out that your family can''t help but bring more chaos to Soteria."

    With those final words of spite, Alec left the weapon shop. The group exchanged glances and decided to call it a night. As Alec said, there was more work to be done.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 20 - Awaken!

    Runa''s eye snapped open when an infuriating racket carried throughout the weapons shop. At first, she tried to drown out the noise by having her face covered with a pillow. That didn''t work. The soft fabric of the pillow stood no chance against the commotion.

    Left with no other options, Runa moaned and groaned throughout the whole ordeal of getting out of bed. After last night''s events, why''d there have to be such a problem so early in the morning?

    Sarra''s eyes slowly cracked open. She yawned and asked, "Runa? What''s going on?" The little girl rubbed her eyes.

    "Not sure. But, I''m sure as hell gonna find out," Runa grabbed her spear and headed for the door.

    "That''s a swear," Sarra noted before she turned over and went back to sleep. Runa clicked her tongue and left the room, taking another mental note to watch her language when around her partner.

    Runa climbed down the stairs and spotted the source of the disturbance. An angry mob of townspeople crowded the inside of the weapon shop. All their voices of complaints and glances of frustration targeted the only man behind the counter--Kyros. The military man kept a calm disposition and tried to settle the matter with his words.

    Runa, on the other hand, went with another approach. She lodged her spear into the floor and shouted, "Shut up!!!" Her voice of authority silenced everyone in the shop. Once all eyes moved to her, she continued to speak, "Someone wanna tell me what''s going on here?"

    The first person that braved to answer the question was a townsperson. The man stepped forward and replied, "We want some weapons! But, the military refuses to let us have them!" He pointed over at Kyros.

    Before Kyros could open his mouth, another townsperson decided to speak.

    "We''re trying to protect ourselves from another Varvara attack! Who knows when those vile creatures will appear again!"

    "Is money the issue?! We''ll pay you!"

    More and more complaints mixed with desperate pleas flooded the ears of the Huntress. The more the seconds passed, the more irritated she felt in having left her bed. The situation was beyond her control since she wasn''t the owner of the shop.

    All she wanted was peace and quiet.

    "Money isn''t the issue," Kyros started once he was finally able to get a word into the crowd. "As I''ve tried explaining, none of you have enough battle experience to fight the Varvara. None of you have undergone any training to unlock your Praus. You can''t hope to harm the monsters without it."

    Runa nodded her head in agreement. Those were the facts. Unless a person had their Praus unlocked, they could forget about trying to fight the Varvara.

    Even when presented with the cold, hard truth, the faces of the townspeople contorted in rage.

    "Please calm down. I know you''re all angry. But, you can rest easy knowing the military''s here to protect you." Kyros proudly announced.

    Disapproving grunts and scoffs came from the mob and nearly Runa as well. One of the townspeople stepped forward and spoke, "Yeah, and what a good job you did to protect us last night! One hundred and thirty people died!"

    "Adding that to the number of people that died in the other towns, it exceeds three hundred!"

    "We can''t trust the military to keep us safe! We can only rely on ourselves!"

    "If the army cared about our safety, they would''ve taught us how to use our Praus a long time ago!"

    "And if the military wanted those terrorists captured, they would''ve sent the General''s to deal with them!"

    "You officers are worthless! We''re going to die if we leave our safety in your hands! Hurry up and request the higher-ups to come and protect us!"

    More words of discontent with the military flooded the shop. The townspeople grew more and more restless as the seconds passed.

    All roars of agreement from the townspeople ceased when Kyros'' fist slammed against the counter. Seconds later, a steam-like substance projected from his body and flared around violently towards the angry mob, frightening them.

    It was his Praus.

    Runa watched in amusement as the townspeople backed away from the substance that approached them.

    "How dare you call the officers that risked their lives to protect you worthless! That''s how you repay them?!" Kyros came out from around the corner, glaring daggers at the townspeople. His Praus continued to pour out and intimidate the others. "You''re all correct that we could''ve done a better job at protecting you! But, don''t besmirch those that died doing their jobs to the best of their abilities! They were human! There''s only so much that they could do!"

    Suddenly, applause erupted in the shop. But, it didn''t come from anyone in the mob. Instead, it came from behind the crowd. Everyone''s attention shifted to the entrance of the store where four individuals dressed in different colored suits proudly stood.

    Standing in front was a young man with slicked back blonde hair and green eyes in a rose-colored suit. Behind him were three women.

    "That was very well spoken, Mr. Aleister; very well spoken indeed. I could not have said it any better myself." The man and his followers walked to the front of the shop. The townspeople quickly moved out of his way.

    Kyros'' eyes narrowed his eyes and asked, "What are you doing here?"

    "Is it not obvious? The people of this town need assistance. I am here to provide just that." The man answered without skipping a beat.

    "And how do you plan on doing that exactly?" Kyros crossed his arms over his chest.

    "First thing''s first, I shall assist in the reconstruction of the towns that have been attacked by the Varvara. We cannot afford to relocate the people any longer." The man answered. Afterward, he turned toward the townspeople and flashed a bright smile. "Also, I shall provide weapons for these defenseless people."

    Roars and excitement erupted from the crowd. However, Kyros was quick to squash that last statement.

    "Giving them weapons is pointless. They can''t hurt the Varvara." He reminded, ignoring the glares of contempt from the mob.

    The man smiled and raised his index finger as he countered, "That will not be a problem. The weapons provided are infused with the power of the Vitalis."

    The faces of the crowd instantly brightened. His words lifted them. The Vitalis are a natural source of energy found around the planet. Luckily, the country had mines nearby outside the walls. However, it was strictly forbidden for ordinary people to possess those items without a permit and formal training.

    After all, having the power to control the elements couldn''t be left in the hands of amateurs.

    "That doesn''t matter. These people don''t have their Praus unlocked. You can''t harness the power of the Vitalis if you don''t have your Praus unlocked." Kyros desperately stated. He couldn''t believe that the people allowed themselves to get easily swayed by the man in front of him. He''d be damned if he let the man have his way.

    That hard fact hit the crowd like a ton of bricks. The lights of hope in their eyes turned dim. Their heads lowered, and silence befell the room. Kyros didn''t like having to be the bad guy, but that was just the reality of the situation.

    The man brought his hand up to his mouth and scoffed. His followers mimicked his actions. The townspeople raised their heads and watched intently as the man rummaged through his pocket. Eventually, he pulled a small device. The device was tossed over to one of the townspeople.

    "Please, squeeze that device in your hand." The man calmly instructed.

    While reluctant at first, the man did as he was told and squeezed the device. Seconds later, a bright flash came from the instrument. Those unprepared looked away from the light, shielding their eyes with their hands. Once the flash was over, everyone looked at the man and gasped.

    All eyes went wide at the sight of the man''s body coated in a faint glow of light.

    Kyros and Runa narrowed their eyes. That light. It couldn''t be mistaken for anything else than Praus.

    The man walked over and patted the shocked townsman on his back. "Congratulations young man, you have now unlocked your Praus. With this you will be able to defend yourself should the Varvara return to attack the town again."

    Overwhelmed by his sudden awakening in power, the townsman embraced the man, shedding tears of joy.

    The man''s female companions prepared to step forward to remove the townsman, but they stopped once the man signaled that he was okay.

    After witnessing the incredible spectacle, the other members of the mob crowded around the device, each of them wanting a chance to awaken their Praus. Kyros stood there dumbfounded. His eyes were wide open. His mouth left ajar. It took a few moments, but his puzzled expression switched to frustration.

    He stepped forward to put a stop to the madness, but his path got blocked by the female companions.

    "Get out of the way," Kyros demanded.

    "Stand. Down." Said the tallest woman out of the three in a red suit.

    "I won''t! I have to stop this before he makes the situation worse!" Kyros said. "You don''t understand how dangerous it is to unlock someone''s Praus this way!"

    "Don''t underestimate, Rodi," The shortest woman out of the three wearing a white suit said as she shook her head. Her ponytail swayed with each movement. She leaned forward and stuck her tongue out at the military man. "He''s a genius. Unlike you idiots."

    "Malvasia, Amarantha, do not show such unsightly behavior while in the presence of Mr. Roditis." The third woman in a black suit demanded as she readjusted her glasses. The other two woman quickly obeyed her orders with swift nods of their heads and straightened their posture.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Kyros looked at the woman in the glasses and nodded his head. "Thank you. Now, can you tell them to stand aside? These people will die if he doesn''t stop."

    The woman in the glasses shook her head. "Do not misunderstand my intentions here, Mr. Aleister. I have no obligation to help you."

    "Will. Not. Falter." Malvasia said.

    "You heard Malvy. We''re not gonna move from this spot until Rodi''s done. If you wanna get through, you''ll have to fight us." Amarantha suggested. She placed her hands on her hips and pushed her chest out, exuding tremendous confidence.

    The woman in glasses swiped her hand across the air and smacked Amarantha''s head, leaving a noticeable bump. Amarantha cried and squatted down, rubbing the bump as tears filled her eyes.

    "Do not suggest violence, Amarantha. I will strike you." Retsina warned.

    "You already did, Retsy!" Amarantha complained. She found herself on the receiving end of another strike from the woman in glasses.

    "Retsina." The woman corrected.

    By the time the act of the women finished, Roditis had finished unlocking the Praus of every townsperson in the shop.

    "Now, was that everyone?" Roditis looked around the shop and smiled at the faces of gratitude on the faces of the townspeople. Everyone showered him with praise while faint glows emanated from their bodies. "I am happy that I could have been of some service to you. Now onto the issue of the weapons. Before you can purchase them, make sure that you receive proper guidance and training from the military officers. You may have achieved a new level of power, but you must learn how to properly use it so that you may defend yourselves in the future."

    The townspeople reluctantly turned their heads and glanced at Kyros. Clear animosity shone in their eyes.

    "Now I know that you are all hesitant to be trained by the military, but they are professionals when it comes to Praus training." Roditis continued.

    "But, our town nearly got destroyed due to their incompetence. Many people died last night."

    Roditis lowered his hand, closed his eyes, and placed his hand over his heart. "And that is very unfortunate. However, now is not the time to be blaming the military. The blame should go to the ones responsible for these appalling attacks. The military did their very best to protect you. They proved that fact by ensuring that this town did not fall and neither did all of its people."

    The townspeople traded glances. They knew that Roditis was right. Even though so many of their friends and family members died last night, the military still tried to prevent as many casualties as they could. With that in mind, the crowd complied with Roditis'' request and headed outside to search for other military officers to assist them in their training.

    After they left, Roditis turned to face Kyros with a bright smile. "No need to thank me for my services. I was only doing my job."

    Despite his "service," Kyros continued to glare at the man. Thanking him was the farthest thing in his mind at that moment. "I could''ve handled that situation on my own. If you didn''t convince those people to seek training from the War Dogs, I would''ve beaten you to a bloody pulp."

    Taking his words to heart, Amarantha, Malvasia, and Retsina stepped forward. They stopped when Roditis held his arm out.

    "I doubt you would have accomplished such a feat; especially with Amarantha, Malvasia, and Retsina around to protect me." Roditis dismissed the threat with a scoff.

    "Praise. Accepted." Malvasia said, cracking a small smile afterward.

    "That¡¯s right! We won¡¯t let you harm Rodi!" declared Amarantha.

    "Thank you so much for your kind words, Mr. Roditis. I will commit them to my memory forever." Retsina said.

    "Now, I have no doubt that you could have handled the townspeople, Mr. Aleister. A man of your position and stature would have done well without my interference." Roditis nodded his head. "However, I believe that my method was much more satisfying." He looked down to the piece of technology in his hand and smiled.

    "What is that anyway?" Kyros pointed to the device. After watching it in action, he couldn''t help but allow his curiosity to take over.

    "The future, Mr. Aleister. My corporation has been working on this piece of technology for some time now. I always found it infuriating that human beings lived their lives having such convenient abilities lying dormant in their bodies and yet having such difficulty awakening it. And then one day I thought, what if I invented a piece of technology that immediately awakened our dormant abilities?"

    "I say that building that thing was a huge waste of time. Awakening Praus shouldn''t be done through means of technology, but through hard work and determination."

    "Times are changing, Mr. Aleister. We cannot rely on archaic ways of doing things forever."

    "I understand that. But, you should also know the dangers of carelessly awakening a person''s Praus like that."

    "I am well aware of the dangers. But, there cannot be change without risk. My device only unlocked the first limiter within their bodies. Any more would have left them incapacitated."

    "Or worse."

    "Yes, or worse." Roditis agreed. "I did not come here to argue with you. If you do not like my methods of assisting in the evolution of humanity, then so be it. You trained hard to awaken your Praus; I can respect that."

    "If that''s the case, then why have you--"

    "However, there are those that live their lives being completely oblivious to the fact that they wield such incredible power. And there are those that cannot seem to grasp the means to awaken their Praus no matter how hard they try."

    Kyros clicked his tongue and looked away from Roditis. It was a sound argument after all. To unlock one¡¯s Praus, one must first open the limiters in the body. Doing so was a difficult task.

    "Despite what you may think, I am just trying to lend a helping hand by any means necessary. We are at a time of war you see. The Varvara are harming our people, and we must stop them. To do that we must grow stronger." Roditis clenched his hand into a fist.

    "I understand that. Thank you for your help." Kyros finally expressed his gratitude, albeit in a monotone.

    "Ah, so you are capable of swallowing your pride." Retsina¡¯s snide remark earned her a glance from Roditis. However, Roditis did not attempt to reprimand her on the comment.

    "Now if you will excuse me, I must head over to the other towns to lend a helping hand. A construction crew will be coming by later today to help rebuild the village. Come along now, Amarantha, Malvasia, Retsina."

    "Returning." Malvasia joined the man at his side.

    "Sir, yes sir!" Amarantha eagerly did the same.

    "As you wish." Retsina walked over to him.

    "I wish you all good luck with your endeavors." Roditis bid everyone farewell before he and his companions left the weapon shop.

    "Whoa. Who was that guy?" Sarra ecstatically glanced between Kyros and Runa.

    "Sarra?! When did you get out of bed?!" Runa exclaimed.

    "A while ago," The little girl revealed as she came down the stairs. "You took too long to come back."

    The blue-haired Huntress sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"

    "So, who was that guy?" Sarra ignored her partner and stared at Kryos with those big, round eyes of innocence.

    "His name is Roditis Lambros. The president of the Lambros Corporation." Kyros answered as he rubbed his temples. Dealing with the townspeople and Roditis proved to be more taxing than he expected.

    "Lambros Corporation? Didn¡¯t Aion mention something about it last night?" Runa inquired.

    "Yes. The Lambros Corporation in the largest conglomerate company in the country. Perhaps the world even if the rumors are to be believed." Kyros said.

    "You seem to got a bit of animosity towards him. Any reason for that?"

    "He''s just a bit...suspicious..."

    "Suspicious?" asked Sarra, tilting her head to the side.

    "His company, his employees, his methods...they''re all suspicious to me," Kyros revealed.

    "Yeah, I can see why," Runa noted as she thought back to the encounter with the women of the Lambrose Corporation. Besides their tacky sense of fashion, Runa found two things odd about them. One, their eye color.

    All of them had silver eyes.

    She''d never encountered anyone in her life that had that eye color. It was rare enough to come across a single person with that eye color, but three? Runa couldn''t believe the number of unbelievable things she encountered throughout her stay in Soteria.

    The other thing that caught her attention about them was the fact that she couldn''t sense their presence at all. Even when they stood a mere five feet away from her; she couldn''t pick up a shred of life from them. Normally, she would''ve been alarmed. However, there were several explanations for that.

    The main conclusion Runa came to was that they kept their limiters closed off so that they couldn''t be sensed in the first place.

    "That device he used on the townspeople also bothers me. How did he make that thing? How does it work?" Kyros pondered.

    "Does it matter? The townspeople can fight now the next time the Varvara show up," Runa stated with a shrug of her shoulders. She couldn''t find a single downside to the situation. "Shouldn''t you be happy?"

    "I''m glad that the people can defend themselves. But, it''s the way that everything happened that worries me," Kyros voiced his concerns. "I had to go through months of training and meditation to awaken my Praus. I''ve trained for over twenty years, and I''ve opened three of my limiters. So, seeing inexperienced people get their Praus awakened so quickly is humiliating."

    Runa nodded her head in understanding and smirked. She mentally complimented the man on his honesty. Most people wouldn''t have explained that to anyone.

    "Don''t worry about that. They''re still inexperienced. I''m sure they''ll go through as much training as you did." Runa assumed.

    Kyros smiled. "Was that your way of trying to cheer me up?"

    "Shut up."

    "I wonder if I ask nicely enough, he''ll consider unlocking my Praus as well," Sarra wondered.

    When her words reached Runa''s ears, the Huntress was quick to decline the suggestion. "No way, you''re not cheating your way through it."

    Sarra immediately looked up at her partner with a pout. "How''s it cheating?! The townspeople got to unlock their Praus! Why can''t I do the same?!"

    "Because you¡¯re better than them. You¡¯ll do things the traditional way." Runa put her foot down.

    "So, you agree with me that you don''t like the method Roditis used as well." Kyros folded his arms across his chest and smirked.

    "It''s not a matter of liking it or not. I do believe if that device gets mass produced; the safety of humanity''s assured."

    "Yeah, I agree. But, I''ve already foreseen a huge drawback to that device." Kyros stated.

    "You used your powers?"

    "No."

    "Then, spill it. What are they?"

    "The device only opened one limiter within the townspeople. But, who''s to say that later models won''t open two or three, and so forth? Opening multiple limiters at once is extremely dangerous. Plus, if it becomes easier to unlock Praus, then it completely does away with training. No one would see the point in properly training to use and control it."

    Runa continuously nodded her head in agreement. The man made several clear points. If it became easier to unlock one¡¯s Praus, then no one would feel the need to train¡ªto hone their skills. People would arrogantly go through their lives, ignorantly flaunting their power until it killed them.

    What most people didn¡¯t know about their Praus was that it''s the life force of all living beings. And as such, overuse of it would kill anyone.

    "Do you understand the downsides of their actions, Sarra?" Runa questioned and shot a glance at her partner.

    "Y-Yeah." Sarra nodded. "I''m sorry. I''ll work hard to unlock my Praus the traditional way."

    "Good girl." Runa patted Sarra on the head. The little girl swatted the woman''s hand away and backed up.

    "If the Lambros Corporation has been working on that for some time now, I can only imagine what else they''ve created for the future," Kyros commented as he brought his hand up to his chin.

    "Why''re you making itsound like a bad thing? You got something against that corporation?" Runa asked.

    "Not personally, however, on the day the Last King took over the country and assassinated the queen; it was thanks to the Lambros family that it happened," Kyros revealed. The eyes of the Huntresses'' widened as the man continued with the story. "They created high-tech weapons and performed inhumane experiments on people. The family grew in power the longer the Last King sat on the throne."

    "Hold on a second," Runa threw her arms up in the air. "If that''s true, then how come the corporation''s still around? It doesn''t make sense to keep a dangerous organization like that around."

    Oh, how Kyros wanted to agree with her. Anyone with a right mind would''ve eliminated the corporation and its members the moment their ringleader got executed. However, that wasn''t how things turned out. Not by a long shot.

    "Well, unfortunately, even though the Lambros Corporation helped the Last King take over Soteria; it was thanks to their technology that we managed to survive the gruesome battles and wars that followed afterward. Therefore, the Council pardoned the corporation''s crimes and granted them special privileges."

    Runa shook her head and heaved a sigh. The idiocy shown by the country people weighed on her mind too much. She made a mental note to hurry and finish the mission as soon as possible so that she could collect her money and leave.

    "Just goes to show that I can''t begin to understand politics."

    "So, that Roditis man is a bad guy?" Sarra asked.

    "I''m...not sure..." Kyros felt hesitant to respond. Casting aside his issues with the man; he couldn''t come to a concrete answer. "Roditis was just a child when the former president of the company helped the Last King. He merely took over when his father got executed. So, it''s wrong to judge him for the actions of the previous presidents."

    "You''re right." Sarra nodded. "He seems nice."

    "Enough about him," Runa demanded. "We got other things to talk about. Any sightings of Melanie anywhere?"

    Kyros shook his head. "None. I''ve been keeping in touch with the War Dogs here. No one''s seen her."

    "She couldn''t have just vanished without a trace," Runa stated as she pondered her options. She couldn''t just leave the hunt for the acolytes to the military.

    That was for sure.

    She figured she''d return to the town square and search for clues. Perhaps the acolyte left a hint or something that would set the Huntress on her trail.

    "Okay, then we''ll start with searching the town square," Runa suggested. "No matter how good that acolyte thinks she is, there''s no way she didn''t leave a trace back there. If she left something behind, I''ll find it."

    "Runa''s pumped," Sarra commented.

    "I''ll come along too. I''ve called a subordinate of mine up here to help with the investigation." Kyros stated. With their goals set, the group left the weapon shop and headed for the town square.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 21 - To Headquarters!

    Annihilation and desolation awaited the group of Kyros, Runa, and Sarra as they wandered back to the town square of Elpida town. The once boastful town of peace and serenity got reduced to a war-torn wasteland. Burned and crumbled buildings piled along the street with bloody body bags. Kyros pinched his nose closed and turned his head away from the horrid sight. But, no matter where he looked, destruction surrounded him. The putrid smell of burnt corpses and blood flooded his mind with memories of his time back in Pandora City.

    No matter where he went, the same thing happened over and over. Mourning cries reached his ears as he watched several townspeople walk alongside the line of body bags. The War Dogs accompanied the people and used them to help identify the bodies. People of all ages wallowed in their sorrow once they found their loved ones--or whatever remained of them.

    "My Goddess..." Sarra said under her breath. The sight of the utter destruction was nothing new to her. But with each time she witnessed such gruesome atrocities, she looked at it as if she''d experienced it for the first time.

    Runa noticed her partner''s uneasiness. She set a firm hand on the girl''s shoulder. "Don''t worry; it''s fine."

    "How is any of this fine?" asked Sarra. She couldn''t understand how Runa could''ve found any silver lining within the piles of destruction around them.

    "We''ll find that terrorist and put a stop to her," Kyros announced. He clenched his fists and proceeded forward. With each step that he took toward the center of the square, he recalled the steps he took last night during the terrorist attack. He went over every choice, every decision he made against the monsters that attacked the town. His eyes wandered to the corpses that he passed.

    He wondered if he made different choices, different decisions, would it have saved the townspeople from their untimely demises? If he defeated the terrorist last night, would the attacks have stopped altogether?

    "What he said," Runa nudged Sarra forward and followed after Kyros. The Huntress herself couldn''t help but point out the severed limbs around the town square. It must''ve been a pain for the military to collect all those pieces together and try to identify who they belonged to. One would think she''d show some level of remorse or guilt for her actions.

    But, she didn''t.

    Not a single indication of concern crossed Runa''s face. It wasn''t her first time dealing with death, and it wouldn''t be her last.

    She refused to divert her attention from her goal at hand; find anything that would lead her to the acolytes. Those bastards had run rampant around the country for long enough.

    "I''ll start questioning the War Dogs and see if they have any information on the acolytes," Kyros said.

    "Alright. Sarra and I will look through the wreckage." Runa said.

    "Meet back up in a couple of hours?" Sarra suggested.

    "Sounds fair." The group went their separate ways.

    Kyros wandered around and questioned the War Dogs about last night''s events; however, none of them revealed any useful information. A few soldiers boasted about their exploits in the battle, while others heckled him. Kyros wondered why he even bothered trying to speak with the War Dogs.

    Relationships between his faction and theirs was that of water and oil.

    "Even in a crisis, they''re assholes," Kyros muttered under his breath. "I hope the others have an easier time than I am."

    "Captain Kyros!" The military man turned when a feminine voice reached his ears. Further down the deformed road came a woman clad in bronze armor with a sash tied diagonally around her body. Displayed proudly on her chest plate was a medallion that featured owl wings and the letter ''z.''

    The woman tripped over some debris and slid across the ground, kicking up dirt in the process. She came to a stop at Kyros'' feet.

    Just when Kyros moved to help; the woman shot up from the ground and saluted.

    "Lieutenant Cassie reporting for duty, sir!" Cassie enthusiastically announced; her dirt-smeared, scratched up face beamed with confidence.

    "Good to have you here, Lieutenant." Kyros smiled and brushed the debris off his subordinate''s face with his hand.

    "Permission to embrace you, sir?" Cassie requested.

    "What?"

    Next thing Kyros knew, he found himself pulled into a tight embrace.

    "I''m so glad that you''re alive, Captain! I heard what you went through in Pandora city and here!" Cassie bawled her eyes out while Kyros tried to escape from her grasp. "Don''t ever tackle things like that alone ever again!"

    "That''s enough, Cassie!" Kyros shoved the woman off him.

    "Sorry! Sorry!" Cassie gathered herself and settled down. "When I heard everything you went through from the others. I believed you needed a hug."

    "Well, thanks for that. I''m fine." Kyros assured her, knowing how emotional his subordinate got at times. "Did you get the information that I sent?"

    Cassie nodded her head and pulled out her Milo. A holographic image of a little girl with pigtails appeared above the screen. "Melanie Elisavet, one of the Last King''s offspring. She suddenly disappeared from the country two decades ago along with her uncle and this man..."

    A holographic image of Taurian appeared next to Melanie''s.

    "Who''s that?" Kyros inquired.

    "He was given the nickname, "Mad Bull" Taurian. He''s a Beastia that ran rampant throughout Soteria around thirty years ago. He was defeated and sentenced to life in Tartarus." Cassie revealed. "I heard he recently returned and attacked Spero Town last night."

    "Son of a bitch. That means he''s one of them too."

    "The Jaya Acolytes you mean?" Cassie maneuvered through the settings of her Milo. Several articles about the Jaya Acolytes popped up in front of them. "I''ve heard of their exploits throughout smaller countries around Salome. But, I''ve never heard of them attacking countries of our size."

    "They''re confident they can pull it off," Kyros noted as he thought back to the arrogance that exuded from Melanie that dreadful night. "Melanie''s one hell of a swordswoman, an Exousia that can raise the dead, she can harbor Varvara and control them, and she has black Praus."

    Cassie''s eyes sparkled after she heard her superior list off the abilities of their enemy. Her admiration and respect towards the man only grew as she thought about everything he went through to survive against Melanie. No ordinary human could fight such a formidable foe and come out alive.

    But, Kyros did.

    "What a dangerous combination," Cassie cooed. "That goes to show how amazing you are by surviving against her. You''re incredible, Captain."

    Kyros clicked his tongue and turned his head away from his subordinate. Surviving against his recent enemies didn''t sit well with him. It left a bad taste in his mouth.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    He wanted more.

    He didn''t just want to survive. He desired to defeat his enemies.

    Both Thelo and Melanie made him look like a fool and slaughtered innocent people.

    "Next time I see her, I''m putting an end to her reign of terror," Kyros swore.

    "Don''t do it alone, Captain. Let us help you. You shouldn''t fight Exousia by yourself anymore." Cassie pleaded.

    "I''m not alone. I''ve found some new allies that''ll fight with me." Kyros stated.

    Cassie''s jaw dropped, and her eyes widened. She tightly grasped her Captain''s shoulders and violently shook him. "Who are they?! Who could you trust more to fight by your side than your unit?!

    "They''re Huntresses!" Kyros responded and took a step back.

    Cassie''s lips quivered. Her arms and legs trembled. Her Captain''s words opened the floodgates. Tears streamed down her face as the woman dropped down to her knees in despair.

    "How could you trust Huntresses more than us?!"

    "It''s not a matter of trust. Rather, we have similar circumstances, and I don''t have to worry about them as much." Kyros used a calm tone in an attempt to soothe his subordinate. Wandering eyes of spectators fell on them. He wanted to end the troublesome situation as soon as possible. "Now get up. I need your help in my investigation."

    Cassie''s tears ceased on command. She stood to her feet and saluted. "Right! What else do you need from me, Captain?"

    Kyros pulled out shattered remains of the orbs Melanie used last night to summon the Varvara. He set them in Cassie''s hand and said, "I''m going to need your help to analyze these. This is what Melanie used to call the Varvara."

    "Incredible. I can already feel an ominous presence from these shards." Cassie said. "We''ll have to take this to headquarters and get these examined."

    "I''ll also need your help in gathering as much information on the acolytes as you can."

    "I''ve already done that, Captain. Check your Milo," Cassie requested.

    Kyros pulled out his Milo and stared at the screen with wide eyes. Several missed calls and unread messages plagued his screen. Most of them were from his superiors back at Headquarters.

    "Oh no," Kyros skimmed through the messages, dreading the information that resided in them.

    "I''ve been trying to tell you days ago that the Council has been requesting to see you," Cassie revealed. "They want a detailed report about everything you''ve encountered the past few days. The Exousia at Soteria city and the attack here."

    Bullets of sweat poured down the military man''s face. A total of thirteen unread messages filled his inbox. Thirteen. A permissible amount would be one or two.

    But, thirteen was inexcusable.

    Kyros allowed his circumstances to interfere with his military duties. He dreaded the punishment he''d receive from headquarters for his transgression. No amount of excuses would save him from their wrath.

    Without another word, Kyros took off down the road with Cassie quickly following after him.

    Meanwhile, Runa and Sarra remained in the town square. The Huntresses looked under every pile of rubble they could find in the area; trying to leave no stone left unturned. Despite their efforts, not a single piece of evidence from Melanie remained. That only damaged Runa''s pride.

    She already boasted to Kyros that she''d face a trail one way or another. To talk such a big game and come out short, in the end, didn''t sit well with her; especially with Sarra nearby. Failure, while her partner was around was unacceptable.

    But, there truly was nothing left other than debris and corpses. Even if there was a slim chance of a trail; Runa doubted that she''d find it within a single day. That irritated her. The longer the Huntress spent searching, the more time the acolytes had time to plan their next move.

    "Runa, you find anything?" Sarra called out to her.

    "No, nothing." Runa reluctantly shook her head. "I think we''ve come to a dead end."

    "That''s rare. You of all people admitting defeat." Sarra brought her hand up to her mouth and snickered.

    "I''m not admitting defeat," Runa quickly announced. She didn''t want the wrong ideas going through the little girl''s head. She''d be damned if she allowed Sarra to mock her. "I''m just saying that acolyte got us good this time. But, she''ll slip up sooner or later."

    "Let''s hope for sooner." Sarra took a seat on a broken support beam and gazed out at the desolated town square. The number of people in the area only increased as more townspeople arrived in a desperate search for their loved ones. "I don''t want this to happen again. To anyone."

    "Bring back memories?" Runa placed her hand on Sarra''s shoulder. The little girl nodded her head and wiped away a tear that left her eye.

    "Yeah..."

    "Don''t worry. Next time that bitch rears her head around, I''ll cut it off." Runa proclaimed.

    "You swore again," Sarra laughed.

    "Nice to see that you Wild Landers can laugh in a situation like this," The Huntresses turned their heads and saw Captain Alec approach them. His menacing expression caused Sarra to get up and step behind Runa for safety.

    "Whaddya want War Dog?" Runa questioned. "I don''t have any business with you."

    "Unfortunately, I have some business with you," Alec said. "I believe that the people here deserve the right to know what happened to their beloved ones."

    The War Dog''s voice projected and reached the ears of those nearby. Soon enough, all eyes moved to the Huntresses.

    "Runa? What''s he doing?" Sarra asked.

    "I''ve got a few ideas," Runa narrowed her eye as the people crowded around them. Stares mixed with hatred and sorrow pierced through the bodies of the Huntresses. "You all wanna know what happened? This town got attacked by a Jaya Acolyte and Varvara. But, we took care of it."

    "Took care of it?" Alec sneered. He waved his arm out towards the devastation around him. "Can you call this destruction dealt with, huh? People have lost their homes, their loved ones. It certainly doesn''t help that you dismembered all these people."

    Angered murmurs passed around the town square as the Soterians kept their eyes on the Huntresses.

    "I cut ''em up ''cause that acolyte controlled ''em. I told you that already," Runa jeered at the War Dog. She understood what the man tried to do. Since he lost face last night due to the attack; he must''ve figured he could redeem himself by pushing the blame onto her.

    "That was you?!" An angered townsperson shouted. More and more shouts of rage and frustration flooded the Huntresses'' ears.

    "My wife''s dead because of you!"

    "I can''t find my brother''s head!"

    "Where''s my father you, Wild Lander?!"

    "Do you hear the cries of the people? You disregarded the bodies of their loved ones and you disgraced them!" Alec exclaimed. "Not only that, but you haven''t even lifted a finger to help those that you''ve harmed!"

    "And? What about ''em?" Runa looked at the Soterian''s in the area. Their expressions of anger, frustration, sorrow; all meant nothing to her. "So they lost some houses and people they love. Tough shit. Everyone loses something eventually. Get over it."

    Alec''s eyebrows furrowed after he heard the woman''s callous response. He expected nothing less from a Wild Lander. A savage through and through. No guilt or remorse.

    "You''ve got some nerve saying that to these people! You''re here in our country with our permission to complete your quest!" Alec pointed at Runa. "But, you couldn''t even do that when your enemy stood right before your very eyes!"

    "Yeah, I failed, so what?! I''m not perfect!" Runa proudly stated. "I''m here to hunt and exterminate the monsters attacking your country. They''re coming from the acolytes. I''ll track em'' down and take ''em out! But, don''t mistake me for some warrior of justice! I''m only here to complete my mission and get my money! I don''t give a damn about what happens to you people!"

    "Have you no shame for the pain you''ve caused?!" Alec exclaimed.

    "As long as I complete my mission, I don''t care how many people I hurt to do it!" Runa crossed her arms over her chest. "You people can blame me for whatever you want, but it won''t change anything. You''ve lost your homes and those you loved. Yelling at me won''t bring them back."

    "You--"

    "Shut up!" Runa''s voice boomed and silenced Alec. "I''ve had with you! You blame me for what happened here, but you''re at fault too! You didn''t arrive on the scene until the acolyte escaped! It''s your job to keep the people safe, and yet so many died last night! What''s your excuse?!"

    Alec gritted his teeth and took a step back, not having prepared an immediate rebuttal to the woman''s counter. Runa smirked once she gained the upper hand in the argument.

    She opened her mouth to continue with her vicious verbal assault, but, she stopped when she spotted Kyros and Cassie break through the crowd.

    "Runa? Sarra? What''s going on here?" Kyros asked.

    "Mr. Kyros!" Sarra peered her around out from behind Runa and smiled.

    "Nothing much. Some mutt tried barking at me," Runa answered.

    Kyros and Cassie''s gaze moved to Alec.

    "What did you do?" Kyros narrowed his eyes at the War Dog.

    "I simply told these people the truth," Alec defended himself. "That Huntress couldn''t do her job. The acolyte was right in front of her, and she let her escape. Now that I think about it, you were there also."

    "Yes, I was there. I fought with Runa." Kyros stated with a nod of his head. The eyes of judgment that focused on Runa soon divided between the two.

    "A Wild Lander and a traitor, fighting side by side against an acolyte. That''s a crazy story if I''ve ever heard one," Alec laughed. "What''s the point of having any of you around if you can''t do your jobs. I did mine and kept the town and its people standing. What''s your excuse?"

    "Son of a b--" Runa stopped once Kyros held his arm out.

    "You''re pathetic, Alec. Blaming us won''t do any good. You can steer everyone''s hatred toward us if you want, but it won''t change the fact that Jaya Acolytes are still out there in our country." Kyros stepped forward and got in the War Dog''s face. "We''ve got a lead that can help us track them down. So, if you''re through playing games, move out of our way."

    Kyros shoved Alec aside and gestured for his allies to find him. Cassie, Runa, and Sarra wasted no time in passing by the stunned War Dog. They broke through the crowd and continued down the road, not bothering to look back.

    "Captain, that was amazing!" Cassie cooed. She sharply turned her head and held her hand out toward the Huntresses. "I''m Lieutenant Cassie by the way."

    "Runa das Meer," Runa introduced herself.

    "Sarra Zosime," Sarra responded.

    "Nice to meet you." Cassie smiled.

    "So, where are we going?" Runa asked.

    "Soteria City; the capital of the country. As I said, we may have found a breakthrough in our search for the acolytes."

 Exousia V1 Chapter 22 - To Soteria City!

    "For the last time¡ªI¡¯m fine! Let me out of these things!" An orotundvoice pierced through the soft fabric of the medical tents set up in the square of Eirene Town. Medical personnel rushed into the tent, only to find that the owner of the voice belonged to the Huntress, Elma Chloris.

    The white-haired woman shouted on the top of her lungs, rigorously trying to break free from the many straps that kept her restrained to the medical bed. The doctors and nurses surrounded her bed and tried to calm her down, but their attempts proved futile. The Huntress remained stubborn as hell.

    Hardly anything could keep her down¡ªnot even a stab wound to the stomach.

    The medical officers turned their desperate gazes toward their only hope for salvation--the frantic woman''s partner, Chayse Raleigh. The man occupied the other bed, unrestrained. Somehow, the woman''s shouting didn''t bother him. He lied there, motionless. His gaze affixed to the ceiling of the tent.

    Eventually, his senses returned. He looked at his partner and said, "Quit causing a scene, Elma. Let the doctors help you. You''re making their jobs difficult."

    "If they''re going to make our jobs difficult, then I''ll return the favor." Elma childishly retorted.

    "You''re a grown woman. Stop acting childish." Chayse demanded.

    "Tell these bastards to release me then," Elma spat. "Did you forget we''ve got a prisoner to transport?"

    Chayse opened his mouth to respond¡ªbut someone interrupted him.

    "Miss. Chloris, it''s in your best interest to settle down," A middle-aged, portly man with a well-groomed mustache entered the medical tent with a smile that shined almost as bright as his armor. A red cloth draped over his shoulder, held together to his armor with a medallion that featured a dog with a fiery mane. "You can leave the transportation of that criminal to the War Dogs."

    "So that you can take all the credit for yourself? Fuck that!" Elma shook her head. Her muscles strained as she resumed her attempts to escape.

    "Neither you or your partner are in any shape to transport a dangerous criminal, especially an Exousia." The Captain retorted. "I''ve assembled my best men for this job. Rest assured knowing that the prisoner is now in more capable hands."

    Ignoring the rantings of the infuriated Huntress, the military captain turned and left the tent. Chayse and Elma exchanged glances.

    "After him," Elma ordered. "We''re the ones that''ll turn that bastard in. Not those War Mutts. I''ll catch up."

    "If you''re sure," Chayse didn''t offer any resistance. He got out of bed and clutched his ribs. Concern briefly washed over Elma''s face. It''d been years since they suffered a defeat. However, like those other times, they would learn from the experience and grow stronger.

    Despite his injuries and the warnings of the doctors, Chayse hobbled out of the tent. He scanned the area; spotting dozens of military soldiers patrolling the streets. Thankfully, not many of them paid much attention to him as he continued down the road.

    He spotted the military captain addressing his soldiers lined up in front of Nemeans. Chained up on the ground next to them was their person of interest, Thelo. He shouted offensive language at the soldiers, only to get gagged moments later.

    That brought satisfied smiles to the faces of Chayse and the soldiers.

    "Listen up men!" The military captain instructed. His subordinates stood at attention and saluted their superior officer. "A handful of you are instructed to deliver this prisoner to the council. Things haven''t been going our way recently, but bringing this Exousia to them should help settle some mistakes we''ve made."

    "This won''t be easy," Chayse complained as he allowed his imagination to run wild. Various scenarios played through his mind on how he''d approach the situation. Due to his injuries, he couldn''t take his prisoner back by force; especially with about a dozen soldiers nearby. The idea in itself was suicide.

    The War Dogs made it no secret about their plan to steal their prisoner. Bastards had no part in his capture, and they sought to take the credit.

    His only shot was to steal Thelo back during their transport route.

    Tension jolted through the hunter''s body when he felt a hand grasp his shoulder. He whipped around and raised his fist, only to find the owner of the hand was Elma.

    "What do we got?" Elma asked.

    "Prisoner''s still locked up. War Dogs surrounding him," Chayse answered as he pointed down the road. Multiple soldiers forced the struggling prisoner into the back of the Nemean. "We can''t get to him using force."

    "Then stealth it is," Elma concluded.

    "How''re we gonna do that? We''re not exactly dressed for this particular mission," Chayse said.

    "Be patient," demanded Elma as she leaned against the nearest structure. The Hunters waited in silence and kept a close eye on the War Dogs. Eventually, the military captain and a majority of his subordinates abandoned the area.

    Only two soldiers remained as they prepared the Nemean for departure. Elma and Chayse sprang into action the moment the opportunity presented itself.

    The soldiers wandered to the back of the Nemean to check on the prisoner, while Elma entered the vehicle and started the engine. The soldiers jumped and turned, only to find Chayse in front of them with a confident smirk.

    "Yo," He gave them a quick wave before he rendered them both unconscious. He gently rested the soldiers outside of the vehicle, playing the situation off as if they were drunk. Afterward, he headed back into the Nemean.

    "Done?" Elma asked.

    "Done." Chayse nodded. "Although, I don''t think this counts as stealth."Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Suck it up," Elma shook her head and drove down the street, ignoring the demands to stop from the soldiers outside. Their destination--the capital city of Soteria.

    "We''re gonna get in trouble," Chayse complained.

    "Not if we complete our mission," Elma assured. "I''ll be damned if I let those mutts take credit for our work."

    "Yeah, I get that." Chayse nodded and took a look at their prisoner. He reached into the back and removed the gag from his mouth. "You understand this is your last chance to cooperate, right? Once we bring you to the council, that''s it. Whatever they decide will be outta our hands."

    "Fuck you! I told you that I wouldn''t help you!" Thelo spat. "Spare me your shit and let''s get this over with."

    Chayse shrugged his shoulders and looked onward. He had nothing else to say to that man. Thelo preferred death over cooperation. He made his decision.

    "Don''t bother with him, Chayse," Elma said as she pulled out her Milo. She activated it, and seconds later a holographic image of Caz appeared above it.

    "What do you want?" Caz yawned and scratched the back of his head.

    "Is that any way to answer the Milo, Caz? Guess I need to re-educate you in respect when we get back." Elma said.

    Caz looked back and forth between Chayse and Elma. "You two look like shit. What happened?"

    "We fought a terrorist yesterday," Chayse answered. "He went by the name of Maur."

    "He''s an Exousia, and he uses orbs to turn people into Varvara." Elma continued to relay the information.

    "That right? Well, guess this Maur guy isn''t the only one. Reports came up all over the news about two other attacks last night." Caz mentioned.

    "Two?!" Chayse exclaimed.

    "How many casualties?" Elma wondered.

    "It''s in the hundreds. Those terrorists did a real number on those towns." Caz didn''t pull any punches in answering the question. "Luckily enough some people stepped in and helped minimize the damage."

    "Who were they?" Chayse asked.

    Holographic images of Kyros, Runa, Sarra, Dire, and Gigas, appeared next to Caz.

    "Spero Town was attacked by a Bull Beastia named Taurian. He was an occupantof Tartarus a long time ago." Caz revealed. "The ones that stopped him were a couple of criminals. Gigas Alcaeus and Dire."

    The eyes of the hunters widened. They were well aware of those names and the heinous crimes attached to them. If they had to get ranked, they''d get put right up there with Exousia.

    It boggled their minds on why two infamous criminals would help fight off terrorists.

    "Things just keep getting worse and worse," Chayse groaned. "Why''re we only hearing about those getting into the country now?!"

    "I''ve already received word from the guards at the wall. None of them reported spotting them." Caz answered. "They must''ve found another way inside. Does that make sense?"

    Images of Dire and Gigas vanished. What replaced them was a picture of Melanie as a child.

    "Who''s that?"

    "It''s one of the terrorists that attacked Elpida Town. I did some digging around. She''s one of the Last King''s little bastards."

    Elma''s eyes narrowed. "What''s her name?"

    "Melanie Elisavet," Caz said. "Council''s given her a bounty of seventy million Axia."

    Chayse let out a long whistle. "That''s impressive. They''re not messing around."

    "Council''s trying to keep the Last King''s bloodline under control and contained. If not, they''re more than willing to wipe it out." Caz said.

    "Fuckers," Elma swore. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel and clenched her teeth. "Anything else we need to know about the terrorists?"

    "Council''s assuming the terrorists are Exousia. It turns out Melanie can raise and control the dead."

    "And Maur can disintegrate anything he touches," Chayse informed. He grimaced at the memory of his knife turning to dust before his very eyes.

    "Add their powers to their ability to control Varvara; we''re looking at something humanity''s never encountered before," Elma stated. Dread spread throughout their bodies as they let that information sink in.

    "How''d they manage that trick?" Caz inquired.

    "They carried around some strange orbs. They must''ve invented some technology that alters the DNA of human beings into those monsters." Elma voiced her hypothesis.

    It was something that Chayse wished he''d never seen. Over his years of experience as a hunter, he''d seen many horrible things. But, seeing a human, getting transformed into a monster through extraordinary means was something else.

    "There are far too many problems to deal with at once," Chayse stated, knowing the severe weight of the situation. "We need to persuade the council to tighten the defenses around the entire country."

    "Evacuating the people from Soteria city should also be a priority. We can''t afford to suffer severe losses there." Elma added.

    Caz closed his eyes and brought his hand to his chin with a thoughtful expression on his face, trying to weigh his options. "That ain''t gonna be easy. The army would have to split up into multiple units and move to each town and city. That alone could take days, and it would also reduce security in the capital. Does that make sense?"

    Chayse rolled his eyes and sighed, already knowing the outcome of the request. "The council would never agree to do that. But, they can at least evacuate the city."

    "Where would they even evacuate them? The Gardens of Eden are too dangerous for the people. And moving them out to sea would be just as dangerous and time-consuming." Elma pointed out the holes in her partner''s suggestion.

    "What about Tartarus then? It would only be temporary until we have the situation under control."

    Elma narrowed her eyes and jeered at Chayse before she responded, "You want to move them underground with the other prisoners? Tartarus isn''t a safe place either, Chayse."

    "Hold on a second," Caz raised his hand. "I''m cool with that idea. I''m more than willing to move out and find a new place. Does that make sense?"

    "Shut up," Elma demanded. Caz rolled his eyes and closed his mouth.

    "Well, anyone else got any plans? If the people stay in the capital, it''s gonna get attacked sooner or later."

    "Let''s start off small. First, we gotta try and figure out what exactly we''re dealing with here." Elma said.

    "What do you mean?" Chayse asked.

    "I didn''t want to come to this conclusion, but the way Maur talked last night, his actions and mannerisms, I think we''re up against Jaya Acolytes."

    Silence.

    It wasn''t the first time the hunters heard about them¡ªJaya Acolytes. They were an infamous organization, or rather a cult of fanatic worshippers of the Goddess of Destruction, Jaya.

    It was rumored that they could control the Varvara and that they gained that ability by entering the Varvara Realm, forfeiting their humanity in exchange for eternal, destructive power. Since the beginning of time, people feared them for their radical tendencies.

    Extreme with their beliefs and their crimes throughout history had been heinous enough that all members of the organization are often ordered to be executed on the spot rather than captured. Those guys were just as bad as the Exousia¡ªif not worse.

    They showed no mercy towards anyone that didn¡¯t believe in what they did. They would attack villages, towns, countries¡ªit didn¡¯t matter to them. Everything that they did was always in the name of their Mother. Complete insanity.

    When the hunters first heard about, they considered them nothing but a rumor¡ªa myth. Parents would tell their children ghost stories about the Acolytes to get them to behave. No one believed them to exist.

    But, they couldn''t deny it anymore. The Acolytes of Jaya existed. They were there, in their country, seeking to destroy it.

    They didn''t believe in most of the ghost stories told to them throughout their lives. The hunters saw the Acolytes at work firsthand. The only mystical thing about them was their ability to control the Varvara. However, even that had to rely on the dependence of technology.

    It frightened the hunters to think about why the Acolytes would target the Soteria Kingdom, the most influential country in the entire world. Soteria had a very extensive history when it came to warfare. Being attacked within their walls was nothing new. However, the fact that three people decided to attack by themselves meant that they had something up their sleeves.

    Something devious enough that they believed that they could destroy the nation with so little numbers.

    That arrogance infuriated Elma. Her anger made her determined to end it one way or the other. If the Acolytes wished to add the country up on their walls of victories, then they would have to come at them with everything the had and then some. Because she and Chayse planned to do the same. If they wanted to go to war, then that''s what the hunters were going to give them.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 23 - Inevitable Encounter!

    Two shadow figures hurried down a secluded alleyway, straying from any source of light that could detect them. They froze and kept their backs to the wall when stampeding footsteps reached their ears. One of them dared to stick their heads out. About a dozen soldiers raced passed the alleyway.

    "They''re around here somewhere! Keep looking!" A disembodied voice demanded. All the soldiers responded in unison and continued with their search.

    Satisfied that they were safe, one of the shadow figures removed their hoods, revealing themselves to being Dire. The Wolf Beastia looked over to his partner in crime, who refused to remove the hood so easily.

    "C''mon Gigas, take that stupid thing off. We''re in the clear." Dire proclaimed.

    "You''re too reckless," Gigas pointed behind Dire. A lone soldier, separated from his unit, wandered into the alleyway. When his eyes rested on the couple, he shrieked and drew out his weapon.

    Within a blink of an eye, Dire crossed the distance between them. He grabbed the unsuspected soldier by the shirt and lifted him off the ground. The Beastia flashed a frightening smile before he swiped his claws across the man''s neck. Blood sprayed from the torn wound and painted Dire''s face and clothes in crimson.

    Dire laughed hysterically and dropped the man without a care in the world. He watched with sheer amusement as the soldier desperately clung to his life; covering his profusely bloodied neck with one hand. Meanwhile, the other hand eased behind his back.

    Gigas caught that and approached the downed soldier. He knelt in front of the man and gripped his arm. The soldier''s blood-curdling exclamation fell on deaf ears. Gigas forced the man''s arm out from behind his back.

    There, he saw what the soldier desperately tried to reach. It was a photo of him and his family. They were all smiles.

    Gigas looked back and forth between the soldier and the family photo. The desperation in the man''s eyes brought a frown to the mercenary''s face. He heaved a sigh and closed the man''s eyes and fist once he finally passed.

    "I''m sorry. It''s purely bad luck that you crossed our paths today." Gigas mourned.

    "How many does that make today? Five?" Dire wondered as Gigas stood up.

    "That was unnecessary," Gigas scolded. "You''ve could''ve settled for knocking him out."

    "Where''s the fun in that?" Dire complained. "Besides, you''re the one that said we couldn''t get spotted."

    Gigas walked over to Dire and forced the Beastia to wear his hood. "Then, wear this at all times while we''re outside and keep your tail hidden. It''s your fault the country knows we''re here."

    "And they''ve laid out the welcome mat," Dire indicated to the deceased soldier before them. "Streets are flooded with ''em. Don''t wanna be rude. Let''s take ''em out."

    "You''re not killing any more people tonight," Gigas demanded. "Killing soldiers isn''t why we''re here."

    "Yeah, yeah, I know." Dire shook his head and sighed. "So, what''s the plan? It''s dark out. Need to find somewhere to sleep soon."

    "I''m working on that." Gigas eased over to the other side of the alleyway. He peered his head around the corner and spotted several soldiers. Using ordinary means to bypass them was out of the equation. "Guards are still patrolling the streets."

    "Wanna kill ''em?" Dire suggested.

    Gigas shook his head. "This may be a foreign concept to you, but there''s a thing called stealth that could get us out of this mess a lot easier than killing all the soldiers."

    "What''s your master plan then?"

    Gigas and Dire headed further back into the alleyway. Gigas activated his powers and opened up a portal. He pushed Dire through before entering himself. The team found themselves on top of a building across the street from their previous position.

    "My powers will work just fine," Gigas assured. As far as he was concerned, as long as he led the team, they''d find success. He didn''t come all that way into Soteria only to wind up with nothing. Despite the excess baggage he was forced to bring along, he pushed his way forward.

    Gigas saw Dire as a liability. Nothing more.

    The Beastia''s reckless behavior and constant thirst for battle caused nothing but trouble for anyone around him. The only thing he felt he could count on was Dire''s strength. Should a situation arise when they''d have to fight their way out, he trusted the kid to have his back.

    Dire and Gigas continued to maneuver through Soteria City until they found an abandoned building. No soldiers or innocent civilians in sight. They made themselves at home. Or, at least they tried.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    Gigas walked over to a window and stared out into the city. His eyes targeted an enormous mountain far off into the distance. Dire walked over and stood next to his partner.

    "That''s it, right? That''s where we''re going?" Dire asked.

    Gigas nodded. "It won''t be easy. We could use an air vehicle or sneak our way across the bridge."

    "Those are the only options?" Dire''s tail wagged back and forth as he contemplated which action to take. Regardless of the choice he made, it''d result in a battle against soldiers. That in itself brought a sadistic smile to his face. "I''m fine with whatever."

    Gigas shut his eyes closed and dedicated the silence to contemplate over the scenarios. He didn''t know the city very well, so finding an air vehicle would be difficult. Even if he grabbed one, getting it over to the mountain wasn''t going to be an easy task.

    To get to the mountain, one needed permission or an invitation. Anything less wouldn''t work. Gigas and Dire would only find themselves getting into another fight. Gigas wanted to avoid that at all costs.

    Crossing the bridge would bring another issue to their plate. The military guarded the bridge at all times. If they went with that plan, Gigas foresaw another fight.

    "This is going to be a problem," Gigas sighed. "Oh well, at least we got this far."

    "The castle''s at the very top of that mountain, huh?" Dire looked up and tried to spot the top of the mountain. No matter how hard he stared, he only saw the clouds.

    "We''ll get up there one way or the other," Gigas assured.

    "Can''t wait," Dire sauntered away from the window, his tail wagged earnestly.

    "You''re in a good mood."

    "Shouldn''t I be? I''ve heard so much about this country and its strength. I''m curious to see what''ll stand in our way when we reach the peak."

    "If everything goes my way, nothing."

    "That''s boring."

    "You''re never going to change, are you?"

    "Something wrong with me?"

    "There''s not enough time in the world to explain everything that''s wrong with you."

    Dire''s ears drooped. When a retort came to his mind, he responded, "Oh, ''cause you''re such a saint, right? What do they call you again back in your country? Crimson Hammer? Gladiator Emperor? How many people you kill to get that title?"

    "That''s not the point,"

    "Whatever hypocrite," Dire rolled his eyes and wandered around the run down room. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the souvenir he collected from Spero Town. It was the horn of Taurian. The Wolf Beastia smirked and tossed the object into the air several times. "Something''s been bugging me, Gigas."

    "You don''t say," Gigas kept his focus on the mountain in the distance.

    "Whaddya think that attack the other day was about?" Dire caught the horn again and pointed it at his partner.

    "Don''t know. Don''t care. It doesn''t concern us." Gigas dismissed the situation altogether. As far as he saw it, the matter of the terrorists rested on the shoulders of the country.

    "How can you not? That Beastia turned humans into Varvara. I doubt that''s the power Shura gave him." Dire resumed with his pacing around the room. He tossed the horn back and forth in his hands. "Can''t stand that he''s still out there somewhere. I hate the ones that get away."

    "At least you''ll have his horn to remember him by." Gigas consoled.

    "That supposed to be some joke? This is serious, Gigas. We''ve let another Exousia slip through our fingers." Dire shook the horn at the mercenary. "We can''t become Gods if shit like this keeps happening."

    "Then focus on the matter at hand. We get this job done; we''ll be that much closer to becoming Gods." Gigas assured. He came a long way to get the job done. He''d be damned if he allowed minor setbacks to get in his way.

    "And the sooner I''ll get away from you." Dire nodded his head in agreement. "But before that can happen, we gotta trim the fat. Only forty-five more to go. I''ll start with that bull."

    "How do you even know you''ll find him again?" Gigas inquired, already dreading the path Dire was going down. A major flaw in having the brat as a partner was his one tracked mind. Whenever he became fascinated with someone or something; he''d ignore everything else around him until he got what he wanted.

    "Just a feeling I got," Dire admitted. He brought his nose to the horn and sniffed it. "Beastia''s take pride in their animal characteristics. That bull won''t be able to live down the fact that I got his horn. He''ll come looking for it."

    "Hopefully not anytime soon."

    "I don''t know why you''re so against this. The sooner we trim the numbers, the sooner our fateful encounter will arrive." A bone-chilling smile crossed the Beastia''s face. He slipped the horn back into his pocket and chuckled, losing himself in his imagination.

    Gigas quietly stood there and watched on in annoyance. He didn''t need special powers to know the gruesome and horrid images inside of Dire''s head. One thing Gigas could never hear the end of while in his partner''s presence was the mention of a single person. The object of Dire''s fascination throughout the whole seven years.

    The First Exousia.

    It was no secret that Dire was an arrogant bastard, often overconfident in his skills and abilities to a huge fault. So, wheneverhe got chosen as the second Exousia in the God Selection; Dire took it personally. Shura''s choice damaged his pride and ego.

    But over time, Dire''s frustration and jealousyturned to curiosity and admiration.

    Rumor had it that those chosen as the single digits by Shura were granted extraordinary power when compared to the other Exousia. Gigas had witnessed Dire''s ability on one occasion. Personally, he wouldn''t call it exceptional.

    "Your obsession with the First Exousia is ridiculous," Gigas called Dire out, snapping him out of his trance. "How do you know that person''s even alive?"

    "Shura personally chose that person as the First Exousia over me. That person''s gotta be strong. Possibly stronger than anyone I''ve ever fought," Dire looked at his partner. Strangely enough, his sadistic expression washed away. A look of pure admiration replaced it. "The First Exousia isn''t dead. No one else can kill them except for me. It''d be an insult to the entire selection if they died by anyone else. The sooner I thin down the numbers, the sooner I find and kill ''em."

    "Whatever. You can do what you want after we complete our task." Gigas put his foot down on the matter. The mission always came first before anything else. That''s what he believed. "It took seven years for one hundred of us to die. I''m sure no one''s in a huge rush to kill off the rest."

    "Doubt that," Dire smiled.

    Gigas shook his head and opened up a portal between them. "You stay here. I''m going to have a look around. Don''t leave this building. Do you understand?"

    "Loud and clear." Dire mockingly saluted his partner. Gigas stared the Beastia straight in the eyes, looking for any signs of falsehood in the brat''s words. While cautious of his actions, Gigas nonetheless walked through the portal and disappeared, leaving Dire alone with the rubble and the cockroaches.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 24 - Suspended!

    Soteria City¡ªthe first settlement built on the continent of Venetus over two thousand years ago. The nation shared tremendous history. Unfortunately, most of it centered around needless bloodshed and violence. The wars that the country waged would never vanish from the minds of its citizens or those around the world.

    A single Nemean passed through the entry point to the city and continued down the road. Situated in the driver seat was Kyros Aleister. His subordinate, Lieutenant Cassie rested in the passenger seat while the duo of Huntresses'', Runa das Meer and Sarra Zosime stayed in the back.

    Sarra pressed her face against the glass window and stared out in awe at the sight of the tall buildings. Never in her life had she seen such impressive structures.

    While the little girl continued to marvel in the sights, the rest of the team remained silent. Not because of boredom, but because of the tense atmosphere in the vehicle. Most, if not all of the tension came from Kyros himself. His face stayed stiff the entire car ride to the city.

    He dreaded the situation he found himself in. He envisioned his superior officers chewing him out for not following protocol. Following every mission, all soldiers must report back to headquarters unless told otherwise. But, in his moment of grief, he ignored protocol and remained in Pandora city.And because of all the other incidents, he unknowingly ignored their calls.

    Despite his rank in the military, the higher-ups wouldn''t hesitate to discharge him dishonorably. Almost everyone had it out for him¡ªwaiting for the chance to remove him from duty. He was always on thin ice around his comrades.

    One mistake could mean the end of his service.

    He didn''t want that. He didn''t spend twenty-three years of his life rigorously training just so that he could get kicked out of the military. He wouldn''t know what to do with himself afterward. There was so much that he needed to do. So much needed to get done for the kingdom, for the people. His dismissal couldn''t get permitted under any circumstance.

    He planned to fight it. No matter what he had to do, he would oppose it. Should they question his loyalty, he''d immediately prove it. It took years for the man to reach his position. His goal was to climb higher and higher so that he could change the kingdom for the better.

    Irritated with the silence, Runa spoke up, "So, what can we expect to happen at military headquarters? ''Cause if it''s gonna be anything like with the War Dogs, then Sarra and I are getting out here."

    Kyros looked up in the rearview mirror. "Well, I''m the only one that''ll be on the hot seat. You and Sarra will most likely only be questioned to confirm my report."

    "You don''t plan on telling them about the other thing, right?" Runa inquired. She eased the blade of her spear behind Kyros'' seat. The tip of the blade tore through the fabric and poked the man in the back.

    Kyros jumped slightly and eased forward in his seat. "Don''t worry; this is all about me. I won''t mention you two that much."

    "Is there something that I need to know?" Cassie wondered.

    "Nothing," Kyros and Runa answered in unison.

    "Why''re you getting questioned anyway?" Sarra shifted her gaze over to the group.

    "I didn''t report back to headquarters after my mission in Pandora city," Kyros answered.

    "Just because of that you''re in trouble?" Sarra tilted her head to the side. "Why''re they making it so complicated?"

    "Captain''s been under their microscope for years. They''ve been waiting for the day that he messes up so that they can kick him out of the military." Cassie revealed.

    "Surprised your country hasn''t burnt itself to the ground," Runa leaned back in her seat and folded her arms behind her head.

    "It''ll be fine. We''ll head to the Peak, answer some questions, and return to our mission." Kyros assured. Although, doubt lingered in the back of his mind. A gut feeling wrenched his stomach that things wouldn''t occur how he initially imagined.

    Everyone responded with affirming grunts. Afterward, Kyros delivered the group to the far, other end of the city. They left the Nemean and switched to another vehicle, the Griffon. The group entered the air vehicle and used it to reach their destination, the top of the mountain known as the Peak.

    There resided a smaller, more lavish city of its own. Only those of high status could live atop of the mountain. Located in the far back of the city was the castle.

    The Griffon landed safely in the courtyard, allowing the group to disembark. At least a dozen soldiers stood out in the yard with weapons in their hands. Kyros'' eyes affixed to the soldier with the most apparent highest authority out of the group, judging from the high-quality armor that she wore. A red cloth draped over her shoulder. A medallion of the War Dogs featured proudly on her barely covered chest.

    "About time you decided to show up," The woman said. "What took you so long, Kyros?"

    Kyros approached the woman, ignoring the glares from the soldiers he passed. He stopped in front of the soldier and saluted. "Lieutenant General Damia. Forgive my tardiness, ma''am. I didn''t mean to take so long to return."

    "That right?" Damia brushed her fiery red hair behind her ear. A devious smirk crossed her face. The woman''s knee smashed into the unsuspecting man''s gut. It happened in a flash. He had no time to react.

    Kyros dropped down to his knees and clutched his stomach. He clenched his teeth and resisted the urge to hurl in front of everyone. When he tried to raise his head, the force of Damia''s foot kept his face pressed against the concrete.

    "Captain!" Cassie tried to step forward, but two soldiers crossed their spears in front of her.

    "Pretty sure they warned you about your conduct, Kyros. Not following protocol makes everyone look bad, you know? Is that what you wanted? You trying to make us look bad?" Damia increased the pressure on the man''s head. Cracks formed in the concrete beneath them.

    "No, ma''am..." Kyros answered through clenched teeth.

    "Better prove it," Damia removed her foot from his head. "I gotta take you to the council. Try not to embarrass the military any more than you already have, okay?"

    "...Yes, ma''am..." Kyros stood up and followed her into the castle in silence.

    It was there the group came across familiar faces¡ªthe Hunter duo from Pandora city, Elma Chloris, and Chayse Raleigh.

    All of it happened in a flash. The hunter in red crossed the room in a matter of seconds, appearing in front of Runa with a bright smile. He cupped both of her hands inside of his as he said, "Runa! What a coincidence meeting you here! No, not a coincidence! It must be fate!"

    "You two know each other?" Kyros looked between the two of them.

    Runa grimaced and quickly removed her hands away from Chayse''s. "Yeah, we met back in Pandora city. I helped them capture that Exousia."

    "My darling Runa was a huge help. If she hadn''t shown up, Elma and I would''ve had some trouble dealing with him." Chayse looked over to Kyros and gave him a thumbs up with his prosthetic hand. However, his smile soon faded as he leaned in closer to the man. "Wait a second, who are you? What''s your relationship with Runa?"

    "I''m Kyros Aleister. Captain of the Fifth recon unit serving under--"

    Chayse stepped back and released a loud yawn. "Too long! Too long! Just stick with your name."

    Kyros immediately shook his head to the proposal, "I can''t do that. It''s protocol for military officers to include their name and rank whenever introducing themselves."

    The military man''s tone was stern and curt. He made sure to remain as professional as possible, especially when in the presence of someone was dangerous and unhinged as Damia.

    "I guess. But, whenever you do that, it sounds like you''ve got a stick up your ass." Chayse complained.

    "That was a swear word, mister." Sarra pointed accusingly at him with a clear frown on her face.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Runa placed her hand on Sarra''s arm and set it back down to her sides, "Sarra, it''s rude to point fingers at people."

    Those words came from the woman that repeatedly pointed her spear at people on numerous occasions. Kyros noted that the woman had a very skewed perception of rudeness. But, it wasn''t his business.

    The woman''s attention moved back to the Hunter, "And you, it''s rude to swear in front of children. Watch your mouth."

    "Oops, my bad." Chayse slapped his hands over his mouth as fast as he could, taking Runa''s words to heart. "Forget everything I just said!"

    "Chayse! Quit fooling around over there! We have to go!" Elma''s voice carried from down the hall. Chayse flinched.

    "Oh, guess I gotta go. It was nice seeing you again, Runa. Perhaps we could work together again sometime?" The tone of Chayse''s voice changed into a flirtatious one. Kyros'' eyes quickly shifted over to the Huntress to gauge her reaction.

    There was no immediate change to her usual demeanor as she responded, "Sure, maybe someday if our paths cross again."

    "If you''d like, I could pull some strings and request for you to become a retainer like Elma and me."

    "What''s a retainer?" asked Sarra, her eyes beamed with curiosity.

    "It''s someone that only enlists their services to a single person or organization," Kyros explained to her.

    "No way." Runa shook her head. She didn''t even give the offer a second thought. From everything she witnessed with the country and its corruption, she wouldn''t dare enlist her services to the wretched place. "I prefer my freedom."

    The sparkle in Chayse¡¯s eyes disappeared as he said, "You make it sound like we¡¯re prisoners."

    "Might as well be. You''re only allowed to hunt in particular areas the Kingdom allows you to. Whereas Sarra and I are free to go where we please,¡± She stated, "I don¡¯t know what you or your partner do here, but I¡¯d rather be free to hunt."

    A sigh escaped from Chayse as he shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Fair enough. It sucks, but I understand. We would''ve made a great team."

    "Chayse! Come on!" Elma called out to him once more.

    "Duty calls! See you all again sometime!" Chayse waved the group goodbye before he ran off to join with his partner.

    "Had fun with that distraction?" The venom in Damia''s words sent a shiver down Kyros'' spine. "C''mon, we don''t wanna keep the council waiting any longer."

    The Lieutenant General led the group to the council room. Far off to the opposite side of the room were the members of the council. Three senior women with stone cold expressions sat there in high positions of the chamber, imposing as much power as they could.

    "Let me do the talking." Kyros requested to the Huntresses behind him.

    "That was the plan from the beginning," Runa assured.

    And with that, the group walked down the red carpet spread across the marble floors of the room. Kyros'' body stiffened as he noticed the fierce glares from all the soldiers around them. No matter how many times he showed himself before his comrades, he would always be an outcast to them.

    He was their enemy.

    "Captain of the Fifth recon unit, Kyros Aleister, has arrived," Damia announced.

    Instinctively, Kyros and Cassie dropped to one knee and bowed their heads to the councilwomen.

    ¡°Rise.¡± One of them ordered.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Kyros and Cassie raised their heads and returned to their feet.

    "It¡¯s been two days since we¡¯ve last seen or heard from you," The councilwoman in the middle, Agathe, started off the meeting, "Care to explain what took you so long to get here?"

    "Yes, ma¡¯am. Two days ago, I was ordered by my superiors to investigate an Exousia sighting. Our investigation eventually brought us to the Pandora hospital, where we located the Exousia."

    "Yes. We heard about that incident." The councilwoman to the left, Bethesda, nodded her head in response. The other two followed her lead.

    "We also heard about your defeat at the hands of that Exousia as well." The final councilwoman to the right, Callidora added.

    "Yes¡­I was defeated."

    A playful hum came from the side of Kyros. The one responsible for it was Damia. She showed no restraint when expressing her joy about the man''s defeat. However, behind her smile also lied contempt and disdain towards him. Whenever the public image of the military was damaged, she would violently take her anger out on either her subordinates or the person responsible for the incident.

    "It also reached our ears that members of your squad lost their lives," Agathe revealed.

    "¡­Yes¡­that is also true¡­"

    "So, run us through the events of that day. What led you to confront the Exousia without back up?" asked Bethesda as she rested her chin in the palm of her hand.

    "As we seem to recall, Zofia¡¯s army specializes in information gathering. Combat isn¡¯t necessarily their strong suit." Agathe reminded.

    "That¡¯s for sure. Night Owls shouldn¡¯t try to be like the War Dogs." Damia mumbled.

    "I mean no disrespect, but I couldn''t sit idly by and let the Exousia run rampant in the hospital. Dozens lost their lives thanks to that monster." Kyros retorted.

    "And thanks to you, more people lost their lives. Had you waited for backup, perhaps those lives could¡¯ve been saved."

    "You don''t know that for sure. The Exousia had the power of telekinesis."

    Bethesda and Callidora quickly looked over to Agathe after they heard the sharp response. It was only for a moment. But, they seemed nervous. They regained their composure once she spoke, "You¡¯re correct, we¡¯ll never know for sure. But, it¡¯s not us that you need to convince that you did the right thing. It¡¯s the families of the men that died while under your command."

    Kyros involuntarily flinched. Her words were as sharp as a blade. They pierced through the man without mercy or hesitance.

    "Their families are stricken with grief. We tried contacting you as soon as possible, but you never answered."

    "I¡­I was busy. Some urgent matters came up and¡­"

    Kyros stopped the moment Callidora raised her hand. "Yes, let¡¯s move on to those pressing issues."

    "We heard about the Varvara attack that you helped subdue with your comrades over there." Bethesda pointed over to Runa and Sarra.

    "Yes, it was thanks to them and Aion that we managed to save the town," Kyros reported, "We also managed to uncover the identity of the terrorist behind the attack. Her name is Melanie Elisavet. She''s an offspring of the last king."

    "We are already aware of their identities," announced Callidora. "Believe it or not, there are others besides you that can do your job."

    Kyros tightened his jaw and stopped himself from saying something that he would immediately regret. Those old hags always acted so arrogantly and smug. "If so, then we need to hurry up and do something."

    "Rest assured. We have everything under control."

    "What is it that you plan on doing?"

    "That is none of your concern." Bethesda harshly answered.

    "None of my concern," Kyros unconsciously exasperated, "how can you say that? I fought against that woman! I saw the carnage and destruction that she wrought on the town! I want to be included in her capture!"

    "Calm yourself, Captain. Do not raise your voice at us." Callidora ordered.

    "My apologies." Kyros took a step back and bowed his head.

    "The reason it is none of your concern is that you¡¯re too close to this. You¡¯ve experienced unfortunate events in such a short amount of time. We are taking your mental stability under advisement." mentioned Agathe.

    "I''m fine," Kyros inwardly commented.

    How he wanted to say those words. But, that would only backfire on him. One, it wasn¡¯t the truth. For the past two days, he had encountered death and destruction. If anyone could be okay after witnessing the things that he had, then they would be monsters.

    "Because of your actions for the past two days, we¡¯ve come to the decision that you are to be suspended," Bethesda announced.

    Kyros'' eyes widened. The words of the council resounded in his head. "What?!"

    "Effective immediately."

    "Hold on," Kyros took a step forward, "I realize that it was a mistake for me to have ignored the calls. But, I risked my life, fighting against Exousia and Varvara to protect this country and its people! Why do I have to be punished for that?!"

    It was a stupid question. One that he already knew the answer. It was made clear to him on that fateful day all those years ago. Before he even knew it, several guards already trained their weapons on him. It didn''t matter to those people. Always and forever, he was their enemy.

    Before he could say anything else, a blade was held dangerously close to his neck. It belonged to Damia. Another playful hum came from her as she winked and stuck her tongue at him. The hum was different that time. It was more sadistic. Like she had been waiting for the chance to slice his throat open.

    "Have you become hard of hearing over the past few days? Didn¡¯t they warn you not to raise your voice at them?" She asked.

    "We do commend you for your acts of bravery, Captain Kyros. Please understand that we are only doing this to help you. Others have wished for your dismissal and even your execution." Agathe explained, quickly glancing over to Damia.

    "Would you prefer either of those?" Callidora asked.

    "How long will I be suspended for?" Kyros lowered his head. He wasn''t going to fight them on the matter anymore. There wasn''t anything the man could do to change their minds.

    "Until further notice."

    "You are dismissed." Agathe waved the group off dismissingly. And with that, they were escorted out from the room. Kyros'' head hung low the whole time. It was like he took the walk of shame.

    "Oh, too bad, so sad. At least it¡¯s only a suspension." Damia roughly patted Kyros on the back. His hands curled into fists, but he did nothing else. "Use this moment as a lesson to learn from the mistakes you¡¯ve made."

    "Yes, ma¡¯am." Kyros forced a head nod.

    "It was good seeing you again, Kyros. We¡¯ll let you know how the rest of the mission goes." She waved the group off while she walked further down the hall. Once she left, Kyros'' body eased up. It was always a challenge being around that woman.

    "Well, that was rough to watch." Runa nonchalantly commented.

    "You''re telling me," Cassie agreed.

    "Are you okay, Mr. Kyros?" asked Sarra with a concerned tone.

    "I will be. That wasn''t anything that I''m not used to.¡± Kyros answered while reluctantly raising his head.

    "Your military doesn''t very well like you, do they?" Runa pointed out.

    "Well, if it already wasn''t obvious."

    "That¡¯s just horrible," Sarra shook her head, "That woman talked about respect, but she never treated you with any."

    "That¡¯s called hypocrisy, Sarra. You can see it a lot these days." Runa informed while placing a hand on her hip. "So, who was that woman anyway? She seemed to have high authority."

    "That was Lieutenant General Damia Valence. She''s the little sister of General Amos. She takes command of the War Dogs while he''s away." Cassie revealed.

    "Regardless of who she¡¯s related to. It doesn¡¯t give her the right to treat Mr. Kyros the way she did." Sarra voiced her complaint. "You need to do something about this, Mr. Kyros. You¡¯ve worked hard to keep the people safe. You should be rewarded for your efforts, not punished."

    Kyros patted the little girl on the head and brought up a smile on his face. He felt assured knowing that a little girl wasn''t afraid to speak her mind despite her status. He wished he could''ve been as brave as her. But, rules of the military restricted his freedom of speech. The man swore he''d continue to follow them until he gained the power to change them for the better.

    A little mistreatment wasn''t going to keep him away from his goal.

    "Leave it alone, Sarra. It''s not our business." Runa sternly told her.

    For once, Kyros agreed with the Huntress, "She''s right. Don''t worry about me, Sarra. It''s just a suspension."

    "What''re we gonna do now that you''re suspended?" Runa asked.

    "There''s someone here that I want to talk to. Since the council won''t help us, maybe this person can." Kyros turned his back to the group and headed off in the opposite direction.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 25 - Revelation!

    "When will you learn to stop messing around with any pair of breasts you come across?!" Elma chastised as she dragged her partner, Chayse, and their prisoner, Thelo, around the castle. She ignored the glances and whispers from the military and nobles within the vicinity. As far as she was concerned, embarrassing both men in front of an audience was a decent form of punishment.

    There were many things the Huntress couldn''t stand. One of the top things on her list were distractions when out on missions. Elma always found herself keeping her keen eyes on Chayse all the time.

    The man couldn''t stay focused. Whenever he found the time to fool around, he''d take advantage of the situation. Consequences be damned.

    If not for his skills, Elma would''ve left the man out on his ass all those years ago.

    "B-But! It was Runa! I wanted to thank her for helping us!" Chayse defended his actions as he desperately tried to free his ear from Elma''s firm grasp. His face turned to beat red as he noticed others pointing and laughing at the scene.

    "I don''t care! No distractions when on a mission!" Elma continued with her scoldings.

    "I got it! I got it! Let go!" Chayse pleaded.

    The temptation to drag her partner all the way to their destination crossed Elma''s mind. The mere thought of the shame and humiliation it would bring to Chayse brought a smile to her face. Unfortunately, their goal wasn''t a place where they could fool around.

    Against her better judgment, she released her hold on Chayse. The Hunter quickly backed away and caressed his throbbing ear.

    "I seriously got captured by your two?" Thelo complained. He spent a bit of time with his captors, and their ridiculous antics took their toll on him. He didn''t care where they brought him anymore. As long as he could get away from the duo, he''d be satisfied.

    "That''s enough out of you," Elma tugged on Thelo''s chains. The Exousia gritted his teeth and winced when his restraints tightened.

    The group proceeded further into the castle. They stopped in front of two armed guards. Once they showed proper identification, the guards stood aside and slammed the butt of their spears on the floor.

    The walls behind them split open, revealing a large elevator. The group entered the elevator and descended.

    "Why are we going down?" Thelo questioned. "I thought we were going to meet the council."

    "They''re busy dealing with other matters," Elma answered. "For now, we''re taking you directly to Tartarus."

    "We¡¯ve got a special cell just for you." Chayse teased him.

    Soon enough, they reached their destination¡ªTartarus. An underground, cavernous prison which held the kingdom''s most dangerous criminals. Unlike most prisons, once sent there; release was impossible. Criminals sent there were sentenced to life; enduring torture depending on their crimes. Either that or immediate execution.

    The cries and wails of despair from the prisoners carried through the constant breeze that blew throughout the cavern. However, their pleas fell on deaf ears. The jailers in charge of the torture continued with their duties without hesitancy or remorse. Being a jailer in Tartarus wasn¡¯t for the faint of heart. If the criminals showed no remorse for the crimes they committed, why would the jailers do the same when doing their jobs?

    In Elma''s eyes, every criminal in prison deserved everything that came to them. She glanced over to Thelo and gauged his expression. His face was as pale as a ghost. His body trembled uncontrollably. Like many prisoners before him, they¡¯d act confident, but then once brought to the prison, their demeanor would change drastically.

    "Is it bad that I¡¯m used to coming to this place?" Chayse stepped out from the elevator and into the cavern. Several meters ahead of him spawned Varvara. The Hunter acted quickly and shot them down.

    It was a natural occurrence for the Varvara to spawn within the prison. After all, the place practically consisted of negative emotions. It caused a lot of trouble in the past, but, security had severely improved over the years.

    Chayse continued to protect Elma and Thelo until they reached a secret door, known only to members of their organization. Elma pushed open the door and entered.

    "Caz! We''re here!" Elma called out. Up ahead lied a small station with large computer monitors hung on the wall. In front of the station was a disheveled and unshaven man that sat in a chair. His legs protruded out right next to his face as he continued to type on the keyboard in front of him, ignoring the presence of the group.

    "Hey, Caz!" Chayse called out to him next. But, the man refused to acknowledge them.

    "Caz," Elma marched over to the chair, then kicked it, "get your lazy ass outta that chair!"

    The chair spun around uncontrollably. Caz yelled out until he was thrown from it, hitting the ground with a thud.

    "What the hell was that for? I heard you guys the first time around, damn it." He looked up at the Huntress with eyes of that of a dead fish.

    "Answer quicker next time," suggested Chayse, "also, your greetings still need some work."

    "Right, MY greetings need work," Caz rolled his eyes and looked over to Thelo. ¡°so, you¡¯re the one that caused all that trouble in Pandora? Word of advice¡­cooperate. It¡¯ll make things easier for you."

    "What? And end up their whipping boy like you?!" Thelo countered. The man made his intentions to cooperate very clear from the beginning. Nothing could change his mind.

    "Rude," Caz adjusted the subjugation collar around his neck.

    "Is the Director around?" Elma inquired.

    "Not yet. She''s still dealing with some issues on the surface."

    "Guess we''ll stick this guy in a cell for now." Chayse took the chain from Elma and dragged Thelo out of the room, ignoring the Exousia''s constant complaints.

    Once they were out of earshot, a sigh escaped from Elma. "That''s one problem dealt with for now,"

    "Still got about a mountain more," Caz reminded the Huntress, ruining her brief moment of relief. Afterward, the man returned to the comfort of his chair.

    Elma rummaged through her quiver and grabbed a specific covered in plastic. The tip colored in blood. She walked over to Caz and placed it next to him.

    "Brought back a blood sample from our fight with Maur. Try and see if you can find some information on him with that," She demanded. "Perhaps he has some connection to this country, like a family or something."

    Caz stared blankly at the arrow. "What are you planning on doing if he does happen to have a family?"

    "What do you care? That¡¯s not like you."

    "I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m just curious," Caz answered, ¡°after all, you¡¯ve made it clear that you don¡¯t mind doing anything that you deem is necessary to protect this kingdom. Does that make sense?"

    "Relax. I¡¯m not going to go after Maur''s family. If they don¡¯t have anything to do with this, that is." Elma assured him. However, the thought had crossed her mind. If going after the man''s family brought him out of hiding; she wouldn''t hesitate to do it.

    The bastard drove a knife in her stomach. She swore to repay the favor.

    "I''ll do what I can. It''ll take some time before I can get any results. Does that make sense?" Caz picked up the arrow and inspected it.

    "Hurry. We don''t know how much time we have until the Acolytes strike again," Elma crossed her arms and paced around the room. Time was of the essence. She couldn''t afford to stand around and do nothing while the bastards continued to plot the destruction of Soteria. "Have you requested for the Director to speak with the council yet?"

    Caz shook his head and set the arrow down. "She didn''t answer her Milo. So, I left a message instead. If I had to guess, I''d say that the council''s preoccupied lately. Does that make sense?"

    Elma stopped pacing. "What''s got them so busy? What''s more important than protecting their people and country?"

    "Probably themselves. Does that make sense?"

    Elma grinded her teeth and continued with her irritable pacing.

    The country¡¯s council infuriated her beyond belief. Those bags of bones weren¡¯t fit to lead themselves, let alone the country. What did they know about running a country if they never left the damn castle? They always spoke about how they acted in the interest of the people, but that was a blatant lie in her eyes. All they cared about was their reputation¡ªwhich already wasn¡¯t worth much.

    Elma wanted them gone.

    The country would only fall into ruin if they continued to rule it with their half-hearted intentions. Someone else had to take affirmative action. Someone more deserving. An image of the Director immediately came to the woman''s mind.

    She was the only one deserving enough to rule the kingdom. With her in charge, the Acolytes would¡¯ve been taken care of on day one. But, she wouldn¡¯t allow herself to usurp from the council. At least not through matters of force. She didn¡¯t want to repeat history.

    Caz sensed Elma''s frustration and set it upon himself to appease her. He hated being around the Huntress whenever she was angry. He couldn''t understand how Chayse managed to survive so long with that woman as his partner.

    Caz''s fingers glided across the keyboard. Eventually, he brought up video footage directly linked to the audience hall. There, he and Elma saw Kyros and his group speaking with the council.

    "Guess they''re dealing that Kyros guy," Caz pointed out. He pulled up multiple tabs of information on the military man in a matter of seconds. "Guy''s under suspicion of being a potential traitor."

    Elma forced Caz out from the chair and shoved the arrow in his hand. "Who cares about that? Acolytes come first. Get to the lab and get the blood tested."

    "Alright, alright, I''m going!" He reluctantly left the room and headed towards the lab. Elma followed closely behind him, ensuring that he wouldn''t try and slack off somewhere.

    Along the way, they came along Chayse and had him come along.

    Eventually, the group reached the lab. Caz placed the blood sample into a tube that connected to a large monitor. He pressed a series of buttons on the keypad and watched as the screen flashed through multiple images at a blinding speed.

    "Think it''ll find a match?" asked Chayse.

    "No clue. We need to hope that things go our way," Elma replied. "But while we wait, we should pay the Lambros Corporation a visit."

    "Why?"

    "I remember hearing that the company have been developing artificial Vitalis,"

    "What''s that got to do with this?"

    "Use your head between your shoulders for once," Elma poked Chayse''s forehead and continued with her explanation. "Maur used that strange orb to turn people into monsters, right? Well, I doubt that he had the resources to make that himself."

    "Suspecting the Lambros Corporation, are you?" Caz smirked. "I''d tread lightly if I were you. They''ve got big influence. You better have sufficient evidence to accuse them."Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    "I''m not accusing them of anything," Elma corrected. "I''m just gonna point out the coincidence between the situations. There are only two companies in the world that could create artificial Vitalis."

    "Maybe we should think this through some more, Elma," Chayse pleaded. "I don''t think we can accuse the Lambros Corporation without having the weight of the country come crashing down on us. Even if we have the backing of the Director--"

    "You afraid, Chayse?" Elma suddenly asked. Her sharp gaze pierced through his very being. But, even with her glance, the man stood his ground.

    "I''m concerned. The Lambros Corporation has helped bring prosperity and wealth to Soteria." Chayse stated.

    "They also nearly brought it to ruin when they helped the Last King take over," Elma retorted.

    Silence immediately befell the room.

    It was common knowledge that the Lambros Corporation had a shady past during the dark period in the country¡¯s history. The people would never forget the damage they had done. However, it was also known that the company had tried to remedy their past mistakes. They had been responsible for the creation of many of the world¡¯s most influential technological innovations in the world. One could hardly find anything in the world that didn¡¯t have the logo of the corporation on them.

    It wouldn¡¯t have surprise Elma to learn of them inventing artificial Vitalis. However, if they were responsible for the creation of those orbs, then it would be a different story. What would the corporation gain from creating orbs that could turn people into Varvara? Why would such a thought even cross their minds in the first place?

    Since they didn¡¯t have any other leads, Chayse and Elma left Tartarus and made their way to the headquarters of the corporation in Soteria City. They entered the building and were immediately greeted by the receptionist. Chayse chose to speak first, going way off topic by flirting with her. It wasn¡¯t until Elma pulled him away from the desk that they managed to get anywhere in the building.

    Elma stated their business and the employees guided them to the central office. They were led by two women, a short one in a white suit, and a tall one in a red suit. Their names were Amarantha and Malvasia. Once inside the office, the Hunters situated themselves on the couch. The other two remained near the desk on the other side of the room.

    No matter how much she tried, Elma couldn''t settle down while the employees were around. Every fiber of her being warned her to be on guard. The employees of the corporation moved about and performed their respective duties effortlessly. However, it seemed like there was no life in them. Their silver eyes lacked any warmth.

    Chayse, on the other hand, felt nothing amiss. He sat there and made flirtatious gestures toward Malvasia. All of them got dismissed and ignored.

    "Hope you don''t mind waiting. Rodi''s busy." Amarantha told her guests. She took a seat on the large chair behind the wooden desk. Her head barely poked over it.

    "It''s no problem. It''s our fault coming here without warning." Elma said.

    "So, whaddya gentlemen want from Rodi?" Amarantha playfully spun around in the chair repeatedly.

    "Gentlemen?" Elma asked.

    Amarantha stopped spinning in the chair. The little girl''s eyes fell to Elma''s chest. "You''re male, ain''tcha?"

    Elma rested her hands on her knees and squeezed. "No!" She hastily answered.

    "You sure?" Amarantha tilted her head to the side, giving Elma another once over. "Pretty sure you''re a man."

    The little girl brought her hand up to her chin with a thoughtful expression. Before she could say anything else, they were alerted to the door that opened behind them. Two people entered the room, the third president of the Lambros Corporation, Roditis Lambros, and a woman with glasses that carried a clipboard, his secretary, Retsina. The faces of Amarantha and Malvasia brightened at the sight of their boss.

    "Forgive me for my tardiness. Business." Roditis walked over to his desk. Amarantha got off the chair and allowed the owner to take a seat, only for her to take a position on his lap afterward.

    A short, sharp noise alerted Elma''s attention over to Retsina. Cracks had appeared on the corners of her clipboard where her hands resided. Strangely, no hint of negative emotions showed on her face.

    "It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s our fault for showing up out of the blue without prior notice." Elma told him.

    Roditis accepted the answer with an affirmative nod of his head. He placed his hand on Amarantha¡¯s head then rubbed it gently as he said, "So, how may I help you two today? Why the sudden visit?"

    "You hear about the terrorist attacks?" Chayse''s carefree vanished. He straightened his posture on the couch and his tone stern.

    "Yes, I have. I do not believe there is a single person in this country that has not heard about them," answered Roditis.

    "Before we go on any further, how much do you know about the terrorists?" Elma added.

    "About as much as the council." He answered.

    Afterward, the Retsina took over for him. "We know they arrived in the country around a month ago, since then multiple areas have been attacked. Only one town has fallen. There are only three terrorists, two of them are human while the third is a Beastia. They have technology that allows them to turn people into Varvara. Two out of the three of them are believed to be Exousia. Lastly, we have confirmed that a member of the terrorists is an offspring of the Last King."

    Elma closed her eyes and processed the information given to her. She figured that the Lambros Corporation had such extensive knowledge. People believed that the corporation had the second most power and influence in the country under the council. In fact, it was thought that the company secretly ran the kingdom from the shadows by manipulating the council.

    It irked Elma how much power they held. But, there was no denying how influential they were. They had their hands in nearly every type of business in the country.

    "Awesome. We don¡¯t have to waste time updating you." Chayse didn¡¯t seem too affected by their knowledge. He quickly accepted it and made himself comfortable on their couch again.

    "The two of you only came here to discuss the Acolytes?" inquired Roditis.

    "It¡¯s more than just that. We also wanted to talk to you about your artificial Vitalis creation project," Elma said.

    "That is not due to be completed until a few more months from now." Retsina said.

    "What do the Acolytes have to do with our project?" Roditis asked.

    "What kind of artificial Vitalis have you created?" Elma answered his question with one of her own.

    "We are not at liberty to release that information to you," Retsina quickly answered while adjusting her glasses, "please do not take it personally, but you two are mere hunters. We cannot run the risk of you two releasing such vital information at your leisure."

    "Hold on, Retsina," Roditis called out to her, "perhaps it would not be such a bad idea to answer them. This is a grave situation after all. We should cooperate to the best of our abilities."

    "But, Sir Roditis¡­"

    "That is my decision."

    "¡­Yes, sir."

    "We have created several Vitalis. They are still in their testing stages, however. Members of our Science Department and Weapons Development Department are working on them as we speak." Roditis wholeheartedly revealed to the Hunters. His voice carried great pride.

    "Would any of them by any chance have the power to turn people into Varvara?" Chayse finally asked the question.

    Silence.

    "¡­Excuse me?"

    "You heard him. Would any of them have the power to turn people into Varvara?" Elma harshly repeated the question as she leaned forward. She glared at him and gauged his expression. What bothered her was that it never changed.

    Roditis showed no hint of confusion nor genuine surprise to the question. It was as if he had expected them to ask him.

    "What an absurd question. Of course not." Retsina answered for him.

    "Such a device would be impossible to create," Roditis followed up with a statement of his own, "how would one even go about inventing such a thing? Why would someone even think of making a device like that? The Varvara are the eternal enemies of humanity. I have assured that the Lambros Corporation seeks to assist humanity as repentance for the cruel acts the previous presidents have caused to the world."

    "How could you two even come to the assumption that Sir Roditis would ever invent such a vile piece of technology?"

    "Now, now, Retsina, settle down. My family was responsible for allowing the dark period to last as long as it did. It is perfectly fine for them to suspect me."

    "No, it isn¡¯t Rodi! You had nothing to do with this!" exclaimed Amarantha.

    "Not. Wrong." Malvasia said.

    "The fault lies with the hunters," Retsina set her sights on Chayse and Elma, "they are simply grasping at straws. They do not have any concrete leads to the Acolytes, so they are going after anyone to save what little credibility they have in Soteria."

    "That¡¯s not true," Chayse immediately moved on the defense, "we only came here because the Acolytes used orbs which resembled Vitalis. Everyone knows that Vitalis that turn people into Varvara don''t exist. Or rather, they shouldn¡¯t."

    "Vitalis like that are unnatural. Which means that they can only be artificial. And as far as we¡¯re concerned, you¡¯re one of the only corporations in the world that can make it possible." Elma added.

    "I am flattered that you have come to that conclusion all on your own. However, I assure you that we are not in the business of creating such disastrous product." Roditis said.

    "Really? Because your company¡¯s history says otherwise."

    Despite Elma''s sharp response; Roditis chuckled. "Forgive me; it was a poor choice of words."

    "If you two are about done wasting our precious time. You should leave the building now. We are very pressed for time here." said Retsina.

    "Why in such a hurry to kick us out?" Elma called her out.

    "You seem to be hard of hearing. I said that we are very busy. We have wasted enough time talking with you."

    Silence filled the room, as well as an intense pressure as the Secretary and the Huntress glared at each other. Elma felt tempted to put an arrow right between her eyes at that moment, but, Chayse had decided to move things along before it could get to that point.

    "If you wouldn¡¯t mind. How about you take us to your lab or production room? It would certainly clear you of suspicion." He said.

    Retsina opened her mouth to most likely refuse the suggestion, but she was interrupted by Roditis as he said, "Sure. That is no problem."

    Both Retsina and Elma expressed their shock at how easily the man had accepted the suggestion. There was no hesitation from him. Elma''s feelings of uneasiness only increased the longer she spent time with him. Either the man truly was innocent, or he was a damn good liar.

    "Take us there," The Huntress ordered.

    "Very well." He nodded then looked at the girl that remained happily on his lap. "Amarantha, would you mind getting up so that I can escort our guests?"

    A hum of displeasure came from the short girl as she looked on with a conflicted expression. However, she soon obeyed him and got off, allowing him to stand to his feet. And with that, Roditis led the Hunters to the experimentation lab.

    It was a standard lab. They entered the large room and found multiple sections of the place separated by large glass windows. Through the glass windows were people wearing protective suits as they experimented with the artificial Vitalis. None of them looked like the ones that the Acolytes used.

    However, Elma still wasn¡¯t convinced.

    "Are there any more experiment labs that you could be hiding from us?" Elma wondered.

    "Of course, there are more labs. However, this is the only lab that we are conducting the experiments for the artificial Vitalis. After all, they are still not due to be completed for a few more years." answered Roditis.

    Elma clicked her tongue and looked around the lab some more. There just had to be something that she missed. That man was hiding something. She just had to find it no matter what.

    "Okay, let¡¯s just say that you¡¯re not the one that created those Varvara Vitalis,¡± Chayse said, ¡°is it possible that the Acolytes infiltrated your company and stole blueprints to your project?"

    For once, Roditis¡¯ calm expression shifted into a complicated one. He brought his hand up to his chin and contemplated the idea. Elma for one didn¡¯t think it was out of the equation. However, Roditis seemed to have thought the opposite.

    "Impossible. The security of the company is top notch. Not just anyone could get through our defenses." He proudly claimed. Although in Elma''s eyes¡ªhe boasted. "Also, I have received no word from my personal guards about any intruders."

    "So, that only leaves the option of the Acolytes having other methods of creating that Vitalis," Chayse concluded.

    His words worried Elma.

    If the Lambros Corporation weren¡¯t responsible for the creating of the Varvara Vitalis, then the thought of how the Acolytes got their hands on that technology frightened her even more.

    "Damn it¡­" Elma silently cursed to herself. She believed that coming to the corporation would answer all her questions. But instead, she had tons of more to ask.

    "I am sorry that I could not be of more use to you. However, if you do not mind me giving you a point in another direction¡­" Chayse and Elma turned our heads towards Roditis. "The Acolytes are fanatic worshippers of the goddess, Jaya. It is their sworn duty to uphold their faith and spread their beliefs through any means necessary."

    "What are you getting at?" Elma asked.

    "I am saying that it is possible that the Acolytes will be attacking the church next." He answered. His eyes beamed with confidence. "In times of despair, most religious people turn to their gods for guidance and salvation. Although it is unfortunate to say, this may be one of those times. After all, the attacks across the country continue to grow fiercer."

    "No doubt people would look towards the church and military for assurance." Chayse agreed.

    "Precisely. I believe that the Acolytes will choose the church as their next target as a means for more propaganda for their goddess."

    "How long have you had such an inference?" Elma pointed out.

    "Quite some time. I have brought the conjecture up in a meeting with your council earlier. They said they would consider looking into it. However, I have not received word if they have properly investigated the idea."

    "If it¡¯s them, I doubt they¡¯d spend their resources protecting a church rather than the castle," said Chayse.

    "I don¡¯t see what they¡¯d gain by attacking a church. Sure, they¡¯d preach about the superiority of their goddess compared to ours. But, it¡¯s still insane when you factor in the people that they¡¯ve killed." Elma added. "There¡¯s more to these attacks. I remember Maur mentioning that they wanted to overrun the country with Varvara and set up the stage for their mother¡¯s return."

    "Overrunning a country with Varvara would be difficult. However, it is not like it has not happened before." Roditis told them.

    "It won¡¯t happen," Elma assured him, "the moment they move in for an attack in Soteria city, we¡¯ll be ready to take them down."

    "But, that still leaves the question as to where they¡¯ll attack first. The church and the castle both seem like good points of attack." Chayse informed the group.

    "The castle would do the most damage. After all, the council and the military are right next to each other. Should both fall to the Acolytes, the country is doomed." Elma revealed.

    Chayse¡¯s eyebrows furrowed once he heard the grim statement. "Then again, attacking the church would be a good start for them. It¡¯s not that defended and the people there rarely know how to use their Praus for protection."

    "It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t protect both places, Chayse. We can leave the castle to the military while you and I protect the church." Elma told him.

    "Okay¡­but, which one?"

    "Maur mentioned Shura quite a bit during our fight against him. I have a feeling the Church of Shura will be their next target. We¡¯ll guard that one."

    "How troublesome. I miss the days when we simply had to kill Varvara or monsters out in the Gardens of Eden." He loudly complained as he rubbed the back of his neck.

    "Quit complaining. If you didn¡¯t want to work hard, then you shouldn¡¯t have followed me here."

    "And let you hog all the fame and fortune? No way!"

    "If you two are through. I think we should take this conversation elsewhere. I do not wish to distract the testers." said Roditis.

    "It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re done here. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to indulge us on our investigation." Chayse replied. Afterward, the Hunters were escorted out of the building by the president himself.

    Although Elma left the building with more questions than answers, she at least had a clue as to where to head next. It never even crossed her mind that the Acolytes would target a church. She couldn¡¯t see what they would possibly gain from pulling such a stunt. But, she didn¡¯t think too much on the matter.

    The Acolytes were crazed and radical worshippers of Jaya. Their irrational methods didn¡¯t have to make sense to her¡ªonly to them.

    No matter what they had planned. Chayse and Elma swore to make sure that their plans failed.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 26 - Meetings!

    Members of the Lambros Corporation sat alone in the vast, lavish office on the top floor of the corporate building. The third president, Roditis Lambros, sat in his chair with one of his bodyguards, Amarantha, set securely on his lap. The little girl ate happily away with a bowl of grapes in her hands. She''d occasionally spit seeds out onto the floor, upsetting her boss, Retsina.

    Meanwhile, Malvasia stood quietly behind the desk.

    Roditis patted Amarantha''s head and stared out the window of the building. It gave him a magnificent view of the city. His corporate building was second only to the castle that sat upon the top of the mountain. Unlike the previous presidents that sought to reach the top of the mountain, Roditis saw far beyond that. Even when others saw nothing but the past accomplishments of his company; the man sought only the future.

    A notification alert sounded from the Milo on his desk. Roditis turned in his swivel chair and pressed the button on the communication device. A holographic image of the receptionist appeared above it.

    "Mr. Roditis, your guests have arrived and are waiting." She announced.

    "Thank you. We will be right down." Roditis nodded.

    "They got here faster than expected," Amarantha noted before she tossed another grape into her mouth. When she felt her boss try to leave the chair, the little girl got up and joined Malvasia''s side.

    "Mr. Roditis," Retsina called out. "Are you sure it is wise to meet with them? Most communication with them has been through secure lines."

    "What''re you worried about, Retsy? If those idiots try anything to Rodi, we''ll kick their asses!" Amarantha boasted. She finished off the last of her grapes and set the bowl aside.

    "That is what I would like to avoid," Retsina adjusted her glasses. "Physical confrontation with them here would shine a light on our operations. We cannot risk that."

    Roditis stood from his chair and headed for the exit. His employees followed not too far behind. "I acknowledge your concerns, Retsina. However, we cannot afford to back down after coming this far."

    The group wandered to the elevator. They entered and descended. However, they did not go to the lobby on the first floor. Instead, they traveled far deeper into the sub-levels. When the elevator doors opened, they stepped out into the cavernous underground.

    Amarantha latched onto Malvasia''s arm as they group proceeded further down the passageway.

    "I don''t like this place," The little girl whined.

    "You are Mr. Roditis'' bodyguard. Do not show fear." Retsina ordered.

    The group continued down the passageway until they reached a large stone door. Amarantha, Malvasia, and Retsina moved forward and pushed the door open for their boss.

    "Thank you, ladies." Roditis entered the next room. Unlike the passageway, torches illuminated the room. The flames danced as a light breeze blew through the area from the massive, cavernous entrance in the far back.

    A circular, stone table rested in the center of the room. Three people concealed in black robes occupied most of the seats. Roditis adjusted his tie and approached his guests. The stone floor amplified his footsteps.

    "Welcome my humbled guests," Roditis smiled. "There is no need for the hoods. I am well aware of your identities."

    The hooded individuals wasted no time in removing their hoods, revealing their identities as the terrorists behind the recent attacks across the country. Melanie Elisavet, Maur, and Taurian. Roditis took a seat at the table and continued with the meeting.

    "I see that you three had no trouble getting here," He noted.

    "Speak for yourself," Maur commented. His gaze soon darted toward the missing horn on Taurian''s head. The Bull Beastia sensed the man''s gaze and sharply turned to face him. His face seethed with rage.

    "Something you wanna say to me, Maur?!" Taurian questioned. Those in the room sensed the tension between the two acolytes. They knew that one wrong word would result in a fight.

    "Indeed," Maur answered with a coy smirk. "This one has noticed how different you look since our last encounter. Have you lost some weight?"

    Taurian gripped the edges of the roundtable. That portion of the table tore apart due to the man''s enormous strength. Retsina and Malvasia readied themselves to subdue the potential threat to their boss, but Roditis ordered them to stand down with a wave of his hand.

    Melanie raised her hand and snapped her fingers. Maur and Taurian''s little game ceased at that moment. The men looked away from each other and set their sights on Roditis and his employees. Once she was sure they settled down, Melanie rested her elbows on the table and intertwined her fingers.

    "Forgive them, Roditis. Their behavior still needs a lot of work," Melanie''s sharp gaze honed on her subordinates. They felt holes burning in the back of their necks.

    "That is quite alright," Roditis dismissed the apology. "I hope you did not mind using the underground entrance. I am sure you understand why we cannot have terrorists coming through our front door."

    "This cavern smells," Taurian complained. "It''s barely lit, and I got attacked by Varvara on the way here. It doesn''t look like you took much effort in rolling out the red carpet for us."

    Roditis looked at Taurian and responded with a soft smile, "These tunnels connect to Tartarus. I cannot alter them too much, or else the military will take notice."

    "Do not concern yourself with his complaints," Maur cut his way into the conversation. "Melanie and this one had no trouble finding the way here."

    "I see. Now onto business," Roditis pulled out his Milo from his suit pocket. He set it on the table and pressed a series of buttons. Holographic reports of the terrorist attacks appeared above the device. "Judging from these reports, it seems the experiment went quite well."

    "Quite well?" Taurian erupted from his seat. Roditis'' employees readied themselves for combat once again. "None of those towns were destroyed as planned! Bastards stopped all of our attacks! What part of that experiment went quite well for you?!"

    "Do not raise your voice at Mr. Roditis," Retsina demanded.

    "Inside. Voice." Malvasia ordered.

    "Forgive me for my poor choice of words, Mr. Taurian." Roditis apologized. He took a mental note to choose his words more carefully around the enraged Beastia. "I was referring to the Artifical Vitalis I created. It worked wonders, did it not?"

    Taurian smacked his lips and took a seat, murmuring incoherent swears under his breath. While the initial plan didn''t work out the way he wanted, he couldn''t deny the efficiency of the Artificial Vitalis. Never in his life did he imagine that he''d have the power to turn people into Varvara.

    "Yes. Those Vitalis worked tremendously well," Maur informed. "Hard to believe that those were mere prototypes."

    "Imagine what we could do when we receive the finished product," A wicked smile crossed Melanie''s face. "How much longer do we have until they are ready?"

    "We are unsure at this point. Progress has been slow and--"

    Melanie''s eyes narrowed. Maur sensed his leader''s irritation and took matters into his own hands. He tapped the stone table with his finger and activated his powers. A surge of electricity coursed through the area until the table disintegrated.

    Roditis shifted his gaze to the pile of dust that replaced the table. It didn''t show on the man''s face, but he smiled from the bottom of his heart. Exousia fascinated him. Their powers surpassed Vitalis. Gifts from the Goddess during the dark ages of humanity.

    Those dark ages sought to confront humanity once again. Therefore, the Goddess graced mankind with another gift.

    The Exousia.

    That''s what Roditis believed.

    Even when three of them stood before him, threatening him, he couldn''t help but feel interested in how he''d lead them down the correct path.

    "I hope that you did not let us come all this way just to hear your excuses, Roditis," Melanie''s cruel tone resonated. She rested her hand on the handle of her sword. By that point, all of Roditis'' employees moved in front of their boss, ready to lay down their lives to protect him. "This matter is of the utmost importance. Failure to deliver on your promise can bring disastrous results upon you and your toys."

    "I assure you that I do not intend to hinder your mission. However, threatening my employees and me will not help you get what you want." Roditis informed.

    "Smart guy, huh?" Taurian stood and cracked his knuckles. It was more of a scare tactic. But, if his leader gave him the order, he''d show no hesitance in breaking the spines of those before him. Ever since he lost his horn to Dire, his mood hadn''t been the best. "Keep talking to our leader like that and I''ll snap you in half."

    At that moment, everyone stood, ready to attack at the drop of a hat. Tensions were high. The confrontation was imminent.

    "This meeting has gone off track," Roditis stated. By no means did he want things to end with a fight. But, if the acolytes continued to insult and threaten his subordinates, he would have no choice but to take action.

    "It has," Melanie agreed. She spread her arms out and placed them on the shoulders of her subordinates. They nodded their heads and slowly returned to their seats. "We have been on edge lately since our plans were derailed."Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Roditis maneuvered through the screen of his Milo. Holographic images of several appeared above the device.

    "You mean by these people?" He questioned.

    All three of the Acolytes stared at the ones that interfered with their attacks. Melanie expressed annoyance, Maur smugness, and Taurian frustration.

    "A combination of military soldiers, Hunters, and criminals," Maur noted. He was the type of man that thought through several possibilities and outcomes before committing to something. He expected resistance during his attack, but, not to the scales of what hindered him.

    "Odd choices for defenders," Melanie noted. "To be fair, most of them were Exousia."

    "Not the ones Maur fought," added Taurian. "He could''ve killed those Hunters. But, I hear they survived."

    Maur scoffed and shook his head, knowing what Taurian tried to do. "So what if they did? What more trouble could those Hunters bring to us? As you said, they were not Exousia''s."

    "All the more reason why you should''ve destroyed that town,"

    "Melanie ordered this one not to use powers to destroy towns anymore," Maur revealed. "Besides, this one only retreated because Melanie gave the order. What is your excuse?"

    "What?"

    "You were bested by another Exousia. Why did you not use your power to subdue him?"

    "It was the Second Exousia! I didn''t want to risk him using his powers and--"

    "Enough," Melanie ordered. Maur and Taurian shut their mouths and straightened their postures. "Regardless of what happened to us then will not change the result of our mission. We will destroy this country and take what we need."

    "To do that, we need your inventions," Maur pointed at Roditis. "We agreed to spare you and your lackeys if you continue to assist us. However, if you continue to prove yourself useless to us, then we will return you to Mother''s side."

    "I understand," Roditis nodded his head. He did not appreciate the threat. But he knew it was best to bite his tongue and endure it for the long run. "Give me a little more time. I promise I will produce a product far more potent than the prototypes."

    "Good," Melanie nodded her head and signaled for her subordinates to leave the room. After they left, the woman stood and smiled. "I also need some information from you, Roditis."

    "What is it?"

    "What do you know about a man named Kyros Aleister?"

    Meanwhile, Kyros and his group left the castle after their one-sided meeting with the council. Their next destination was the military base stationed nearby. During their walk towards headquarters, Sarra noted rows of statues erected in front of the large building. They displayed people of various shapes and sizes, posing heroically with weapons in their hands.

    They were memorials of the great heroes that came from the country. Sarra looked around for a statue of Aion. But, she never found one. Her mind wandered back to the conversation she had with Kyros about Aion''s relationship with the country.

    From what the girl saw throughout her stay in Soteria, she learned far more about its history, government, and military. It was different from how she imagined. She couldn''t understand how the council could treat its esteemed officers and heroes with disdain and contempt if they disobeyed any order. They also withheld vital information which could''ve saved lives out in the Gardens of Eden.

    Her thoughts on the military weren''t that great either. Most of the officers she encountered were arrogant and overbearing. Sure, they boasted about having tremendous power. She didn''t see the problem with that.

    But, what was the point of boasting if they ever accomplished anything? Three religious fanatics remained at large.

    "So, you gonna spill where you''re taking us?" Runa asked.

    "We''re going to see my benefactor, General Zofia," Kyros revealed. His voice and tone carried great admiration for that woman. "If anyone is willing to listen and help us with our problems, it''s her."

    "What can she do?" asked Sarra. From her understanding, the General''s in the country were infamous for their exploits during times of war. But, that was only during the dark period.

    "She could convince the council to remove my suspension," Kyros hoped. "Then, she could give us some leads where the Acolytes will strike next."

    "We''re nearing headquarters," Cassie pointed out. The group entered the large building and headed for the elevator. They reached the top floor--the War Room.

    Almost immediately upon leaving the elevator, everyone ducked down when something flew over their heads. Runa and Sarra reached for their weapons, expecting another attack. They relaxed when they spotted that the object that flew over them was a bird--an owl to be exact.

    The avian flew over their heads once again then perched itself on the table in the center of the room.

    "Someone''s in a good mood," Kyros commented as he and the others approached the table.

    "Who does the bird belong to?" Sarra wondered.

    "Does it have a name?" Runa suddenly drew exceedingly close to the bird. She outstretched her hand, wanting to pet it. She pulled her hand back when the owl snapped at her.

    "This is Arwen. It''s General Zofia''s pet owl," Cassie informed. "He''s like our armies mascot."

    "He''s cute," Sarra smiled.

    "It won''t let me pet it," Runa complained. Each time she tried to pet the owl, it snapped at her. She contemplated just letting the bird do it.

    Kyros swatted Runa''s hand away from the bird. "Arwen doesn''t like strangers touching him."

    "Arwen? Do you know where General Zofia is?" Cassie asked.

    Arwen took off into the air and flew over to the other side of the room. He perched himself on the shoulder of his owner--an armor-clad woman with long, blue hair. She stood with her back to the group. Her sharp eyes gazed out the window in front of her, enjoying the view of the clouds.

    Kyros and Cassie stepped forward and saluted their superior officer.

    "G-General Zofia, sir! I-I mean, ma''am!" Cassie and Kyros nervously greeted.

    "Your greetings are stiff," Zofia turned to face her subordinates with eyes of indifference. Runa immediately noticed their odd color--silver. It reminded her of Roditis'' employees. Like them, she sensed no life in the woman.

    "We''re sorry!" Cassie and Kyros bowed their heads to her. Runa felt oddly amused watching them stutter and fumble with their words like a bunch of idiots. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably while they were in her presence.

    Runa and Sarra seemed unaffected to whatever pressure the two soldiers must''ve felt.

    "What brings you all here today?" Zofia patted Arwen''s head and took a seat at the head of the war tables. The others followed suit.

    "General Zofia, we wanted to discuss the terrorists--"

    "The Jaya Acolytes, right?" Zofia interrupted.

    "You already know of them?" Sarra asked.

    "Radical worshippers of the Goddess of Destruction, Jaya. Wanted criminals throughout Salome. Historical records dictate that the Acolytes have been around for over two thousand years."

    "Then, are you aware that--"

    "The one leading the attack is an offspring of the Last King. Her name is Melanie Elisavet. She has two people under her umbrella. Mad Bull, Taurian, a former prisoner of Tartarus, and a man named Maur." Zofia continued to reveal detailed information about the acolytes. "I am also aware that at least two out of the three are Exousia."

    Runa and Sarra stared at the General with wide eyes. Her impressive network of intelligence gathering outstood them. They wished they had someone like her in their Guild. The woman would surely secure a high rank in the organization.

    Kyros nervously laughed as he placed his hand behind his neck. "As expected of you, General. Your skills of information gathering are top notch." He sheepishly praised her.

    She passively accepted his praise with an affirmed hum. Runa guessed that she wasn¡¯t much a fan of pleasantries.

    "I haven''t done anything compared to the men that risked their lives obtaining these crucial pieces of information for me," She humbly responded. The General hated taking most of the credit for things she had nothing to do with. "Now that we know who we are dealing with; we can develop countermeasures against them."

    "That was another thing we wanted to discuss with you about," Kyros said. "The acolytes plan to destroy Soteria. So, it''s clear that they''ll come to attack the capital city."

    "We gotta figure out where they''ll attack first," added Runa. "They get the drop on us like last time; I doubt we''ll win. We tried talking to the council, but they cast us aside."

    Zofia rested her hands on the table as she closed her eyes. A restrained groan of frustration came from her before she said, "Please excuse the council for that. They have been collaborating with multiple organizations about the matter, and they are still having trouble reaching a concrete decision. There have been talks about evacuating the people and increasing military patrols."

    "That sounds like a good idea." Sarra chimed in enthusiastically. With fewer people around in the capital city, the acolytes would have less chances to turn people into Varvara.

    However, Kyros noted a few errors with that plan. "Evacuating the people would take days, and leave ourselves wide open for another attack."

    "How so?" Sarra wondered.

    "Even if the military assisted with the evacuation, the Acolytes could use that as an opportunity to strike some of the less defended areas. Or, if they were more brazen, they could attack the evacuating citizens and build up a small army of Varvara."

    "So far the council refused the evacuation idea. They plan to strengthen the defenses of the capital. However, they also decided to prioritize most of the defenses around the castle," Zofia reluctantly revealed.

    "The castle?" Cassie exclaimed.

    "That¡¯s¡­that¡¯s not a good thing, right?" Sarra nervously looked around.

    "No. It''s not." Runa coldly answered. "They''re prioritizing their safety before their people."

    "I am trying everything I can to get them to change their minds. But, they are paranoid," Zofia said. She could not blame them. The past has come back to haunt them after almost twenty years. "They requested for me and some of my top subordinates to guard them for the next few days in case of emergencies."

    "If you managed to convince them. Where would you defend first?" Kyros asked. "Soteria city''s massive."

    "My sources believe that one of their targets will be the church of Shura," She answered, "I will have some soldiers stationed around here and there."

    "Well, if you need any help, just let us know where to go." Kyros offered.

    Zofia narrowed her eyes. "The council suspended you, Kyros. You should not even be here."

    Kyros could almost picture an imaginary spear piercing through his chest from her words. His general was his last hope in helping him lift his suspension. He knew it was wrong to go to her for help, but he felt he had no other choices.

    "Ms. Zofia," Sarra spoke up, "if it¡¯s not too much trouble, could you help Mr. Kyros with his suspension?"

    "Oh?" The General looked at her with mild interest. "Now why would I want to do that?"

    "General Zofia, you don''t have to--"

    "Let the girl speak, Captain Kyros," Her commanding voice silenced him quickly. Afterward, her fierce gaze returned to Sarra as she said, "Go on, child."

    Out of the corner of Runa''s eye, she noticed that Sarra clutched the arms of her chair. She stammered incoherently as if she was trying to find the right words. Eventually, they came to her. "Mr. Kyros hasn¡¯t done anything wrong to deserve the suspension. He¡¯s a good man that¡¯s put the well-being of others before his own. And yet, some people have been mistreating him. Like the council and that Damia woman. It¡¯s not right."

    Her determined voice came out clear¡ªwithout a hint of doubt or hesitation. Runa always found it a treat watching Sarra speak her mind. However, she also wished that the girl learned when and where to speak out.

    The Huntresses had no say in the decision of the council or how others wanted to treat Kyros. They were mere foreigners to them after all. They had no influence.

    It was deathly quiet in the room. No one dared to say anything else while the General gave a thousand-yard stare. Despite the situation, there was no pressure. Or at least not that Runa could sense. Cassie, Kyros, and Sarra seemed to be the only ones affected.

    Zofia closed her eyes then smirked. "You found yourself some good comrades, Captain Kyros. But, you did break the rules. I will not exempt him from the suspension."

    "Why not?" Sarra quickly leaned forward in her chair with pleading eyes.

    "That¡¯s enough, Sarra." Runa placed her hand on the little girl''s shoulder and stopped her from overstepping the boundaries.

    "Captain Kyros is an excellent soldier and one of my most promising subordinates. He graduated the top of his class in the academy when he was only nineteen," Zofia listed off some of his accolades, "however, it does not change the fact that he broke the rules. If I helped him get out of punishment simply because he is a good man, then what kind of example would I be sending to my other subordinates?"

    A sound argument. One that kept Sarra quiet.

    "Listen, I am just as upset about the suspension as you are. You have been working hard for years to reach where you are today. You have experienced terrible tragedies and overcome many obstacles. You can do the same for this one without any intervention from me."

    "Yes! I will do my best!" Kyros saluted her.

    "Not as a soldier this time, Kyros. But, as a civilian." Zofia smiled. "Now, if there is nothing more to discuss, I need you and your Huntresses to leave the room. I need to discuss strategy with Lieutenant Cassie."

    Kyros nodded his head without hesitation and guided the Huntresses out of the War Room.

    "This got us nowhere," Runa complained. She had only been in the capital city for a few hours, and she felt they accomplished nothing in the end. They were no much closer to finding and capturing the acolytes.

    "What are we gonna do now?" Sarra wondered.

    "We''ll have to wait things out for now. Nothing we can do until the acolytes decide to show themselves," Kyros reluctantly revealed. At that point, he was limited to how far into the investigation he could go. Thanks to his suspension, he was just an ordinary civilian. Even being in the building could cost him and the Huntresses trouble. With no other options to offer, the group left the building and headed for the port, wanting to head back down from the mountain peak.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 27 - Jaya Acolytes Resurface!

    Kyros and Runa sat around the cafe, enjoying their meals and beverages brought to them by their waiters. Three days passed since the man''s suspension from the military. Since then, he spent most of his time acting as Runa and Sarra''s tour guide around Soteria city. Throughout those days of relaxation, they heard no word from Cassie about any new information about the Acolytes.

    They were left entirely in the dark.

    They noticed the immense increase in military presence and surveillance in the city. While comforting, it also unsettled the team. Tension weighed heavily in the air. It showed on the faces of the civilians.

    No doubt all their negative feelings would bring the Varvara into Soteria again.

    There were a few reports of Varvara sightings over the past three days. However, they weren''t on the scale of the attacks from before. So, they were quickly dealt with before they could escalate.

    "Think we''ve gone four days without doing anything?" Kyros wondered. He picked up a wine glass and took a sip.

    "That''s what it looks like," Runa assumed. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms behind her head. "No sightings of the acolytes anywhere."

    "I''ve been meaning to ask...how long do you plan to stay here waiting for them to resurface?" Kyros inquired. Since the Huntress didn''t belong to the country, he doubted she''d stay for long periods of time.

    Uncertaintyspread across Runa''s face once she heard the question. She knew she''d be away from the guild for quite some time. Hell, it took over a month to reach Soteria. She also knew that her mission wouldn''t be easy, but she never imagined how insane the situation was. If she chose to return to the guild empty-handed, she feared the mockery and disdain she''d receive from her comrades.

    Quitting a mission halfway through was considered disgraceful and shameful. Punishment for such an act often resulted in ridicule, suspension from the guild, and a demotion in rank.

    Those were things Runa didn''t want to go through. She never quit a mission. No matter what.

    She didn''t care how long she''d have to wait. Either way, those acolytes would poke their heads out sooner or later.

    "I''ll stay as long as it takes for them to show up," Runa answered. "I didn''t come out all this way to give up. I want my money."

    "Figured you''d say that," Kyros chuckled and took another sip of his wine. "We should probably get going then. It''s going to be night soon."

    Runa nodded and stood from her seat. "You pay. I''m gonna go call Sarra and let her know we''re on our way back."

    After she issued the order, the Huntress collected her weapon and wandered out of the establishment. Kyros rolled his eyes and reached for his wallet. All three days he took Runa out to eat. And all three days he was the one forced to pay.

    When he looked up from his wallet, he saw a woman join him at the table. And it was one that he unfortunately recognized. It was none other than Melanie Elisavet, the one in charge of the acolytes attacking the country. However, she wore civilian clothes and styled her hair to cover one side of her face.

    Kyros prepared to take the woman right there at that moment, but, he stopped when he felt something poke his stomach. He looked down and noticed Melanie''s sword unsheathed, mere millimeters away from piercing through his stomach.

    "Move out from that chair without my permission, and I''ll gut you right here," Melanie warned with a charming voice. The pleasant smile that crossed her face spread anxiety and dread throughout Kyros'' body.

    "What are you doing here?" Kyros demanded. He envisioned the acolytes would reveal themselves again sooner or later. But, he never imagined they''d come to him. His eyes scanned the establishment, wondering if anyone else was an acolyte in disguise.

    "Don''t bother," Melanie shook her head. "I''m the only one here. And, I came to talk to you."

    "About what?" Kyros'' eyebrows furrowed. He never figured the acolytes would be willing to talk to others besides themselves.

    "After our previous encounter, I''ve taken a bit of an interest in you," Melanie revealed. "You should be honored. I''ve come to you with a proposition."

    "What''s that?"

    "I''m gracing you with the option to join us," The acolyte revealed. Kyros'' eyes widened when those dreadful words reached his ears. The day continued to confuse and infuriate him even more. He never thought he''d encounter the acolytes so soon and it never crossed his mind that they''d look to recruit him.

    "What kind of bullshit is this?! Are you out of your mind?!" Kyros winced when Melanie pushed her sword further. It pricked his stomach and blood trickled down the blade.

    "Keep your voice down. You''re drawing unwanted attention," Melanie warned.

    Kyros gritted his teeth and kept his head down. "Why would I ever want to join the likes of you?"

    "I saw the fire in your eyes when we fought. When I mentioned Shura, I sensed your hatred and frustration toward her," Melanie pointed out. "We Acolytes of Jaya share that hatred and seek to act out on it. Thanks to Shura''s foolishness, we now possess the power to overthrow her. Surely, you seek to do the same when I noticed your rage."

    Kyros couldn''t deny that he hated Shura. Or rather, he despised the concept of Gods as a whole. He didn''t want to accept the powers given to him by the Goddess. But, he couldn''t ignore them forever.

    The world was changing in a way that he never foresaw.

    "Yeah, I wouldn''t mind knocking her off her throne," Kyros agreed. "But, I don''t condone your methods. I can''t see how slaughtering hundreds of innocents will help you win the God Selection."

    Melanie smirked, clearly it showed that she knew far more than she was willing to let on. "You know nothing about Gods, do you?"

    "Should I?"

    "When dealing with adversaries that boast nearly limitless power, it''d be best to learn all you can about them," Melanie informed. "But, we can discuss this more if you decide to join us."

    "What if I refuse?"

    "Then, I will leave you to your fate."

    "And that would be--"

    "Death. Those that refuse to join us are destined to die."

    "You''re insane."

    "No, you''re the one that''s insane," Melanie scowled. "I can''t understand how you can fight for a selfish Goddess, or for a country that mistreats you at every turn. And for what? The past actions of your family."

    Kyros'' eyes widened. Not only did the woman have him cornered in a difficult position, but she also knew about his family history? She couldn''t have been in the country long enough to learn about it.

    "What''re you--"

    "Your father was a radical supporter of the Last King and tried to free from Tartarus upon his defeat. Unfortunately, your mother defeated and incarcerated him in Tartarus herself. Afterward, your mother was rewarded with an increase in rank," Melanie continued to list off the actions of his family. Kyros could only sit there in astonishment as he got forced down memory lane with the acolyte. "While out on an expedition for the military, your mother betrayed her unit and got most of them killed. But, that backfired, and she wound up dying out in the Wild Lands. Around that time, you decided to join the military yourself. And now they fear you''ll follow in the footsteps of your parents and become a traitor."

    Kyros clenched the edges of the table. It took everything out of him not to lash out at the woman. She wandered into dangerous territory so easily, without a care in the world.

    "How do you know all of this?" Kyros inquired.

    "I used to live here. My connections are still just as powerful as before," Melanie revealed. "You shouldn''t waste your time trying to fight for this country. Your recent suspension should be more than enough evidence to prove that they don''t care whether you live or die. Why fight for a nation that judges on such trivial matters such as bloodline?"

    "Because I see more to Soteria than just bloodshed and corruption," Kyros answered without hesitation. Melanie blinked in confusion. "Yes, this country has a lot of problems. But, with the right leadership, it can all be fixed. That''s what I plan to do."

    "You can''t fix Soteria. It''s destroyed beyond repair." Melanie harshly announced. She shook her head and continued to let her words of malice leak from her mouth, "Soteria dug itself into its own grave the moment they assassinated its greatest ruler."

    "Your father?" Kyros assumed.

    Melanie bit down on her lip. "He brought prosperity to this country. And how did it repay him? With an ax through his head." She tapped the side of her head.

    "Your father brought prosperity using violence and war. Thousands of people suffered for decades because of him. I know it''s hard hearing this about him, but he had to--"

    "Shut up," Melanie demanded. The soft smile that once plastered on her face shifted into a fierce scowl. "This nation took everything from me, and I plan to do the same. Everyone will learn what it''s like to lose everything they loved. They''ll learn that the past will always come back to haunt them."

    Kyros narrowed his eyes after the woman''s declaration reached his ears. He learned more from his conversation with Melanie than he ever did when Aion spoke with him about her.

    "Whatever you''re planning won''t work, Melanie." He declared without fear. "Soteria won''t fall to you or anyone."

    "I''ll take that as your answer," Melanie sheathed her blade and stood from her chair. She turned her head and stared out the window. The sun slowly descended. The reaches of darkness stretched out over the city. "You were given the option of salvation, and you declined. What happens to you afterward is all on you."

    "What are you planning?" Kyros prepared to leave his seat again. He stopped when the woman sharply turned to face him with her hand on the hilt of her sword.

    "Make any sudden movements, and I''ll slaughter everyone in here," Melanie threatened. "You should know what damage I could do with just a few corpses."

    Kyros clicked his tongue and kept his butt planted in the chair. Every fiber of his being shouted at him to capture Melanie, but he didn''t want to risk getting others killed. It pained him to do so, but he sat there and watched the Acolyte leave the establishment.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Meanwhile at the church of Shura¡ªa holy sanctuary built in Soteria city as a dedication to the Goddess of creation and life. There were many faiths and religions in Salome, but the most common belief was of Shura. Or at least that¡¯s how it was in Soteria. There were many stories and myths about her deeds throughout history. The most famous one was the story of how she created ultimate warriors now known as the Seven Savior Generals during the World Splitting War. After the war concluded, each General separated and created countries in their image, creating the seven world powers known as the kingdoms.

    Outside the large chapel resided two giant statues of two women¡ªone of the first ruler of the Kingdom, Soteria, and the second was of Shura. Or at least the depiction of how the people saw her.

    Chayse patrolled around the inside of the church with a few armed soldiers. To him, it looked well rehearsed and efficient. He hardly spotted any holes in the patrols defenses. However, he knew Elma wouldn''t feel the same.

    For the past three days they remained around the church, Elma would point out the errors and mistakes she spotted. She''d chastise everyone until it got perfected. The soldiers often complained about her methods, but, she made quick work of them and proved her superiority.

    That woman was terrifying when she was angry. Which was why Chayse often tried to remain on her good side and stayed out of her way entirely.

    "What''re you doing?" Elma''s voice came from behind Chayse, followed by the sound of wooden doors being closed. Chayse turned around and watched his partner approach him. Despite how beautiful he thought she looked illuminated by the moonlight bleaching through the stained-glass windows, her expression sent a chill down his spine.

    "Keeping up with patrol as usual," Chayse answered. "How''re things out there on your end?"

    "Nothing as usual. No suspicious activity." Elma took a seat on a nearby pew.

    "Maybe we''re just wasting our time here," Chayse complained. "We evacuated the people here and kept this place on lockdown, but so far there hasn''t been a single hint of a potential attack."

    "Well, it''s not like we can predict when the next attack will come. We''ll have to keep waiting things out for the next few days,"

    Chayse stepped forward and scratched the back of his neck. "Something I''ve meant to mention, how do we know they''ll attack this church specifically? Or any other church for that matter?"

    "Whaddya mean?"

    "We''ve secured every single church in the city. We''ve got multiple units patrolling them. It''s no secret what we''re doing," Chayse crossed his arms over his chest. "So, how can we be sure they''ll attack the churches when there''s such an overwhelming military presence?"

    "From the Director''s reports, the Acolytes had no problems with attacking military units in the other towns. Even though we''ve only met Maur, if his partners are as brazen as him, then they''ll attack the churches." The confidence in Elma''s voice brought a weary smile to her partner''s face. "However, I still can¡¯t help but feel irritated that Roditis was the one that gave us that information in the first place."

    "It''s not that much of a big deal, is it? He''s one of the smartest people in this country. If he believes the Acolytes will attack the churches, then perhaps we should listen to him."

    "Yeah, I know. It''s just a matter of pride, I guess."

    "Don''t let that--" Chayse stopped in mid-sentence after he heard rapid gunfire outside of the church. Elma jumped from the pew and rushed for the door. The doors swung open, and some soldiers flew into the church--defeated. The Hunters readied their bows and aimed ahead of them for their incoming threat.

    A large, boar-like creature stormed into the church. Its amethyst colored eyes locked on the Hunters.

    "No way! A Basurde?!" Elma exclaimed.

    "Now they''re using Basurde''s?!" Chayse exclaimed as well.

    "Stay sharp, Chayse!" Elma ordered before she released her arrow. It struck the Basurde in the head. Its cry of pain resounded in the church, but the creature refused to fall without a fight. It charged with deadly intent, plowing through the pews and anything else that got in its way.

    Basurde¡¯s had high attack power, and they were resilient. Thankfully, they weren¡¯t well known for their speed. Elma and Chayse dodged its initial charge with ease. While its back was turned to them; they fired a few arrows into it. It squealed once more before it turned around and charged again.

    Same as before, the Hunters dodged and released more arrows into it. Only that time, the projectiles exploded on impact. The monster got consumed by the explosions, squealing loudly before collapsing. Chayse hurried to its side and crushed its head with his boot.

    It quickly vanished seconds later.

    "Okay, great. Guess the attack''s happening now," Chayse looked over at Elma and shrugged his shoulders.

    "Damn it! How''d they get here without us knowing again?!" Elma turned and prepared to head outside. She noticed an odd shadow on the floor and moved her gaze moved to the second floor of the chapel. It was there she laid her eyes on the man of the hour¡ªMaur.

    "What a spectacular performance you hunters put on for this one. Truly magnificent," He sarcastically applauded the Hunters, "this one is surprised that the Huntress survived our first encounter. Perhaps this one should have been more thorough."

    "Maur!" Elma shouted and launched an arrow at him. Maur quickly caught it and smirked. He tossed it to the side where it proceeded to explode and collapse a section of the second floor. Those parts violently crashed down to the first floor.

    "Hasty," He arrogantly leaned against the railing, "do you actually wish to fight this one again? Have you forgotten how the last encounter went?"

    "It won¡¯t go down like last time," Chayse assured him. A foreboding smile crept across the acolytes face in response. Not a single shred of doubt crossed his mind.

    "You are correct. This time, the two of you will be eradicated in the name of Mother." He proudly preached as he reached within his robes. The Hunters knew precisely what he had been going for. Elma and Chayse fired more explosive arrows at him. He dashed along the second floor, narrowly avoiding them while he tossed more orbs down at them.

    "Scatter!" Elma had shouted before she jumped out of the way of the orbs. Plumes of black smoke erupted from them, covering the immediate area. Out from the smoke immediately came more Basurde¡¯s. They all charged the Hunters with great ferocity.

    "This one would like to bid you farewell. The fall of this country is imminent." boasted Maur, as Elma and Chayse continued to evade and attack the monsters.

    "Maur! You won¡¯t get away with this!"

    "On the contrary, this one will," He retorted, "this one does not know how you managed to figure out we would attack the churches first. But no matter, the combined might of this entire country will not be enough to stop what we have planned."

    "Shut up already!" Chayse exasperatedly exclaimed after knocking a Basurde into others.

    "Defiant to the very end. This one admires that about you hunters," He said, "Enjoy playing with the pets. This one is on a very tight schedule." He turned his back to them and jumped through one of the holes in the building.

    "Get back here!" Elma rushed towards the exit. However, more Varvara blocked her path. "Outta the way!"

    Chayse and Elma used the combined strength of their explosive arrows to clean out the remaining monsters inside of the church. Afterward, they hurried outside to see the carnage that the Acolytes wrought.

    It was as if they stared at a portrait of hell. Military soldiers left and right dropped like flies when engaged in combat against the Varvara. Off in the distance, buildings were lit ablaze, and the black smoke rose into the dark sky. Cries of pain and anguish resounded in the immediate area.

    "Son of a bitch¡­" Chayse quietly swore at the sight. He blamed himself for this. How could he have allowed this carnage to happen? He had legit information that was supposed to help them prevent the attack in the first place.

    But once again, they failed. The capital was under attack, and countless people were dying.

    "Stop spacing out, Chayse!" Elma stepped forward and shot down many Varvara that intended to attack wounded soldiers. "We¡¯ve got a job to do!"

    Chayse regained his composure and assisted in the extermination of the Varvara in the area. It took some time, but they eventually cleared them all out.

    "That should do it for now." Elma lowered her bow and reached on her belt to activate her Milo. A holographic image of Caz appeared above it before she ordered, "Caz! Give us a status on the city right now!"

    "It¡¯s not good. Countless Varvara sightings are appearing on my monitors. The military¡¯s been dispatched to deal with them, but massive damage has already been done. Does that make sense?" Caz casually answered.

    "Any sightings concerning the Acolytes? We need to find them as soon as possible! That¡¯s the only way this is going to come to an end!"

    "Nothing yet. But, if I were to make a guess, I¡¯d say they¡¯d head for the castle."

    "It¡¯s the best logical choice. They attack the city to cause panic and have the military disperse all over. Then, they¡¯d attack the castle while it¡¯s seemingly defenseless." Chayse concluded.

    "Then that¡¯s where we¡¯re heading." Elma and Chayse rushed toward a nearby Nemean. They convinced a soldier to be their driver. Afterward, they were driven toward the castle at full speed. Along the way, they rolled down their windows and shot arrows at as many Varvara as they could to save people in distress.

    "Oh shit¡­" Chayse''s eyes widened at the sight of a small blockade of Varvara up ahead, "You¡¯ve got to be kidding me."

    "There¡¯s too many of them blocking the road! I have to stop the car!" The driver exclaimed.

    "Don¡¯t stop the car! We¡¯ve got it all under control!" Elma assured the driver before she looked over to Chayse. He nodded his head, already knowing what she planned for the blockade.

    The Hunters pulled out three arrows from their quivers and aimed the roadblock of monsters. They released them and watched them detonate. All the beasts got consumed in the series of chain explosions, which ultimately cleared the road for them.

    "Oh, my goddess that was so badass! I¡¯m so glad that I joined the military!" The driver happily cheered as he continued to take the Hunters toward the castle. He turned the corner and immediately slammed on the breaks.

    "Why¡¯d you stop the car?! Keep driving and¡­" Elma paused the moment she looked ahead and saw a much more massive horde of Varvara that blocked the road. It appeared as if it went on for miles. How many lives had been lost for the monsters to build up to such enormous numbers?

    "There¡¯s just too many of them! Do you two even have enough arrows for all of them?" asked the frantic driver.

    "Unfortunately, not¡­" Chayse didn¡¯t even bother to attempt counting the number of arrows they had. There was no point. They were clearly outnumbered. The Varvara took notice of their vehicle then began to approach slowly.

    "We have to turn around! We can¡¯t risk driving through all of them!" The driver yelled.

    "No! This is the fastest route to the castle! Drive straight ahead! Chayse and I will deal with them!" Elma proclaimed. The driver showed much hesitance with the order, but, he eventually went ahead with it once the Varvara got too close for comfort. He slammed his foot on the gas pedal and took off down the road, plowing his way through the horde. Elma and Chayse used their daggers to cut down the monsters that got tossed into the air after they got struck by the vehicle.

    A familiar howl directed Chayse''s attention upward. Above on the rooftops were Lykaon¡¯s. They jumped down from their high ground and landed roughly on the top of the vehicle. Elma was the first to react to the immediate threat. She maneuvered onto the roof of the Nemean and readied herself for the incoming enemies.

    Some of the Lykaon¡¯s lunged towards her with their claws at the ready to tear her limb from limb. Elma evaded them by leaning backward. They flew over her head and crashed down onto their friends back on the road. Afterward, she engaged the ones that remained in close combat. While the dealt with the ones above, Chayse dealt with the ones below. He fired as many arrows he could spare at the ones that got too close to the vehicle.

    "The two of you are amazing! Keep it up! We¡¯re almost there!" The driver informed.

    Almost immediately, a nearby Lykaon swiped one of the tires of the vehicle, shredding it entirely. The driver lost control of the vehicle and skidded off the road. The Nemean tipped and flipped over multiple times before it eventually crashed into the side of a building.

    A strange taste of iron reached Chayse''s lips as he opened his eyes. His head throbbed with immense pain. He brought his hand to his head, andhe looked at his palm. Blood stained his hand. He weakly called out to Elma.

    No response.

    He called out again.

    Still no response.

    He frantically looked around and caught a glimpse of her on the ground outside the car. She was positioned face down on the sidewalk. Countless Varvara approached her. Chayse quickly left the Nemean and rushed to her side. He killed some of the monsters that dared to attack her while she was down.

    "Back off, you bastards!" Chayse shouted and pointed his daggers at them. He stood firmly in front of her and watched anxiously as more Varvara appeared on the scene. They bared their fangs and prepared to attack.

    But, Chayse didn¡¯t give them a chance. He made sure that he was the one that went on the offensive. He extended his Neoframe arm forward and activated the Ignis Vitalis installed in the palm of his hand. Streams of intense flames incinerated those foolish enough to get close enough to him.

    A red-orange light flickered across his body.

    It was his Praus.

    Using the Vitalis installed in his arm required Praus as fuel. And after all the damage he sustained after the car crash; his Praus was very limited. It wouldn¡¯t be long until it was all used up. If one were to run out of Praus, their life force, then they would die without a doubt.

    Despite that fact, dying for his partner was not something that he could act half-heartedly about. Upon their first meeting, he remembered how he proclaimed that he would die for her without hesitation. At that time, he didn¡¯t mean it. But, karma forced him to follow through with it.

    Eventually, the streams of flames came to a complete stop. Chayse''s Praus had nearly run out. He dropped down to one knee in complete exhaustion. The Varvara continued with their menacing approach.

    Death.

    It was coming. And yet, Chayse felt no fear or sorrow. Death came to all in the world. No one was safe from it. No matter how strong or weak an individual was, they could never escape from the cold, firm grasp of death.

    Before the creatures of death could reach him, an explosive arrow raced past him and struck down multiple of them. Chayse slowly looked over his shoulder and saw his partner as she stood firmly with her bow in her hand.

    "About time you woke up," Chayse joked, "did you have a nice little nap?"

    "More or less¡­" Elma hurried to her partner''s side and helped him up. "How''re you holding up?"

    "Almost spent on my Praus; my ribs are killing me, I think I got a concussion¡­" Chayse listed off a few of his injuries nonchalantly, "other than those things; I¡¯m doing pretty great."

    "Good. I¡¯m going to need someone to watch my back." The Hunters stood back to back.

    "Are you kidding me? I¡¯ve always got your back, Elma. Always." Chayse assured her before they engaged the horde of Varvara in combat.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 28 - Back to the Peak!

    Emergency sirens blaredthroughout Pandora. Chaos and panic soon followed as military soldiers, and Varavara flooded the streets, turning it into a war zone. Out among the people in the war zone were Kyros and Runa. They ran out into the streets at the first sign of trouble and helped dispatch the creatures of destruction. They fought for what felt like hours. No matter how many Varavara they defeated, more would appear to replace their fallen comrades.

    "Goddess damn it! We''re getting nowhere!" Runa complained. She raised her spear and struck down several approaching monsters. While her blade tore through the hides of the creatures with ease, their sheer amount of numbers would surely wear her down eventually.

    Kyros kept his anger bottled up. He couldn''t help but blame the situation on his refusal to act earlier. The leader of the acolytes sat directly in front of him moments ago, and he did nothing to stop her.

    Yes, she threatened to kill everyone in the restaurant if he didn''t comply with her demands. However, he was aware that he could''ve stopped her. If everything went according to his plan, then he could''ve subdued her and possibly prevented the entire attack on the city.

    But, that was the problem. If things went his way; if he managed to subdue her. No matter what the situation, there always lied the possibility of failure. Worrying about failure went against his teachings at the academy, but he couldn''t help himself.

    Kyros was human after all. He made mistakes like everyone else. All he could do was correct his error and atone for them later.

    The military man stepped forward and ignited his gauntlets. He fired several fireballs and burnt any surrounding enemies to a crisp. His flames paled in comparison to the rage that flared in his body.

    Kyros and Runa continued to fight side by side, eliminating as many Varvara as they could. They settled down when a line of Nemeans appeared. Military soldiers jumped out of the vehicles and struck down the remaining enemies.

    "About damn time more of ''em showed up," Runa rested her spear on her shoulder. A grimace crossed her face once she caught sight of the red sashes on the soldiers. "Oh great. They''re War Dogs."

    "Be grateful that they helped us," Kyros said. Although deep down, he doubted they came to save them specifically. But regardless of that fact, he was glad to be alive.

    Out from the last Nemean came Lieutenant General Damia. She leisurely walked over to the group, eyeing them with a nonchalant expression on her face. Despite the chaos that enveloped the city, that woman remained unfazed by it all. Blood and corpses filled the streets, and she couldn''t give two shits about it.

    "Kyros. What the hell are you doing out here?" Damia questioned him; her hand rested on the handle of her sword. Kyros didn''t think she would use it on him, but he kept his fists clenched just in case. "Pretty sure the council suspended you."

    "I''m not here as a soldier," Kyros indicated to his civilian clothing. "I''m just an ordinary citizen, fighting to protect the country."

    It was the soundest of logic. Damia couldn''t find a single reason to deny Kyros of his right to defend his country. No matter how much she wanted to.

    "Fine. Whatever." Damia shrugged her shoulders and turned her back to the group. She issued out orders to her subordinates to make a perimeter around the area. "Wanna explain what happened here then? We''ve gotten reports from all over about repeated Acolyte sightings."

    "We haven''t seen anything," Runa answered. "We just came outside and saw all these Varvara attacking."

    Damia let out an annoyed sigh, followed up by a complaint, "How worthless. What''s the point of having you Wild Landers in our country if you''re not even useful?"

    Runa''s eye twitched. She didn''t care about the woman''s pathetic attempts at name-calling. But, she wouldn''t allow that bitch to call her worthless.

    "I don''t wanna hear shit from someone that didn''t even lift a finger to help clear this place out of Varvara," The venom in Runa''s words reached the ears of those in range. Damia''s subordinates shuddered. Not many have attempted to offend Damia and lived to tell the tale. "You wanna talk about being worthless; your men didn''t even arrive until we cleared out most of them. Must be easy taking out a bunch of small fries."This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Kyros couldn''t explain how. But despite the city getting turned into a war zone, their area, in particular, remained deathly quiet as Damia, and Runa erupted into an intense staredown. Their hands gripped tightly on their respective weapons. It looked like at any moment; a fight would ensue.

    Kyros quickly stepped in and separated the two. He couldn''t allow them to fight. They were all on the same side--technically.

    "Now isn''t the time for this. We should deal with the Acolytes and the Varvara. Not each other." Kyros announced. While the women knew he was right, their contempt toward each other clouded their judgment. Thankfully, they took deep breaths and eased off each other.

    "Whatever." Damia shook her head and went off to join her subordinates in setting up a perimeter.

    "I hate her," Runa spat.

    "I do too," Kyros quietly agreed. However, it wasn''t the time to express his contempt toward Damia of all people, even though he wanted to. "But, we need to focus now."

    "Yeah, finding the Acolytes," Runa agreed. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her Milo. She pressed a series of holographic buttons and called her partner, Sarra. "Sarra? It''s me. Are you at the hotel?"

    "Y-Yes! I''m here! What''s happening outside?! I hear a lot of screaming!" Sarra replied.

    "It''s the Acolytes. I want you to stay inside and don''t come out until I come and get you myself. Do you understand? Don''t open the door for anyone." Runa commanded. While aggressive, Kyros sensed the concern in her voice. It brought a soft smile to his face.

    His smile faded immediately when he realized just how much more critical his mission was. People were dying left and right. He didn''t want someone like Sarra to lose her life because of his inability to stop the Acolytes. He steeled himself and headed for a vehicle.

    He commandeered it and let Runa inside. From there, he drove off down the road.

    "Do you even know where you''re going?" Runa asked. She noted the look of determination on the man''s face. While admirable, it didn''t mean much to her if Kyros didn''t have a plan in mind.

    "We''re heading to the peak. That''s where I know Melanie''s going," Kyros answered.

    "How do you know that?"

    "When you left to call Sarra earlier, Melanie sat at my table. We had a chat,"

    Runa blinked in confusion, not understanding how Kyros could make such jokes with a straight face. Oh, how she wanted it to be a joke. But, she knew deep down that it wasn''t. That in itself infuriated her even more.

    The leader of the Acolytes was there in the restaurant, and she couldn''t even sense them. Why was that?

    "What''d she tell you?" The Huntress tried her best to restrain her anger.

    "Many things. She wanted me to join them," Kyros replied. The mere thought of it left a disgusting taste in his mouth. "But most of all, she told me where she was planning on going without her even realizing it."

    "Oh?" Runa''s eyebrow arched.

    "We''re going to try and beat her there. If Melanie plans to do what I think she is, then this could mean the end of Soteria." Kyros told her.

    His words weighed heavily on Runa''s mind. She looked out the window and saw the carnage outside on the streets. What could Melanie do that would be more catastrophic than a Varvara invasion?

    Kyros made a sharp turn and sped down the road. He plowed through several Varvara. The vehicle took heavy hits, but fortunately nothing that it couldn''t handle. His eyes widened in he spotted two people standing out in the middle of the road.

    A large man wielding a large hammer, and another man with wolf ears and a tail.

    Kyros swerved the vehicle out of the way and narrowly avoided running them over.

    "Who were those guys?!" Kyros exclaimed.

    "They''re the least of our worries," Runa pointed ahead. Kyros noticed the scene and slammed on the brakes.

    A large pack of Lycan''s surrounded two familiar faces--Elma and Chayse. The Hunters stood back to back with their respective weapons drawn.

    "Run those bastards over," Runa demanded. Like hell, she would sit back and watch fellow Hunters fall to the Varvara. Not on her watch.

    "Already on it!" Kyros slammed his foot on the gas pedal and raced down the road. They braced themselves for impact and plowed through the horde of monsters. He stopped the vehicle once they were close to the Hunters.

    Runa opened the door for them. "Get in!"

    The Hunters wasted no time entering the vehicle. Afterward, they took off down the road, leaving the Varvara in their dust.

    "Man, you two saved our asses!" said Chayse as he leaned back. His breathing was unsteady.

    "Guess that means we owe you two now," Elma held up two fingers and smiled. She wasn''t much of a religious person. But at that moment, she thanked as many Gods and Goddesses that she could think of. It was nothing short of a miracle that they got saved.

    "How about a nice dinner date once all this is over?" Chayse suggested.

    "Not now, Chayse!" Elma snapped.

    "We''re on our way to the Peak! That''s where we believe the leader of the Acolytes is going," Kyros informed the Hunters.

    "What a coincidence. That''s exactly where Elma and I were heading," Chayse mentioned.

    "Hope you two are ready for a fight then. Those Acolytes won''t do down without a fight," Runa stated.

    Chayse and Elma knew that more than anyone. They unconsciously placed their hands over the wounds they suffered at the hands of Maur. His laughing, arrogant face appeared in their minds, only fueling their desires to defeat them.

    "Don''t worry about us," Elma grinned. "We''ll be fine. Just make sure to get us to the Peak as soon as possible."

    And with that, they headed toward their destination with great conviction and determination to put a stop to the terrorist attacks once and for all.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 29 - Foot of the Mountain!

    Four days passed since the terrorist attack on Spero Town. While to some it wasn''t that long ago, to others, it might as well have been years. One of the people on the other side of that spectrum was the Wolf Beastia, Dire.

    Ever since he took part in defense of the town, he wasn''t allowed to show his face outside by order of his partner, Gigas. They had long infiltrated the capital city. Their mission was nearly complete. The sooner they finished, the sooner they could leave.

    Dire always made it known about his intentions to leave Soteria as soon as possible. While notable, Gigas considered that fact problematic. Dire believed in getting things done as quickly as possible, regardless of the method used. Most of his ways were extremely violent and often always unnecessary.

    That''s why when they found themselves a place to hide in an abandoned building, Gigas ordered Dire to remain put. He wasn''t allowed to leave the hideout unless given permission.

    Usually, Dire would ignore the order and do whatever he wanted. But, he figured Gigas would complete the mission in no time at all.

    Boy, how wrong he was.

    Each day Gigas returned to the hideout, his levels of irritation showed on his face and body language. Of course, Dire didn''t miss out on his opportunities to tease and mock his partner. He never saw any drawbacks in adding more fuel to the fire.

    Every time Gigas came back to report another failure, he''d mainly complain about the increase in security around the port. Soldiers patrolled the area on a regular basis. There were nearly no flaws in the formation. Even when he spotted some, it didn''t provide enough time to sneak pass and obtain a vehicle.

    Having grown sick of his partner''s incompetence and lack of results, Dire took it upon himself to deal with the situation. If Gigas couldn''t get the job done, then he''d do it. The moment he headed for the nearest exit, a portal opened in front of him.

    Out from said portal came Gigas with his arms crossed over his chest. "Where do you think you''re going?" He demanded to know.

    "Outside. Need to get some fresh air," answered Dire with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, "been cooped up in this building four whole days. It''s stuffy in here."

    "I gave you a direct order not to leave," Gigas reminded. He already knew I was having trouble getting through Soteria''s security. He didn''t want Dire wandering around the city adding to his problems.

    Dire feigned ignorance. The Beastia swayed his head from side to side, looking up into an imaginary thought bubble as if searching through his memories for that specific order.

    "Ah, yeah, you did. But, I''m bored. Don''t wanna listen to you anymore."

    "Did you forget what I told you would happen if you disobeyed a direct order?" Gigas opened a portal beside him. He reached inside and pulled out his hammer, more than ready to beat Dire into submission if he had to.

    Dire''s tail wagged eagerly behind him. Been years since the two of them last seriously fought each other. If a fight between them were to happen at that moment, Dire was confident he''d come out as the victor.

    "You wanna fight, Gigas? Sure thing," The Beastia smiled and took an offensive stance. Just when the two were ready to fight, a barrage of gunfire erupted from outside, catching their attention.

    Dire and Gigas moved to the window and looked outside. Like Spero Town, the streets flooded with Varvara. Civilians ran off, screaming for their lives. Soldiers arrived on the scene moments later, shooting down as many creatures as they could.

    "Well, Gigas, guess we''ll just have to work with this," Dire patted his partner on the shoulder.

    "What a pain..." Gigas turned and headed for the door. "fine; we''ll use this situation to our advantage. However, you''re still going to follow my orders. You''re not to leave my side, even for a second. You won''t attack anyone without any probable cause. Don''t make any excuses about self-defense. I''ll know when you''re lying."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Dire scowled after Gigas gave him the rundown of how things would work between them. Even though he didn''t have a subjugation collar around his neck, he sure as hell felt like a slave. If he wasn''t allowed to have fun out on the battlefield, then what was the point of battle?

    "Yeah, yeah, I got it. I''ll be good," Dire forced a smile.

    With their verbal agreement sealed, the two stepped out onto the chaotic streets. The firefight between the military soldiers and Varvara raged on. Left and right bodies collapsed and faded. Dire mentally commended the Acolytes.

    Despite their small numbers, they proved themselves to be a tremendous threat to the country.

    Dire licked his lips in anticipation for his inevitable confrontation with the Acolytes. He didn''t want to miss out on all the fun. The moment he stepped forward to join the fight, a firm hand grasped his tail and kept him in place.

    "Don''t even think about it," demanded Gigas while Dire tended to his tail, "this isn''t our fight. We''re only going to fight when necessary¡ªlike I told you."

    "Isn''t clearing a path for us necessary?" Dire harshly responded. He didn''t see many opportunities to sneak through the battlefield without a fighting something.

    Gigas didn''t even bother to entertain his partner with a response. Instead, he opened a portal and shoved the Beastia through it. Dire fell through the dark void for a moment before he exited and landed in a different part of the city.

    The area was less chaotic as the previous one. Only about a handful of soldiers and Varvara lingered.

    "Military sucks at their job," Dire watched with mild interest as the soldiers died pathetically to the Varvara. "country''s gonna fall if this keeps up."

    "It doesn''t matter to us if this country preserves or falls. Let''s hurry to the castle," Gigas walked onward. Varvara attacked him along the way, but they were swatted and crushed with mighty swings of his hammer.

    "Show off," Dire sauntered behind his partner. Along the way, they came across more soldiers and Varvara. Dire would''ve taken care of them, but Gigas frequently used his portals to avoid combat.

    "We''re almost there," Gigas announced.

    "Hey, Gigas, something just crossed my mind," Dire said.

    "What is it?"

    "You spent the past four days doing recon, right? That means you must''ve gotten close enough to the bridge. How come you didn''t use a portal to take us there immediately?"

    "Security''s too tight. Showing up near the bridge with the portal would''ve attracted too much attention."

    "Oh, and walking up to the bridge during the chaos won''t do the same?"

    Gigas had nothing to say afterward. He kept his mouth shut and continued onward. Once the duo turned a nearby street corner, a massive horde of Varvara greeted them. A couple lunged at the team.

    Gigas smacked them away without much effort. Afterward, others charged in.

    Dire stepped out in front of his partner and attacked the approaching monsters with a flurry of kicks. He intentionally maneuvered deeper into the horde¡ªignoring Gigas¡¯ demands to come back. At that point, his adrenaline was pumping. His blood boiled.

    An entire horde of enemies lied right before his very eyes. He''d be a fool to let them get away with attacking him.

    One after the other, Varvara attacked then faded into nothingness after receiving a kick from the Beastia. The longer he remained in the horde, the more he realized how weak the defenses of the country must¡¯ve been. Sure, Lycan¡¯s were dangerous in packs. The belief of strength in numbers applied to those creatures. However, that opinion meant nothing to those that were truly strong.

    Only weaklings relied on the strength of others. That¡¯s all the Lycan¡¯s were¡ªweaklings. Dire couldn''t understand how a country believed to be the strongest in the world, could lose so many soldiers to weak monsters.

    "Dire!" Gigas'' voice thundered from behind Dire. His ears perked up once he heard a rush of wind coming at him. The Beastia ducked down, narrowly avoiding the hammer that flew over his head and blew away approaching Varvara.

    "About time you decided to join the party," Dire straightened his posture and turned to face Gigas with a grin.

    "You''re hopeless..." Gigas dryly responded.

    "What? This is the most Varvara I''ve ever seen in my life. Can''t blame me for getting excited," Dire turned to face the incoming monsters.

    Before they could continue with their fight, a speeding vehicle rushed through the area, plowing down the monsters. Dire and Gigas jumped out of the way and watched a series of explosions consume the Varvar¡ªessentially clearing a path for the duo.

    "What the hell was up with that?" Dire scratched the back of his head. The remaining Varvara ignored them and chased after the speeding vehicle.

    "Doesn''t matter. We can retreat now." Gigas turned around and ran off in the opposite direction.

    Dire remained in the middle of the street. The sight of the fleeing monsters ignited his instincts to give chase. It only took one angry shout from Gigas to snap him out of it. With a groan of frustration as a response, the young wolfman complied with the demanded.

    They traveled down a different path to the castle. Along that road, another speeding vehicle nearly ran the team over.

    "That''s the second time someone tried to run us over!" Dire complained.

    "Perhaps if you got out from the middle of the road," said Gigas from the sidewalk. He pointed his hammer at the pack of Varvara that approached. "enemies remain."

    "Oh, shut up..." Dire joined with his partner and helped him clean out the annoying creatures. Eventually, they reached the port at the foot of the mountain. The first thing that caught his attention was the vehicles parked there. The matched the exact ones that nearly ran them over.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 30 - Matchups!

    After driving through the chaotic streets of the capital city, the impromptu team of Kyros, Runa, Chayse, and Elma, arrived at the Soteria port. It too wasn''t secure from the onslaught of the Varvara. Various monsters surrounded the barricade erected by the War Dogs and broke through without trouble. Wounded soldiers backed away from the approaching creatures while those that were able fought to the best of their abilities.

    The team quickly left their vehicle and assisted the military unit. They cleared out all the monsters in a matter of minutes.

    "Think that''s the last of ''em for now," Chayse assumed as he retrieved some of the arrows from the fallen Varvara. "thank Goddess we showed up when we did. This place would''ve gotten overrun."

    "What happened here?" Elma asked one of the wounded soldiers.

    "The terrorists! They showed up out of nowhere!" One of them began.

    "They killed our comrades! Turned them into monsters!"

    "They got through us while we were busy fighting! I saw one take a boat while the others took Griffons!"

    "What the hell are they planning?" Elma ran her hand through her hair. She racked her brain, trying with every brain cell of hers to figure out the convoluted plans of the Acolytes.

    "It doesn''t matter," Runa''s harsh voice rang, "we''re wasting time standing around. We gonna make a move or not?"

    "Runa''s right. We''ve got to move," Kyros agreed. He felt the most guilty about the events that took place in his city. He couldn''t afford to waste any more time. Each second lost meant a life wasted. "the one that took the boat? Which way did they go?"

    "She headed straight toward the foot of the mountain," A soldier answered.

    "That''s where we''re going, Runa," Kyros commanded. He didn''t even bother to wait for her response. He knew she had no problems following him to Melanie''s location. They both had unfinished business with that woman.

    "Guess that leaves the other two to us?" Chayse looked at Elma for confirmation. His body ached at the thought of having to fight two Acolytes at once. He and his partner barely survived fighting against one the other day. He dreaded how difficult the fight would turn out with two on their plate.

    Runa stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Think you two can handle it?"

    She already knew the answer, however. Elma and Chayse''s physical conditions were no secret to anyone. The Huntress doubted they''d last much longer without proper backup.

    "Don''t worry about us. You two go on ahead," Elma commanded. She sensed a hint of pity in Runa''s words. While she respected the Huntress for the previous times she helped them; one thing she wouldn''t allow was utterpity. Despite her wounds, she''d push through and defeat the Acolytes.

    "Yeah, we aren''t so banged up we can''t handle a few Acolytes," Chayse flexed his arms and flashed a bright smile. Behind that smile, however, was uncertainty and doubt. Would they defeat the Acolytes? That question repeated in his head over and over.

    If the conditions were more in their favor, then, of course, he''d feel confident. But, that was the problem. The Acolytes had the complete advantage in numbers and strength. Chayse had no doubts the Acolytes would go down. Unfortunately, he didn''t know, and he and Elma would be alive to witness it.

    "Stop right there!" A soldier''s frightened voice rang throughout the area. The group turned their heads and watched the very soldier fly through the air and land in front of them. They looked ahead and spotted two individuals approach the barricade.

    One of them was a tall, muscular man with a giant hammer carried over his shoulder. The other one was a young man with wolf ears and a tail that wagged eagerly behind him. Several soldiers surrounded the two men with their weapons trained on them.

    "Would ya look at that, more people wanna die," Dire smiled with glee as he prepared to lounge at the soldiers.

    "They''re only pointing weapons at us because you just kicked that guy," Gigas pointed out. He knew it was pointless. His scoldings went through one ear of the Beastia and out the other. "Please, lower your weapons. We aren''t here to cause any trouble."

    "Those bounties on your heads say otherwise!" A soldier countered.

    Chayse and Elma joined the other soldiers with their bow and arrows at the ready. Like the others, they couldn''t take any chances. They recognized the two criminals almost immediately.

    "What''s going on? Who are those two?" Kyros asked. He couldn''t explain it, but the moment his eyes laid on Dire, he felt his stomach churn. The Beastia''s piercing amber eyes made his hair stand on end. Just from that one glance, he knew the young man was bad news.

    "Those two men are notorious criminals with huge bounties on their heads," answered Runa with her weapon drawn, "Dire from Albus, and Gigas Alcaeus from the Vigoare Empire in Russus."

    "They''ve come a long way," Kyros noted, "what are they doing here?"

    "That''s what I want to know. It''s bad enough we gotta deal with the Acolytes. But, if we add those two into the equation, then things won''t turn out well for anyone." Runa stated.

    She thought back to the day she first learned of the criminal duo. She heard stories about how Dire destroyed orphanages and slaughtered dozens of bounty hunters that chased after his head. Even superior groups like Menagerie were unable to capture him.

    The stories that unnerved her the most were those of Gigas and his exploits. An unstoppable force that laid waste to armies singlehandedly for days without rest. Bodies of his enemies would be foundstrewn around the battlefield with their heads smashed beyond recognition. The blood of his enemies dyed his hammer and the soil crimson.

    "Why''d you two have to stick your heads out now of all times? We can''t let you go now." Chayse complained. A fight against those two was one of the last things he wanted.

    "Drop your weapon, or we drop you," Elma demanded. She drew back on her bow and aimed directly at Gigas'' head. If the man''s hand even twitched in a way that she didn''t like, she''d put one right between the man''s eyes.

    "We''re not looking for a fight. At least, not with any of you," Gigas did as commanded and dropped his hammer. Upon contact with the ground, debris and dust flew into the air. To further show his claims of peace, the large man raised his hand into the air.

    "Who''re you looking to fight?" Elma asked.

    "The Acolytes and the Varvara," Gigas replied, "we saved Spero Town from them a few days ago. We''re looking to do the same here."

    "We got reports that you also killed several military officers in this city," Chayse added.

    "How do you explain that?" Elma demanded an answer.

    Dire smiled and raised his hand. "That was me. Bastards got too close for comfort, so I killed ''em."Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Not a shred of guilt or remorse resided in his words. Chayse and Elma fought off the urge to fire off the first shot.

    "I''ve no excuse for our actions. But, now isn''t the time to fight each other. Your country is falling right before your very eyes. Let us help you stop that from happening." Gigas suggested.

    It was something no one expected to hear from someone of his reputation. A man well renowned for his cruelty and monstrosities while out on the battlefield suggested helping a country that wasn''t his own. None of the people present were foolish enough to accept the proposal without thinking it through.

    Admittedly, they needed all the help they could get in dealing with the Acolytes. With powerful men like Dire and Gigas on their side, they''d achieve victory, no question. However, were those men on their side?

    Gigas was a mercenary. Chances were high that someone paid him to come to Soteria for reasons unknown to them. Even if that wasn''t the case, it didn''t help the fact that he walked beside a notorious murderer.

    Kyros swallowed his doubts and stepped forward. Fearing what the military man planned to do, Runa reached out and grabbed his arm.

    "Don''t even think about it," She warned him. "Those two can''t tag along."

    "We don''t have any other choice. If they''re willing to help us, then we should accept their offer." Kyros said.

    "You think fighting alongside criminals is a good idea? They''ll try and kill us the moment we turn our backs on them." Runa assumed.

    Dire''s ears perked up. He heard the entire conversation between Runa and Kyros. The Beastia scowled and called out to them, "Hey! Don''t think you can talk shit about us like we''re not here!"

    Runa clicked her tongue and moved her attention to Dire. She''d forgotten about most Beastia''s acute senses like smelling and hearing.

    "I understand your caution. You don''t have to trust us. Let us prove ourselves through battle," Gigas reached down and picked up his hammer. Most of the soldiers backed away while Chayse and Elma stayed put. "Dire and I will move ahead of everyone. That way, you can see everything that we do."

    Elma gritted her teeth and lowered her bow. Chayse nodded his head and followed suit. They understood the situation and realized that they couldn''t refuse more help, regardless of whom it came from. Besides, if Gigas and Dire kept close to them, then they''d find several opportunities to capture them.

    "Fine, we''ll be watching you. One wrong move and we''ll end your lives," Elma warned.

    Dire slipped his hands in his pockets and scoffed. The notion of Hunters ending his life amused him to a certain extent. He understood most people were confident to the point of arrogance. However, he knew that there was a limit to a person''s stupidity. He mentally noted to prove that whenever he confronted the Acolytes again.

    "Do you know where the Acolytes went?" Gigas wondered.

    "Two of them are headed to the castle atop of the mountain while the last one took a boat and is headed for the foot of the mountain," Chayse answered.

    "We''ll take care of the one headed for the foot of the mountain," Kyros said.

    "Then we''ll take a Griffon and get to the top of the mountain." Elma nodded her head.

    "We''ll go with you two," Gigas looked at Elma and Chayse.

    "Let''s get a move on then," Chayse looked at Runa and winked. "Runa, when all this is over, let''s grab a drink."

    "Uh-huh, sure," Runa dismissed the offer and headed to the nearest Griffon with Kyros. The newest team of Elma, Chayse, Dire, and Gigas went into one of their own.

    The first ones to reach their destination was the duo of Kyros and Runa. They reached the foot of the mountain and landed the Griffon in a secure location. Afterward, they left the air vehicle and trod out into the vast area before them.

    Runa took immediate notice of the gravestones and laid out before her eye. The sight of so many graves unsettled her.

    "What is this?" Runa asked.

    "A graveyard," Kyros sternly answered as he walked ahead, paying no mind to the graves. "it''s where we bury our fallen soldiers."

    "Yeah, I can see that. But why would Melanie come here instead of the castle?" Runa questioned. "She wants to destroy the country, right?"

    "She does. However, I believe she needs something to do that." Kyros said.

    Runa kept silent and mulled over the situation. It didn''t take her long to figure out the Acolyte''s plan.

    "Oh, Goddes! She doesn''t plan to--"

    Runa stopped when a hand reached out from under her and grabbed her leg. She grabbed her spear and sliced the arm off. One by one, numerous bodies rose from the graves and surrounded the duo.

    "She''s gone too far," Kyros scowled. His bracelets transformed into his gauntlets and enveloped his fists. "She''s desecrating the bodies of the dead."

    "We''re gonna hafta do that now if we want to get through," Runa complained. As far as she could see, hundreds of bodies gathered around them. Fighting all of them would take hours.

    "I don''t suppose you have a plan to clear them out?" Kyros wondered.

    "I do..." Runa reluctantly answered as she looked back towards the water. She knew it was reckless to go through with the plan. But, with the numbers not in her favor, she had no other choice.

    The woman heaved a sigh and stepped forward. She took a deep breath and closed her eye, her bodyradiated in an amethyst glow¡ªit was her Praus. She focused her life force into the Vitalis crystals embedded into the blade of her spear. Once her eye opened, she walked towards the incoming enemies with bright confidence.

    With swift and fierce swings of her weapon, dismembered bodies of the corpses scattered across the area. Then, once she was in the clear, she twirled her spear in her hand before it was raised high above her head. Almost immediately, towering streams of water erupted from the river behind her. Afterward, the water flowed in the direction of Runa¡¯s spear, twisting and twirling around her like a silk cloth.

    Once she directed her spear toward the corpses, the streams of water plowed through them all, tearing them apart and leaving them in heaps.

    Kyros'' jaw dropped to the ground, unable to comprehend what he''d just seen. Never in his life had he witnessed someone manipulate the Vitalis crystals to such an extraordinary extent. One had to possess precise control over their Praus.

    "Amazing! You cleared them with ease!" Kyros complimented his comrade.

    Runa''s breathing grew ragged. She jammed her spear into the ground and used it as a means of support. That technique of hers wasn''t something she used often. It took an exhausting toll on her body since she rarely used copious amounts of her Praus at once.

    "I wouldn''t say ease," Runa complained, "don''t expect me to do that again if she gathers more corpses to use against us."

    "Don''t worry, we''ll stop her before that happens," Kyros proclaimed, confident that he''d stop Melanie that time around. He admitted his faults in stopping her the previous times they met. However, he swore that he''d stop her.

    Meanwhile, the four person team landed their Griffon and stepped out onto the bridge leading to the top of the mountain. Chayse and Elma grimaced at the sight of bodies presented before them.

    Dire stepped forward and sniffed the area. A malicious smile spread across his face the moment he picked up a familiar scent. He''d found it. The person he''d searched for.

    "He''s here, Gigas. Just across that bridge," The Wolf Beastia pointed ahead.

    "Let''s not keep them waiting," Gigas set his hammer on his shoulder and proceeded down the bridge with the Hunters following close behind as agreed.

    Halfway along their walk, a horde of Varavara greeted them. The ones that signaled for the attack were Elma and Chayse. They shot arrows which exploded on impact against the creatures, scattering them across the bridge. Dire and Gigas closed in on them immediately afterward then finished them off. The two of them worked in perfect tandem. Their separate attacks seemed well-planned out and placed.

    Even when some Varvara managed to slip through the cracks in their formation, they had each other¡¯s backs. Dire¡¯s fierce kicks combined with Gigas¡¯ titanic-like strength¡ªthose two appeared to be an unstoppable force.

    The Hunters conserved their strength and watched the duo take care of the horde. Neither Dire or Gigas complained or even broke a sweat. It all seemed like child''s play to them.

    Once the horde vanished, the group continued onward. When they reached the end of the bridge, they found themselves in front of their targets of interest. Two people in black cloaks stood together in the courtyard surrounded by military officers. The largest of the two, Taurian, raised his ax and cleaved the officers in half.

    "Found ya!" Dire shouted in delight. He rushed the Bull Beastia while his back was turned. Taurian reacted just in time to use his ax to block an incoming kick.

    "You again?!" Taurian angrily exclaimed.

    "Can''t get away from me that easily! We got a score to finish!" Dire smiled.

    "Ah, so you are the one that Taurian spoke of," Maur looked at Dire. His attention quickly shifted when he caught an arrow with his hand. "You are still alive, this one sees."

    "Gonna hafta kill us to make us stay dead," Chayse taunted, "doubt you can do it."

    "Is that right?" Maur smirked. "You both are already on death''s door. Allow this one to let you through it."

    "Since you seem so confident, Maur, I''ll let you take care of them." Taurian showed no hesitation in tossing his opponents onto his partner. He turned his back and ran off towards military headquarters.

    "Hey! Where do you think you''re going?!" Dire gave chase with Gigas soon following behind.

    Maur smiled. He did not attempt to stop the duo from chasing after his comrade.

    "Not gonna help your friend?" Elma questioned.

    "Why would this one do that? This one bets you would try and put an arrow in this ones back if this one tried." Maur figured. "Besides, Taurian should be able to deal with them. If not, it''s no big loss to our plans."

    "Arrogant son of a bitch," Elma swore.

    "Now, vanish!" Maur dropped to one knee and slammed his palm on the ground. A bright light emitted from his hand. Surges of purple electricity coursed through the field until it reached the Hunters. However, theyweren''t electrocuted. Instead, the ground beneath them suddenly vanished. And they were sent plummeting to the water down below.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 31 - Dire and Gigas Vs. Taurian!

    Fleeing prey in sight. Adrenaline pumping. It was only a matter of time until Dire caught his target--Taurian. He couldn''t count how many times his prey fled from him in the past, just to get backed into a corner and caught.Dire saw hunting like fishing. Whenever his prey tried to escape, he''d give them a little slack¡ªa small sliver of hope that they could potentially survive. But then, he''d snatch that hope away from them right before their very eyes.

    Their expressions of utter hopeless satisfied to the Beastia to a certain degree. That''s what he wanted to see from Taurian. He wanted to see the light from his eyes fade; his head to droop in defeat; his body to slump.

    Ever since their first encounter days ago, Dire wanted to bring Taurian down a peg. The Bull Beastia acted all high and mighty, but that''s all he figured it was. An act. Dire swore to shatter the bastard''s charade and show him the reality of his position.

    Dire was the Second Exousia, the second person in the entire world chosen to become the next God of the world. Only one person stood above him. To get looked down upon by anyone else was a grave insult to his pride.

    It was a mistake he''d make sure that Taurian paid for with his miserable life.

    When he felt playtime was over, the Wolf Beastia increased his pace. He ran out in front of Taurian and flashed a dreadful smile. One that stopped Taurian to a complete halt.

    "Damn mutt! Get out of my way!" Taurian demanded with a wave of his arm. His objective was right before his eyes, and yet Dire stood in his path once again. He failed to complete his mission before. But, he wouldn''t allow another misstep in the plan of his leader. If the gloves were going to come off, then so be it.

    "Make me," Dire taunted.

    "Dire," Taurian shuddered when he heard Gigas'' voice come from behind him. An enemy in the front, and another from behind. Both were Exousia and incredibly powerful ones at that. "Take this seriously. Let your guard down around him, and you may die."

    "Him? Kill me?!" Dire pointed and laughed at Taurian. He didn''t think Gigas had a sense of humor. "Yeah, sure, Gigas! That''ll be the day!"

    "That day is today!" Taurian wasted no time in retaliating against the enemies. He lunged at Dire with his ax and swung. Dire raised his leg and blocked it with his foot. "You''ve chosen the wrong day to show your face in front of me! I''ll kill you, your friend, and then I''ll work my way up to that bitch Zofia!"

    "Trying to look ahead into the future while I''m here in front of you is a bad idea! You''re dying here whether you want to believe it or not!"

    "If you surrender, however..." Gigas suddenly cut his way into the conversation. Dire knew what his partner would suggest. It didn''t bring him any joy as the man continued, "Perhaps we can come to some agreement."

    "Agreement?" Taurian chuckled. The fools had no idea what they''d gotten themselves into. The likes of Taurian surrendering to his enemies was a grave insult to him and his organization.

    He gave his answer to the duo in the form of another swing from his ax. That time, his target was Gigas. Due to the man''s broad, muscular frame, he figured the mercenary would be too slow to avoid. In theory, he was correct.

    Gigas didn''t avoid the attack. He didn''t need to. The large man merely blocked the blade with his vambraces. No visible strain showed on his face. The force of the strike didn''t make him budge an inch¡ªas expected of a man whose strength rivaled Beastia¡¯s.

    While Taurian was left momentarily stunned, Dire jumped into the fight and landed a well-placed kick across his face.

    Taurian staggered back a bit. He shook off the damage and laughed. "Two against one? I''m flattered."

    "Stay outta this, Gigas!" Dire exclaimed. "I can take this guy by myself!"

    "I have no doubts about that. But, I want him gone as soon as possible," Gigas rested his hammer on his shoulder. "I advise working together to beat him."

    "Working together or not. The result will be the same," Taurian boasted before he rushed the two Exousia. Gigas stepped out to intercept the Beastia, but Dire proved himself faster. The soles of his boot clashed with the blade of the ax. Shockwaves radiated throughout the area from the impact.

    Dire extended his leg out more and forced Taurian back. The Bull Beastia recovered and attempted to cut him down again.

    That time, Gigas came out from behind Dire and defended his partner with his hammer. The two brutes shared a short power struggle until Dire intervened. He jumped over them and landed a quick series of kicks on Taurian''s face.

    Once on the ground, he lashed out with another kick, aiming for Taurian''s lower back. The Acolyte predicted the attack and dodged. Dire''s foot connected against the shaft of Gigas'' hammer.

    By the time his gaze returned to Taurian, the Acolytes ax was already inches away from his face. If not for Dire''s quick reflexes, his head would''ve been cleaved from his shoulders. Only a few strands of his hair got chopped.

    Taurian followed up with a quick succession of swings. Dire shuffled back to evade every strike until he found an opening¡ªhis leg. With one swift blow to it, Taurian buckled and dropped down onto one knee. Afterward, Dire spun around and went for another kick. But, Taurian held his ax horizontally in front of him, sparing him from receiving maximum damage.

    He recovered quickly and rose from the ground. The hatred in his eyes grew fiercer as his nostrils flared in frustration once more. Gigas and Dire moved in to attack again.

    Dire was the first one to reach him. The Wolf Beastia jumped and aimed for Taurian''s face with his foot. Taurian blocked it and knocked Dire away, leaving Gigas alone to clash with the Acolyte.

    Shockwaves erupted around the area each time their respective weapons clashed. Debris from the ground flung through the air. Dire couldn''t help but crack a smile at their impressive showing of raw power.

    But, he felt it still paled in comparison to his.

    Once they were knocked back after clashing with each other again, Dire got in between them. Taurian acted immediately and spun around, swinging his ax with great force. Dire raised his leg and slammed his foot down on it.

    The blade smashed into pieces once it made contact with the ground.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Taurian¡¯s jaw dropped at the sight of the shattered fragments of his weapon. He used that weapon for decades. It never showed any signs of damage throughout its usage.

    Dire took immediate advantage of that moment. He struck the stunned Beastia across the face. The unsuspecting Beastia got knocked off his feet and hit the ground with a satisfying thud.

    "What''s wrong? You''re not through already, are you?" Dire called out to the downed Acolyte. The direction of the fight was clearly in his favor. But, he just got started. It was too soon for the battle to end so abruptly.

    "Don''t antagonize him. Finish it already," ordered Gigas. While the flow of battle was in their favor, the mercenary had a gut feeling that someone was off. In a battle of Exousia''s, one would expect powers to get involved.

    Gigas used his powers only when necessary. Dire rarely resorted to using his. The brat''s pride and arrogance prevented him from using them until he encountered a worthy opponent. Their reasons for restricting their powers was already known to them.

    But, what about Taurian? He was at a definite disadvantage. The numbers were against him, and his weapon got destroyed. So, how come he hadn''t used his powers? Did he look down on them?

    All eyes fell on the hand of Taurian''s once a bright light flashed from it. They immediately recognized that sign. They brought the Acolyte down to the point where he had no choice but to use his powers.

    Dire waited in anticipating while Gigas, on the other hand, readied himself for anything. There was no telling what kind of power the Beastia had. In his experience, powers of Exousia were all over the place.

    The mercenary''s eyes narrowed when he sensed many waves of energy course through the area. It all met into a singular point. Taurian''s body. As the Acolyte returned to his feet, he grew roughly three times his average size¡ªeasily towering over Gigas and Dire.

    "This is going to be a problem." Gigas sighed. A gigantification power was far from his realm of expectations. Beastia''s already possessed overwhelming power at birth. So, how much stronger did Taurian become from using his powers?

    "For you," Dire mocked. It didn''t matter how tall Taurian wished to grow. It just made him a bigger target.

    "Behold the power bestowed upon me by Shura!" Taurian bellowed, his voice thundered throughout the area. Dire gritted his teeth in annoyance and covered his ears. "Be grateful that you''ve seen the scope of my powers! Now, I''ll trample you and this entire country!"

    "Loudmouth," Gigas complained.

    "Let''s shut him up," Dire suggested.

    "I''m fine with that,"

    "Still can''t comprehend the situation that you''re in?! Allow me to enlighten you!" Taurian raised his leg and slammed it downward at his enemies below.

    Gigas opened a portal and dragged Dire along inside of it. They exited from another portal nearby.

    "Over here!" Dire called out to Taurian. The Acolyte looked over at them and scowled before he made his way over to them.

    "Slippery vermin! I''ll squash you!" He shouted and swatted at them with one of his hands.

    Gigas opened another portal and used it as a means of escape. Meanwhile, Dire jumped over the hand and ran up Taurian''s arm. The Acolytes used the other one and tried to get Dire off, but he leaped over him. On the way down his back, he tore his claws into him.

    The satisfying sound and feeling of tearing flesh brought a sadistic smile to Dire''s face.

    Once he landed, a large rock flew over his head and smacked Taurian in the face. Dire looked over and spotted Gigas off in the distance, flinging more rocks using the Terra Vitalis crystals in his hammer. Strangely enough, with each hit the Beastia suffered, he only grew in size.

    "The fuck?!" Dire exclaimed.

    "Fools! The more damage I take, the larger I become!" Taurian announced.

    "What an annoying power," Gigas lowered his hammer while Taurian triumphantly laughed. Even he understood the difficulty of the situation. He feared the flow of battle shifted in the enemy''s favor.

    How could they take down an enemy that grew in size with each amount of damage they took? It pained him to think about it. But, the option of retreat was the only choice left on the table. They couldn''t deal with powers like Taurian''s.

    "Dire, we should retreat!" Gigas announced.

    Dire''s ears perked up upon hearing the suggestion. He fiercely scowled at his partner and shook his head defiantly. Retreat was never an option in Dire''s mind. Running away was only for the weak.

    "You can go ahead and run if you want! I''m staying!"

    "Dire! Now isn''t the time for this!"

    "Having trouble cooperating?" Taurian sneered. He loved the expressions of frustration on their face. He could do it. He could kill the second Exousia and his partner. He approached the arguing team and sought to crush them beneath his foot.

    He staggered again when more rocks smashed into him. Like before, he only grew in size. With each step that he took, the ground shook beneath him.

    "If he grows any bigger, he''ll be about the size of a Colossal," Gigas commented. If that situation came to be, then they''d have to escape. A Beastia, the size of a Colossal, was unheard of and certainly impossible to defeat through ordinary means.

    "Soundslike a plan to me." Dire nodded his head when a half-baked scheme popped into his head. He licked his lips and rushed for Taurian.

    "What are you planning?!" Gigas called out to his partner but received no answer.

    Taurian raised his foot again and stomped on the ground. Dire jumped out of the way and smirked at the sight of Taurian''s foot hitting nothing but concrete. Large cracks appeared on the ground underneath him.

    Dire leaped into the air and struck Taurian''s jaw with a firm snap kick. Although he staggered¡ªit was only for a moment. He instantly recovered and countered with a punch. Dire crossed his arms over his face and steeled himself. He smashed violently into the ground.

    He heard it.

    A few of his ribs got broken from the hit he took. His hard collision against the concrete didn''t help either. He couldn''t deny that the Acolyte possessed impressive strength, as expected of a Beastia.

    However, it was borrowed strength. That was something Dire wouldn''t stand for. He refused to lose against someone that had to borrow strength to win.

    Dire returned to his feet and bared his fangs. With clear malicious intent to kill and destroy, he darted toward the giant. Taurian swatted and stomped at him, but Dire proved most agile.

    Dire understood the limits of Taurian''s power. What he gained in strength, he lost in speed. The giant Beastia was full of openings, which Dire exploited whenever a chance revealed itself.

    Every opening that he found¡ªhe attacked. As a result, Taurian only grew.

    "Have you lost your mind? What do you hope to accomplish by making me stronger?" Taurian mocked him. He couldn''t understand the scope of Dire''s plan, or if he even had one at all. Regardless, he''d continue with his attempts to killing the mutt.

    "What are you planning?" Gigas rushed over to Dire.

    "Something great," Dire answered. "One or two more good strikes should do him in for good."

    "Whatever you''re planning won''t work! I''m invincible in this state!" Taurian boasted.

    Gigas opened multiple portals around the area. He jumped through and used them as shortcuts to reach Taurian¡¯s blind spots. One of the things that made Gigas a terrifying opponent was his innovative mindset. He''d use anything and everything at his disposal tobring out the most of his abilities. What he lacked in speed, he made up for instrategy and tactics.

    He struck Taurian''s legs with mighty swings of his hammer. The Beastia didn''t budge an inch. The damage he received increased his size again. More cracks appeared across the ground where he stood.

    "Ah, so that''s your plan." Gigas immediately understood.

    "Gigas! Give me a lift!" Dire ordered.

    Gigas raised his hammer and struck the ground. A massive pillar of rock erupted from underneath Dire''s feet and launched him high above the head of Taurian. The Acolyte swung his fists at him, but Dire maneuvered around them all.

    Once he broke through his defenses, Taurian''s head was left wide open. Dire performed several summersaults and built up some momentum. Once satisfied, Dire brought the heel of his boot down on Taurian''s head.

    No sound of pain came from Taurian¡ªonly arrogant chuckles. But, even those soon came to an end once the cracks underneath him grew more apparent. Soon enough, the ground beneath him crumbled and he plummeted to the water down below.

    His pathetic cries were music Dire''s ears, as well as the large splash that soon followed. Gigas and Dire stood by the massive hole, looking down at the water. The ripples shortly died down, and the body of Taurian came floating back to the surface, face down. He returned to his original size.

    The duowaited there for a moment¡ªwanting explicit confirmation that he was dead. That moment soon came. They felt a burning sensation in their hands. The number fifty that was once on their hands changed to forty-nine. That was all that remained. Only forty-nine Exousia were left in the world.

    And Dire couldn¡¯t wait to hunt them all down. Only one person deserved to become the next God, and it was him.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 32 - Chayse and Elma Vs. Maur Rematch!

    Falling was never a sensation that Elma enjoyed. There were too many variables that one could hardly control when falling. That¡¯s why she preferred both feet on the ground always. Shehad reasonable control. So, while she and Chayse plummeted toward the Soteria river down below, keeping her composure was the least of her worries.

    Contact with the water was imminent. Elma had nothing that could save herself. Well, besides her Praus. She had enough to reduce the damage from the impact. She''d survive. Maybe.

    Just when she prepared to activate it, a hand placed itself on her shoulder. It was Chayse. The man''s hand moved down and clutched his partner''s hand tightly.

    The Hunter''s gazed shifted upward. He outstretched his Neoframe hand and activated one of its unique functions. His hand launched and grabbed hold of the edge of the bridge, leaving the Hunters dangling for awhile.

    "Thank Goddess!" Chayse exclaimed. "Good thing Caz whipped this up for me, huh?"

    "Just get us back up there!" Elma demanded. While grateful for Caz''s technological prowess, she''d be damned if she gave that man praise.

    "Got it," Chayse nodded and reeled themselves back up to the bridge. What waited for them at the top was their primary target, Maur.

    "This one is quite surprised. Yes, truly surprised¡­" Maur angrily commented at the sight of the Hunters returning onto the surface of the bridge. "No matter how close you come to death¡ªsomehow you manage to find a way to avoid it. An annoying trait indeed."

    "What you did earlier. Making the ground disappear like that. Was that your power?" Elma questioned him.

    "Of course," He bluntly answered, ¡°this one has been granted the power to disintegrate anything this one pleases. Truly ironic. Your Goddess of creation has given this one the power of complete destruction."

    "So, you are the one that destroyed Salus Town!¡± Chayse exclaimed.

    "Correct. And soon enough, this entire country will suffer the same fate."

    "Like hell, we¡¯re going to let that happen!" Elma readied her bow and arrow, aiming right for the bastard¡¯s head.

    "What could you possibly do in your condition? You are struggling even to hold your bow steady."

    "Don¡¯t you worry about us. We¡¯ve beaten tougher opponents than you," Chayse boasted.

    "This one doubts that." Maur slammed his hand onto the ground once more. Surges of electricity coursed through the ground. Once it reached the Hunters'' feet, the ground beneath them disintegrated.

    But, they learned from the last time.

    Chayse and Elma jumped out of the way. Afterward, Chayse drew his dagger from its sheath and charged the Acolyte while Elma provided cover fire.

    Maur caught each arrow shot his way and disintegrated them. Then, he engaged Chayse in close quarters combat. The Acolyte gracefully evaded each attack thrown his way and smacked the Hunter away with a kick. Next thing he knew, he found an arrow through his shoulder, courtesy of Elma.

    Maur howled in pain and dropped to his knees. Chayse and Elma drew their daggers and carefully approached him. Like before, the peculiar black blood that seeped from Maur''s body caught their attention. They had many questions for him.

    "You''ll pay for that!" Maur grabbed the arrow and turned it to dust within seconds. Afterward, he attacked the Hunters with his daggers.

    His attacks were swift and well precise. However, so were Chayse and Elma''s. They each took turns crossing blades with him while the other tried to get the drop on him. The first one to land that lucky shot was Chayse. He punched the Acolyte square across his face with his Neoframe hand.

    Maur recovered quickly and followed up with a counterattack by sweeping Chayse¡¯s feet out from under him. Once Chayse hit the ground, Maur looked to impale him through the chest.

    His blade crossed with Elma''s who stepped in just in time.

    She refused to lose another partner. Not on her watch. Elma and Maur crossed blades a few more times until he broke through her defenses with a kick to the woman''s abdomen. That kick reopened the wound he gave her back at Eirene Town.

    Elma dropped to her knees, gasping for air.

    Elma''s blood bleached through her clothes. The source of her wound burned with high intensity. It became more difficult to block and evade his oncoming attacks for her.

    "Feeling a bit sore from our last fight?" Maur taunted Elma before slicing at her again. A familiar prosthetic hand shot up and grabbed his wrist at the last second. Elma took advantage of the opportunity and clobbered Maur¡¯s face. The Acolyte quickly recovered and jumped back to gain some distance on them.

    "Thanks for saving my ass," said Chayse as he quickly stood up. "You okay?"

    "I¡¯ve been better," Elma admitted.

    "If you ever need to take a rest, you let me know. I wouldn¡¯t mind taking over things from here."

    "After seeing how you nearly got killed a few seconds ago? No deal. You¡¯d be dead without me."

    "Don¡¯t I know it."

    "Satisfied with your little side chat?" Maur asked after he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth off. "The longer the two of you prolong this fight, the more Varvara we gain from this city."Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    "You¡¯re right," Chayse admitted.

    "Guess we¡¯ve had about enough talk." Elma sheathed her dagger and grabbed my bow. In a few swift movements, she fired an arrow at the Acolyte and immediately reached for another one.

    Unfortunately, Maur sidestepped the projectile and charged them, his blades at the ready. The next arrow that Elma managed to launch was easily deflected with a swipe of his blade. He closed the distance between them and retaliated with another slash.

    Elma jumped back.

    However, Chayse stood strong and engaged the man.

    He guarded against the initial slash with his Neoframe arm, following up with a swing from his other one. Maur evaded and went for Chayse''s leg. The Hunter raised it and shifted his center of gravity to his other leg to keep him balanced.

    But, the attacks didn¡¯t stop coming.

    Chayse continued to maneuver around Maur¡¯s attacks. Impatience and irritation clearly showed on his face. He grew sloppy and went for an exaggerated attack which left him wide open.

    That''s what Chayse waited for. If there was one thing, he was good at; it was annoying his opponents. That often led to people losing their composure and leaving holes in their offensive and defense.

    The second he saw the opportunity, Chayse seized the moment and planted a kick across the man¡¯s chest. He then quickly stepped aside and presented Elma the chance to take another shot.

    Elma released her arrow and watched in high hopes for it to hit the mark. Ultimately, her hopes were dashed. Maur recovered from the attack just in time to disintegrate the projectile.

    An arrogant laugh leaked from him as the dust blew off into the wind. He then tried a previous technique of crumbling the ground beneath their feet. The same trick wouldn¡¯t work on them so easily. If he had failed to get them the second time, why on Salome had he tried to do it a third time was beyond their comprehension.

    From what Elma deduced about his powers, depending on the object, Maur couldn¡¯t disintegrate something without making physical contact. It was why he had to resort to using his abilities on the ground instead. There also appeared to be a delay in the power¡¯s activation.

    "When will you Hunters learn that your arrows will have no effect on this one like last time?" Maur taunted. "This one will not hold back like before."

    "Neither will we," Elma announced. "We¡¯ll use every tactic at our disposal to bring you down."

    "Judging from your quivers, the both of you combined only have about six tactics left in your arsenal. Hope you make it count."

    "We will!" Chayse leaped into action. The two crossed blades many times¡ªboth parties blocked every attack. The first one to land a hit was Chayse. He struck Maur with a snap kick to the head.

    Although Maur recoiled from the hit, he used the momentum to spin around and secure a well-placed kick to Chayse¡¯s midsection, knocking him to the ground. Before Chayse could get up, he suffered through another brutal kick to his stomach. It had much more force than before. Chayse flew a few meters across the bridge. He coughed up blood once he came to a stop.

    Maur moved in close to the downed Hunter, but Elma stopped him midway by shooting an arrow at him. It was reduced to dust thanks to his powers, but the woman''s real goal was to keep him away from Chayse as long as possible for the man to recover.

    "Two arrows left for you!" counted Maur. "Try not to waste them. Your lives are on the line after all." He stepped over Chayse and slowly approached Elma.

    He suddenly stopped when he felt something clasp onto his ankle. His gaze shifted down to Chayse.

    "Don¡¯t count me out yet!" He said.

    "Stay down!" Maur''s face contorted in frustration as he raised his arm to stab him. As he suggested, Elma didn¡¯t use her next arrow carelessly. It punctured Maur''s hand. He dropped the dagger and stumbled back away from Chayse.

    Elma rushed in and attacked. She bashed Maur in the face a few times with her bow and followed up with a sharp kick to his stomach. Before he could recover, she whacked him in the chin with my bow hard enough for him to lean back.

    Maur straightened his posture, only to receive another hard strike from Elma. He recoiled from the hit, but still attempted to retaliate. Elma dodged the attack and aimed for a kick. But, that was shirked. Maur grabbed her leg and tossed the Huntress a few meters across the bridge.

    "The two of you have been thorns in this one¡¯s side for far too long! This ends now!" Maur shouted before he slammed his hands onto the ground. Chayse and Elma exchanged glances from across the bridge, knowing what was coming.

    Maur planned to take down the entire bridge.

    Chayse and Elma refused to let that happen. If the Acolyte planned to end everything with his next attack, then the Hunters wanted to do the same. The two of them drew their last arrows and aimed. The arrowheads glowed brightly as they poured their Praus into it.

    On command, they released the arrows. Maur jumped out of the way as expected, but it was far too late for him to escape what came afterward. The moment the tips of the arrows collided, a unique phenomenon occurred¡ªone that could only be used by experienced Praus users.

    Praus Convergence.

    A challenging and powerful technique which allowed Praus users to combine and amplify their power or attacks for an allotted amount of time. It couldn''t be performed by just anyone. Specific requirements must be met before anyone could consider implementing such a technique. The participants must possess a deep bond and have a complete understanding of each other. Their Praus must also be on the same wavelength, matching each other perfectly.

    When successfully done, a devastating attack is unleashed.

    And devastating it was. Chayse and Elma''s Praus combined into an orb which slowly expanded as more power poured into it. Eventually, all the built-up pressure inside of it couldn¡¯t be contained, which resulted in an explosion.

    Chayse and Elma remained out of range from the blast. Maur, however, wasn¡¯t so fortunate. He was enveloped by the light in a matter of seconds.

    Once the dust settled, the Hunters found him lying on the ground, motionless. They slowly approached the man with their daggers at the ready.

    They had yet to meet an opponent that could withstand the power of a Praus Convergence. But, they weren¡¯t going to take any chances. Once they reached him, they lowered their weapons. The man made no sudden movements.

    He couldn¡¯t.

    Maur was unconscious. His robes were tattered, and he suffered many burns from the attack. Elma immediately placed a subjugation collar around his neck. He couldn¡¯t take the risk of him regaining consciousness then trying to kill them again.

    "Alright! We did it! We evened the score!" Chayse cheered. Elma would''ve joined him, but she was far too exhausted. Soon enough, she found herself collapsed on the ground. "Elma?!"

    "I¡¯m fine, Chayse. I¡¯m¡­really exhausted¡­" Elma assured him.

    After everything they had been through for the past couple of days, she was surprised they managed to survive the ordeal. Her body ached and burned from all over. It was like all the injuries she obtained from the past few days had all came back and hit her at once.

    "You and me both,"agreed Chayse as he sat down next to his partner. "I don¡¯t think we have enough strength in us to go help Runa and the others. I¡¯d like to. But, I¡¯ve reached my limit. Talking is proving to be a challenge."

    "Then how about you do us both a favor and shut up?" Elma suggested.

    "Why do you have to be so harsh?"

    The Hunters exchanged glances and shared a laugh. It was odd, laughing like that without a care in the world. Perhaps they were overloaded with stress, or delirious from the overuse of their Praus. But regardless, it felt good. The two of them had shared many close calls and brushes with death before. It was nothing new.

    Each time they came out on top. Chayse was an excellent partner. One that Elma planned to keep around until the day she died or retired. He¡¯d choose retirement, but the life of a Huntress wasn¡¯t an easy one. No matter how powerful an individual, if one could bleed, then they could be killed. Elma never planned to die. But, she wasn¡¯t arrogant enough not to acknowledge that it could someday happen.

    While unfortunate, she had no other choice but to leave the fate of the other enemies to Runa and the others.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 33 - Kyros and Runa Vs. Melanie!

    With all their might, Kyros and Runa ran. They moved with the swiftness of the wind. The final battle grew closer with each step they took. Their target¡ªMelanie Elisavet. The woman was responsible for the savage attacks across Soteria. They planned to end her reign of terror once and for all.

    The Acolyte destroyed hundreds of lives because of her assaults. Kyros remembered the explanation she gave a few days back. It only fueled his rage and desire to stop her at all costs.

    When they reached the base of the mountain, they spotted armed guards standing before the entrance to it. Kyros came to a halt and held his arm out to stop Runa as well.

    "What''re you stopping for?" The Huntress exclaimed. It wasn''t the time to stop. Their target was nearby, and it was their last chance to stop her.

    "Something''s wrong," Kyros noted the longer he stared at the guards. He couldn''t sense a shred of life from them. Sure, they stood and guarded the entrance with their weapons in hand. But, he couldn''t shake the ominous feeling about them.

    Runa rested her spear on her shoulder and observed the guards herself. The same feeling Kyros had reached her as well. She immediately recognized what happened.

    "They''re dead," She pointed out. "Melanie got to ''em."

    "She''s using their bodies to slow us down." Kyros banged his gauntlets together and wasted no time in rushing the guards. The moment he entered their line of sight, the guards moved. They raised their weapons and attacked.

    Kyros disarmed the guards and knocked them away. They immediately recovered and attacked again. Runa stepped in and dismembered them, knowing that was the only way to keep them down.

    "Quit wasting time," Runa barked. She didn''t give the man any time to respond. She quickly stepped through the entrance and mentally prepared herself for whatever awaited them in the mountain.

    "Had I known Melanie would come here, I would''ve mentioned it to General Zofia," Kyros complained. His mind went back to the conversation he had with Aion a few days ago. He remembered how his mentor mentioned Melanie''s deep love for her father.

    "What''s so special about this place?" Runa questioned as she held her spear out in front of her and used it to trace the ground. It was a smart tactic to use in case of traps or pitfalls. Her eye wandered to the lanterns and portraits of several people mounted on the hollow walls.

    "The foot of this mountain is used as a graveyard for special individuals in Soteria," Kyros answered. "Kings, Queens, Nobles, people of high status alike are buried here."

    Upon hearing the military man''s answer, everything clicked in Runa''s head. All the pieces came together.

    "Son of a bitch! She''s trying to revive her dead father isn''t she?!" Runa exclaimed.

    Kyros gritted his teeth and nodded in response. The thought of the Last King coming back to life terrified him beyond belief. That ruthless man boasted godly like powers. Only a select few in Soteria would have the ability to match him. Therefore, it was up to Runa and him to stop Melanie at all costs.

    He knew all too well that no matter what went down inside of the mountain, they were in for a fight of their lives.

    "Melanie!" Kyros shouted once he spotted the woman standing before an unmarked grave.

    "End of the line!" Runa added and pointed her spear at the Acolyte.

    "These graves...they''re quite beautiful, yes?" Melanie suddenly asked. She didn''t bother to turn around and face the enemies behind her. "One final memento for the greatest people in this country''s history. And yet, there is not a single marked grave for my father. Soteria became what it was because of his valiant efforts. So, why? Why does he not rise when I use my powers?!"

    Kyros'' attention moved to Melanie''s hand. It aimed directly at the unmarked grave beneath her feet. However, nothing rose from the ground.

    "Give up, Melanie. Nothing''s going to come out from under there," Kyros proclaimed. "Your father was a tyrant. A monster that this country wants to forget. Did you honestly believe we''d bury him?"

    Melanie''s Praus flared wildly around the area. She slowly turned and finally faced her enemies. The ferocious scowl on her face unnerved them.

    "What did you bastards do to my father''s body?!" She shouted.

    "We burned it," Kyros replied without hesitation. "The council didn''t want to leave any remnants of him behind. Your plan failed, Melanie. Surrender."

    The fire in Melanie''s eyes diminished. She lowered her head and stared at the ground. Everything she''d done to get there felt like a wasted effort. She lost so much and yet gained incredible power as compensation. With her ability to control the dead, she planned to destroy Soteria along with her father and comrades.

    It was meant to be a fitting end to a worthless world and era. If the most influential country in Salome fell at their feet, then, of course, the planet as a whole would follow. No one would''ve been able to stop them.

    That dream would stay like that, however, a dream. Without her father''s body, she couldn''t exact her revenge against the nation that took everything from her. But, that didn''t mean all was lost. There was still something else she needed to do.

    Surrender was not an option. Not to her.

    Melanie''s shoulders trembled. She raised her head and laughed maniacally, alarming Kyros and Runa. They felt as if the woman had finally snapped at all the pressure.

    "I will admit, this hinders my plan." Melanie slapped her hand over her face. "However, bringing back my father was only a small part of the operation. There is still something I can do here."

    "What''s that?" Runa wondered.

    "Kill you," Melanie dryly answered before she rushed towards the two. Runa met the Acolyte halfway and clashed blades with the woman. They shared a brief dance of blocks and parries until Kyros broke his way into the fight.

    His attempts to bludgeon Melanie with his gauntlets proved futile. Melanie was far too swift and agile; his fists couldn''t hope to connect. Nonetheless, he kept the pressure on her. Melanie couldn''t attack if she were forced continuously on the defensive.

    The Acolyte blocked Kyros'' last punch with her sword and skidded back. She parried another one that came from the man and nearly impaled him through the throat.

    Thankfully, Runa stepped in and defended Kyros with her spear. Melanie pulled her arm back and thrust her sword at the Huntress in retaliation, letting out a growl of frustration. Runa blocked the sword again, which left Melanie wide open.

    Kyros took advantage and went for another punch, which only collided with the pavement instead of its intended target. Melanie raised her knee and struck Kyros in the stomach. When he dropped to the ground, Runa jumped over him and engaged Melanie until he could regain his composure.

    Their clash of blades ended once Melanie struck Runa upside the head with a backhand strike. Runa recoiled and used the momentum to retaliate with a roundhouse kick.

    Melanie sidestepped the kick and responded with a kick of her own. The target¡ªRuna¡¯s unguarded kneecap. Upon impact, the Huntress dropped to the ground, using one hand to keep her steady. Just before Melanie''s blade came down toward her neck, a column of flames rushed toward the Acolyte.

    She jumped away and watched the flames diminish once it reached a certain range. Her eyes darted toward Kyros. The sight of his flaring gauntlets brought a smirk to her face.

    "My, is this not entertaining? Blind followers of Shura, continue with your futile attempts to defeat me. Your sacrifice will be most pleasing to Mother." Melanie mocked her opponents.

    Kyros lowered his fists and frowned. Melanie reverted to her old speech pattern back when they first met. She frantically raved about Jaya, the Goddess of Destruction and other nonsense. Kyros didn''t buy into any of it. Although the woman boasted about her religion, he didn''t feel any genuine feelings in her words.

    They felt hollow. Sad even.

    "That''s enough, Melanie! I''m not buying into any of this!" Kyros waved his arm out. "Your Acolyte spiel won''t work on me!"

    "What are you talking about?" Melanie inquired.

    "Face it. This isn''t about Jaya. It never was. This was about you and your father. All this time you simply wanted to bring him back from the dead. That was your goal here."

    "Fool. The likes of you could never hope to understand my complex methods," Melanie pointed her sword at Kyros. "I told you before that I seek to remove the illusion that has cast over your eyes. Salome is coming to an end. The world must know this. The only way to convey that message is by destroying the safe havens that humanity constructed to keep Mother contained."

    "You sound brainwashed," Runa pointed out. "Earlier when you spoke about your father, that sounded real. Genuine. But now, you sound like a machine."

    "Who programmed you to say these things? Your leader?" Kyros wondered.

    "My words and actions are mine alone! If anyone here is brainwashed, it is you!"

    "No point in talking you down," Runa concluded. Honestly, she felt it was a waste of time in the first place. Melanie had done far too much damage to get forgiven so easily from anyone. As she saw it, she''d rather kill the woman and end everything. "So, I''ll just cut you down instead."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    "Again, you make these outlandish proclamations. And yet, you are still no closer to defeating me than you were the first time we clashed."

    "This won¡¯t go down like the last time we fought."

    "Prove it."

    It all happened within a blink of an eye. One second Runa stood beside Kyros. And then the next she stood where Melanie once did. The woman got knocked a few meters across the cavern. She regained her balance and stared at the Huntress in disbelief.

    A bright light emanated from Runa''s hand. There it was. She had done it.

    She activated her powers.

    When Melanie returned to her feet, she expressed the same amount of surprise that Kyros did. After all, it was the first successful hit that Runa had managed to land on her.

    Several more came afterward.

    Runa repeatedly sped around the stunned Acolyte, brutally wailing on her. Just as she went for the finishing blow, Melanie deflected Runa¡¯s spear away from her. At that moment, Melanie thrust her sword at Runa''s torso.

    In the act of swiftness, Runa leaned back as far as she could into a back bridge. The only thing that managed to get sliced open was her leather armor. Runa swung her leg up and landed a kick across Melanie''s chin, sending her staggering back.

    Kyros jumped back into the fight and swung away at Melanie with his flaming gauntlets. Runa straightened her posture and joined him in the attack.

    Although they attacked in unison, Melanie displayed remarkable swordsmanship. She gracefully blocked and parried all their attacks. Whenever Melanie found holes in their offense, she took immediate advantage. She lashed at Kyros, which he defended. Her attention then moved to Runa, who she kicked further down the cavern.

    Displaying an expression of pure arrogance and delight, Melanie casually dodged his strikes. When Kyros followed up with a kick, she blocked it with her forearm and retaliated with a swipe of her sword. Kyros dodge rolled out of the way into her blind spot, where he proceeded to knock her on the ground with a sharp blow to her back.

    Melanie recovered quickly and tossed aside her burning cloak. They circled each other¡ªgauging one another¡¯s expressions and movements. She strutted around with bright confidence¡ªone hand on her hip, the other still around her sword.

    "Become a worthy sacrifice for Mother." She had said before she attacked with violent swings of her sword. Kyros shuffled back, occasionally launching fireballs at her from his gauntlets. She leaped over his third fireball and swung her blade at him.

    Kyros rolled to the right. The blade pierced the pavement with ease. Melanie looked back at him and playfully winked as she pulled the sword from the ground. She closed the distance between them in seconds. She went for a sword thrust straight for his face.

    Kyros grabbed the blade and kept it suspended long enough for him to land consecutive kicks across her stomach.

    As she recovered, Runa joined back into the fight. She activated her powers and dashed for the Acolyte. Melanie leaped over her, grabbed her, and used the momentum to hurl the Huntress to the ground. She looked to impale the downed woman, but Runa dodged with a backflip. As she went for another stab attempt, Kyros intervened and attacked with a flurry of blows.

    All of them evaded.

    Her last evasive maneuver involved a backflip, where her foot collided against Kyros'' chin. In his moment of disorientation, Melanie¡¯s blade grazed his side. The man''s blood stained her blade, his clothes, and the pavement. Kyros winced in pain and dropped to one knee.

    "More! More! This is nowhere near enough!" taunted Melanie. She continued her offensive onslaught.

    Since her attention had affixed on Kyros, Runa launched the blade of her spear at the Acolyte. The blade grazed Melanie''s heel and knocked her off balance. The woman exclaimed in pain and stumbled around in a desperate attempt to regain her balance. But, Kyros did not give her a chance to. He closed in on her then delivered the final blow straight to her face.

    Melanie crashed face first into the ground, bouncing at least once until she came to a stop. Kyros took a few deep breaths and kept his guard up, in case she was not down and out. She remained there¡ªmotionless.

    Runa approached the downed woman then checked her condition. "She¡¯s out cold. Nice shot, hero. You knocked out a woman."

    Kyros didn''t know how to respond to that statement. He felt that there was nothing that he could''ve said that would''ve justified his actions. Melanie was a criminal after all. Subduing the woman with lethal force was the only way to go about it.

    "At least it''s all over now." Kyros lowered his fists and heaved a heavy sigh. All the tension in his body suddenly disappeared at that moment, as if a huge weight lifted from his shoulders. He felt as light as a feather.

    "We shouldn''t let our guards down. There''s still..." Runa got interrupted when the ground beneath them shook rigorously, nearly knocking the team off their feet.

    "What was that?! An explosion?!" Kyros and Runa moved their heads in the direction of the exit. A thunderous noise echoed throughout the cavern. The team wasted no time in rushing out of the mountain to check out the source of the sound.

    Their feet carried them back towards their boat, where they spotted a giant man lying face down in the water. The giant suddenly shrank in size and sank to the bottom of the river.

    Following up immediately afterward, a sharp pain struck in their hands. The team clutched their hands and winced in pain. It burned intensely. They recognized the sensation.

    Kyros set his gauntlets in stasis mode and checked the palm of his hand. The number fifty that once displayed there soon changed to forty-nine.

    "That was an Exousia?" Kyros wondered.

    "Had to be," Runa nodded her head.

    "This is where he landed?" A joyous tone reached the ears of Kyros and Runa. They turned and found the owner of the voice, the Wolf Beastia, Dire. Behind him was his partner, Gigas. The Beastia walked over to the water and looked around. "Damn it. Lost his scent. Ah well, he''s dead anyway."

    "Was that your doing?" Runa questioned them. While not entirely on the defensive, the Huntress couldn''t let her guard down around the two.

    "You bet, Mono," Dire turned and faced Runa with a cruel smile. It unnerved her how the young man could be so proud about murdering someone. "Damn Bull wasn''t much of a challenge, but, I feel refreshed knowing I took another Exousia down. Speaking of which..."

    The Beastia lifted his head and sniffed the area. His tail wagged earnestly as he suddenly started walking in the direction of the mountain.

    "Where are you going now, Dire?" Gigas called out.

    "I smell another one of those Acolytes. I bet it''s an Exousia as well. I want it dead." Dire answered.

    Kyros quickly ran out in front of Dire and blocked him. "No! There''s no need for that! She needs to be apprehended and interrogated by the military! Stand down!"

    Dire''s ears perked up. "You hear this guy, Gigas? He''s giving me orders. Like hell, I''m gonna listen to someone like you."

    "We should heed his words, Dire. You''ve already killed the other Exousia. No need to kill this one." Gigas said.

    Dire growled and sharply turned to face his partner. "What do you mean by no need?! I won''t be able to become a God if I keep leaving Exousia alive!"

    All the anxiety that had left Kyros before suddenly returned at that moment¡ªhitting him like a ton of bricks. Dire¡¯s malicious desire to kill the Acolytes was brought on by the fact that he too was an Exousia.

    "You¡¯re an Exousia?" Runa exclaimed. That settled everything for her. Like she didn''t already have any reasons to avoid being around the uncontrollable Dire.

    "Not just any Exousia¡­" Dire showed the palm of his hand to Kyros and Runa, revealing the number two encrypted on it. Although Runa and Kyros were shocked to see another single digit, they tried their best to feign ignorance.

    "What¡­are you trying show us?" Kyros asked. His entire body trembled in anxiety. He never encountered another single digit before in his life. From what he remembered from Runa, single digits possessed incredible power compared the other Exousia.

    Kyros'' comment caused Dire¡¯s ears to droop. "You can¡¯t see it? Hm, guess no point in explaining anything to you."

    "You two defeated an Exousia by yourselves? Impressive," Gigas acknowledge their feats.

    "Most humans couldn''t do something like that. Guess you guys deserve some props. Anyway, I''ve got another Exousia to kill. Now, move." Dire ordered.

    Just as Kyros opened his mouth to refuse, a firm hand grasped his shoulder. He looked to his left and spotted Runa, sternly glancing at him. She didn''t need to say anything for him to understand the meaning behind her expression. She wanted to give up Melanie over to Dire.

    As much as an easy decision it was to make; Kyros refused to do it. They worked hard to defeat Melanie, and he had questions that he needed to be answered. If Melanie died, then everything they did would be put to waste.

    "No," Kyros refused to move.

    "No?" Dire and Runa asked in unison.

    "That''s right. No." Kyros sternly shook his head. "That woman''s going into military custody. I''m not going to stand aside and let you kill her."

    He stood firm on his decision. From what little he heard about Dire, he understood that he was in for another fight of his life. But, that didn''t matter to him. Standing up for the right thing was one of his core principals, even if it meant risking his life.

    Before him was an enemy, he possibly stood no chance against. Dire was a Beastia, so his strength was nothing to scoff at. Adding to the fact that he also possessed supernatural powers, well, the cards weren''t in Kyros'' favor.

    Dire closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Afterward, he vanished from Kyros'' line of sight. Kyros looked behind him after he heard a call of warning from Runa. A boot connected against his face, knocking him to the ground.

    The same boot nearly crushed his skull until Runa redirected it into the ground inches away from the downed man''s face.

    Kyros rolled to his feet and raised his fists. "Stop! We don''t have to fight!"

    "Looks like we do," Dire calmly responded with a shrug of his shoulders. "I want to kill that Exousia, and you''re getting in my way. Only one of us can get what we want."

    Dire bypassed Runa and rushed Kyros. He raised his leg for a kick. Kyros crossed his arms in front of him for a guard. His defense got immediately broken the moment Dire''s foot contacted his gauntlets.

    They shattered.

    His precious gauntlets. The ones Aion helped him forge all those years ago, scattered across the ground right before his very eyes. Not to mention the pain he felt from the Beastia''s kick. If not for the fact his gauntlets reduced the damage he received, his arms would''ve detached from his body. They hung loosely at his sides.

    They were numb.

    Beastia¡¯s. Indeed a race that bred warriors. Kyros'' strength couldn''t compare to Dire''s. Even though defeat loomed over Kyros; he stood firm.

    "Enough! Just let them kill her!" Runa demanded. She knew that Kyros was suicidal with his heroic tendencies, but she didn''t figure it was that bad. Challenging one Exousia after another was pure madness. She didn''t want to have anything to do with the situation anymore.

    "No! If we let them take her, all of our efforts would''ve been for nothing!" Kyros yelled. "So many people died! So many lives wasted! And for what?! I want answers! Melanie has them! I won''t let them past me even if it costs me my life!"

    "How''re you gonna stop me?" Dire challenged. He pointed one of his claws at Kyros'' hanging arms. "Bet you can''t even lift those arms. You''re still gonna fight?"

    "I''m still standing, aren''t I?" Kyros retorted and smirked. "If I can still stand, I can still fight."

    Dire stared directly into the eyes of his wounded opponent. It was rare, but the Wolf Beastia found himself intrigued by the blazing flames that burned in Kyros'' eyes. There wasn''t a doubt in Dire''s mind that he''d win the fight. However, Kyros'' bravery and determination brought a smile to his face.

    He figured he''d honor Kyros'' ambition and end up with the next kick.

    Dire sharply spun and swung his leg out. Kyros braced himself for the attack. However, it never came. A portal opened in front of Kyros and redirected Dire''s boot in another direction.

    "The fuck?! Gigas?!" Dire pulled his leg out from the portal and looked at his partner.

    "Stand down, Dire. We''ve done enough for today." Gigas ordered.

    "Says you! We can end this after they''re dead!" Dire argued.

    "No," Gigas opened another portal and shoved Dire through it. He quickly closed it and heaved a heavy sigh, knowing that his partner would cause a ruckus later.

    "He''s...he''s gone?" Kyros slumped down to his knees.

    "I''m sorry about all the trouble we''ve caused. It wasn''t my intention for things to spiral out of control like this," Gigas apologized. He slowly approached Kyros and helped him to his feet. "You''re in the military, correct?"

    "Yes, I am." Kyros nodded his head, confused as to where the direction of the conversation was going. Things were progressing too fast for his brain to process.

    Gigas smiled and held his hands out in front of him. "Then, arrest me."

    "What?!" Kyros and Runa exclaimed. Out of anything they expected to mercenary to say, having him arrested was one of the last things on their mental list.

    "I''ve committed heinous crimes across the world; I deserve punishment. Plus, I have some information for your country''s leaders. I will peacefully surrender as long as I''m granted passage into your maximum security prison, Tartarus."

    Kyros and Runa stared at the large man in disbelief. It was a first for them. Someone that willingly wished to get incarcerated into Tartarus. They were in no condition to continue fighting regardless, and Gigas could''ve easily killed them if he wanted. While uncertain of his reasons, they apprehended him.

    They went back to the mountain to get Melanie but found her body missing.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 34 - Restoration!

    The defeat of the Jaya Acolytes signaled the salvation of Soteria. With the source of the Varvara stopped, the military and police force gained the upper hand over the monsters and vanquished them in a matter of hours. Not a single creature of destruction was left standing. The capital city of Soteria stood firm in its time of panic and mayhem.

    The warm rays of the sun-bleached through the clouds and shined down on the nation. The people came out from their shelters and celebrated another day. Their cries of joy and excitement reached the very top of The Peak, where Kyros and Runa escorted their recently captured prisoner over to Military Headquarters. Despite their victory, Kyros couldn''t celebrate. It was far too soon.

    There was so much to be done.

    "Alright, stop," Runa suddenly demanded. Kyros and Gigas stopped in their tracks and stared at the Huntress. "we''re just gonna go along with this?"

    "Go along with what?" Kyros wondered. If anything, he assumed the Huntress would be ecstaticabout the fact that her mission was over.

    "Bringing this guy in," Runa pointed at Gigas, who had remained silent the entire trip up the mountain. Runa couldn''t piece it together, no matter how much she tried. She couldn''t understand why someone as powerful and feared as Gigas would willingly travel around with a criminal, only to surrender themselves in the end. "You don''t find it odd why he''s suddenly giving up?"

    Of course, Kyros had his doubts about Gigas'' motives. He found it strange as well. But, it wasn''t his job to think about the details. After all, he was under suspension from the military. At that moment, he was merely a citizen.

    It wasn''t his job or problem to deal with Gigas. He''d leave that up to the ones that''d hold the man in custody. Thankfully, those people arrived right on time. General Zofia and several armed guards stepped out from the military base and approached Kyros and Runa.

    "Kyros," Zofia called out to him.

    "Yes, ma''am!" Kyros'' instincts took over. He quickly stood at attention and saluted his superior officer.

    "I see your report about capturing Gigas was correct," The General noted as her cold, silver eyes affixed to the Mercenary. Gigas didn''t shy away from the woman''s glance. Instead, he lifted his head and stared right back at her. "Unfortunate to hear that you allowed one of them to escape."

    "I''m very sorry about that! I''ll head back down and search the bottom of the mountain for her!" The moment Kyros turned his back to fulfill his proclamation, the pain he accumulated throughout his hours of fighting hit him all at once. He gritted his teeth and dropped down to one knee.

    "Do not worry about it. You have done more than enough," Zofia snapped her fingers. The armed guards collected Gigas and took him inside of the military base. "besides, I had others on the job as well."

    As if on cue, a Griffon landed in the courtyard several feet away from the group. Out from the air vehicle came the Hunter duo, Elma and Chayse, carrying their prisoner in two, Maur.

    "You''re alive!" Chayse dropped Maur to the ground and rushed over to Runa, ignoring his injuries from his battle. He circled the Huntress, checking her out for any serious wounds. Upon finding none, he stopped in front of her and set his hands on her shoulders, staring at her with teary eyes. "Thank Goddess! I knew you''d be just fine!"

    "Chayse! Help me carry this guy, damn it!" Elma ordered. Carrying a defeated opponent while wounded and exhausted wasn''t an easy task, even for her.

    "Oh, shit! Coming!" Chayse hurried back over to his partner and helped her carry Maur over to the group.

    "Forgive us, General Zofia," Elma sincerely apologized, "we only managed to capture one of them."

    "But, hey, one is better than none," added Chayse. His smile dropped the moment his eyes wandered over to Gigas. "What''s this guy doing here?! Where''s his partner?!"

    "Disappeared," Kyros answered once he regained his strength to stand. "We can debrief elsewhere. For now, let''s get these two locked up."

    No one offered any objections. Zofia and her guards took Gigas and Maur into the custody while Kyros and the others took refuge in the infirmary. Numerous medical personnel looked over the group, providing them the necessary treatment that they needed.

    During his treatment, Chayse wasted no time in flirting with the nurses, much to the chagrin of Runa and Elma. The man just never learned his lesson, no matter how many slaps or crude remarks of rejection he received in retaliation for his actions. Regardless, the group couldn''t help but share a laugh.

    They finally had the time to settle down and enjoy themselves for the meantime. Their battles were over. They could rest and prepare themselves for the future.

    The group turned their attention to the front of the room, where Sarra forced her way past a couple of doctors. She bawled her eyes out and jumped into Runa''s arms, burying her face into the woman''s leather covered chest.

    "S-Sarra?! How''d you get here?! I told you not to leave the apartment until I came to get you!" Runa scolded. However, her words fell on deaf ears. The little girl continued to cry. Runa sighed and comforted her partner, caressing the girl''s head until she settled down.

    "I''m jealous," Chayse muttered. "I''d like to get carressed like that. Or at least bury my face in a woman''s chest," his eyes dejectedly scanned his Elma''s chest. Of course, there was hardly anything there, much to his disappointment.

    Elma caught him glancing at her chest again and whacked him over the head with her bow, knocking him out of bed and onto the floor.

    "Runa! Mr. Kyros! You''re both fine, right?!" Sarra asked once she cleared her face of tears.

    "Yup, just great," Runa nonchalantly answered.

    "I''m fine, too," Kyros replied with a nod of his head. "I''d be much worse if I didn''t have Runa down there with me."

    "If it wasn''t obvious enough," Runa agreed with Kyros'' statement without hesitation, not bothering to show an ounce of humility. "You would''ve gotten yourself killed out there if not for me. What were you thinking? You should''ve let that Beastia get to Melanie."

    "He would''ve killed her," Kyros stated.

    "That''s not my problem. That''d be one less Exousia to worry about in the world. Besides, Chayse and Elma captured an Acolyte."Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    "We didn''t know that at the time."

    "Whatever. That was reckless of you," Runa frowned the more she thought back to that incident. "You could''ve gotten us both killed."

    "You didn''t have to stay there, Runa. When we took down the Acolytes, you could''ve left. Your mission was only to eliminate the source of the Varvara, right?" Kyros pointed out. Strangely enough, he smiled. The thought that Runa stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal brought him more joy than she could ever know.

    By no means were they friends, but they were indeed comrades.

    "Yeah, well..." Runa averted her gaze from Kyros and looked up above her as if trying to find a perfect excuse to explain her actions. The past her would''ve abandoned Kyros with Dire and Gigas in a heartbeat if it meant that her life would''ve been spared. But, for some reason, she felt compelled to stay. "Sarra would''ve been upset if you died."

    "It''s true," Sarra agreed and flashed a bright smile toward Kyros. Her smile quickly faded when she noticed the bandages wrapped around the man''s arms. "What happened to your arms?"

    "Nothing major." Kyros gave a dismissive answer.

    "Nothing major? Your arms fell limp when Dire kicked you!" Runa pointed out. "Not to mention he shattered your gauntlets. You''ll be lucky if you can use them any time soon."

    Kyros frowned and looked down to his arms. Thanks to the efforts of the nurses, his fractured bones healed quite nicely. The excruciating pain that he felt at the time all disappeared thanks to their soothing touch. The medical personnel of the country was required to learn how to accelerate the healing process of others through the means of Praus.

    They still believed in standard practices of medicine and science. But most of the time using Praus was faster.

    "Sorry that we weren''t there to help," Elma and Chayse left their medical beds and wandered over to the group.

    "Don''t worry about it. You two did more than enough." Runa commented, taking immediate notice of their attire. Out of everyone, the Hunter duo was far more wounded. Bandages covered them from head to toe.

    "Every wound was worth it," Chayse announced as he moved over to Runa''s medical bed, "especially now that we''re going to be here, recuperating together."

    Just as he was about to get too close for comfort, Elma hurried to his side and pulled him away with a forceful tug of his ear. His desperate cries for release were ignored as his partner chastised him on his unsightly behavior.

    The onlookers shared another good laugh. But, those times ended when Kyros opened his mouth to speak.

    "Did anyone manage to get any useful information out of this whole ordeal? Anything that can help us figure out why all this happened. I mean, I know that Jaya Acolytes are extremists and all, but something doesn''t feel right about all this. Like, where did they find those orbs that contained the Varvara?"

    "Elma and I already looked into that. At first, we believed the Lambros Corporation was involved. But, we were given a tour of the building, and we didn''t find anything resembling those orbs." Chayse answered.

    "Wouldn''t surprise me if they hid them elsewhere besides their headquarters. The Lambros Corporation have their hands in almost every country on Salome." Elma added.

    "I can''t grasp a motive for them to work with the Acolytes. Why would they give such a dangerous product to extremists? What could they profit from that?" Kyros asked.

    "Beats me. I don¡¯t know how shady businessmen operate." Chayse replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "But if they are behind this, then we¡¯ll have to put a bit more effort into our investigation."

    "Are you saying that you weren¡¯t putting in any effort before?" Elma sharply turned her head and glared at her partner.

    "Another issue to mention is that Melanie said something about the destruction of Salome," Runa announced. All eyes moved to her as she continued, "An illusion has cast over our eyes and that she wishes to remove it by destroying other countries that have been built to contain her Mother."

    "Sounds like nonsense to me," Chayse said.

    "Nonsense or not, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that they acted on those words without hesitation," mentioned Elma. "Maur said something along those same lines. That they were preparing the grand stage for their Mother."

    "That might just happen since their leader got away," Runa stated, sending a harsh glare in Kyros'' direction. "With her at large, I''m sure she''ll come back with another plan. Goddess knows when that''ll be."

    It was a somber topic to bring up, but it had to be done. The others had to recognize the danger. It was wishful thinking to believe that everything would end with those three Acolytes. As far as Runa was concerned, it was only the beginning. Since those three failed with their objective, it would not be a stretch to believe that others would come to finish what they started.

    The brutal cycle would repeat itself until the source was eliminated.

    "But, it''s more of a problem for everyone else," The Huntress harshly stated. "If this is going to become a typical case for the other countries, then it only strengthens my resolve to avoid them at all costs. I''ve done my job. I''m through with this country and the Acolytes."

    "Runa? We¡¯re not going to help them if they get in trouble again?" Sarra looked at her partner with pleading eyes. However, they did not affect the hardened Huntress.

    "No. It¡¯s not in our job description. We¡¯ve done what we needed to do. Anything that happens to this kingdom after this has nothing to do with us from now on."

    "Runa!"

    "Don¡¯t blame your partner," Elma said. "She¡¯s right. She¡¯s gone above and beyond for her job. You can leave this to us."

    "Yeah, with the great Hunter, Chayse Raleigh on the job, we¡¯ll solve these mysteries in no time!" Chayse boasted.

    Everyone continued to discuss other matters about the incidents, detailing our experiences with the respective Acolytes that they faced. Their discussion was soon interrupted by the arrival of Lieutenant General Damia. She was ordered by the council to bring them before the women¡ªdespite their condition. Everyone reluctantly followed the woman from the medical room to the council chamber.

    Surprisingly, there were other unexpected guests in the council room. General Zofia and Roditis Lambros, along with his secretary and bodyguards, all stood near the council podium.

    "Oh, it appears that our guests of honor have arrived," Roditis announced. All eyes soon moved to the group. Strangely enough, Kyros didn''t feel that many gazes of disdain like he had before. Perhaps his assistance with the protection of the kingdom had something to do with it. But then again, he had done that so many times before. He didn''t get his hopes up.

    "Welcome brave warriors," Agathe announced. Her tone was far more respectful than it was a few days ago. "We have been informed about your glorious deeds and that without your help, this country would have indeed fallen."

    "I would not go that far, councilwoman." The sharp words of General Zofia earned her a quizzical glance from Agathe, but it was ignored for the most part. "But, I will admit that you all performed marvelously. If not for your efforts, more lives would have been lost today."

    "And for that, we humbly thank you." Roditis nodded his head. His followers imitated the action along with him.

    "Did you make us come all the way here just for that? If so, I¡¯d like to get back to my bed and rest." Runa said. That woman never possessed any tact in most situations. If not for the fact that she helped save the country, her outburst would have had the guards on her immediately.

    "We assure you that we have not called you here to waste your time," Bethesda said.

    "In honor of your valiant efforts, Mr. Roditis has requested that a celebratory ceremony is organized for you all," Callidora announced.

    "A ceremony?" asked Sarra.

    "Shouldn¡¯t we focus on more important matters than a ceremony?" Elma followed up. "We can¡¯t have a ceremony today. Plans for reconstruction need to be formed, news about the whole ordeal need to be delivered to the people of the world, there¡¯s just so much to do."

    "Do not worry; the ceremony does not have to be today of all days. The priority should be the reconstruction of the city. The ceremony can wait for another day." Roditis assured us.

    "Do not be too quick to dismiss it, Elma," Zofia said. "This ceremony has its purposes. One, to celebrate the defeat of the Acolytes and prosperity of the kingdom. Two, it will strengthen relationships between the country and the Wild Lands. After all, you must have noticed that the citizens are not particularly fond of most of you."

    "That is an understatement," Kyros answered.

    "Imagine their surprise when they learn that this very country was saved by two teams of Hunters and Mr. Kyros Aleister." Roditis brought his hand up to his chin then displayed a confident smile. That man was sure that things would work out positively. However, Kyros didn''t need his powers to foresee the outcome.

    "Although it¡¯s humiliating to admit, two criminals helped us out as well." Elma detailed the information to the group.

    "Yes, we were made aware of the situation. Thankfully, we have one of them in custody. We will handle him." Bethesda said.

    "Back to the matter at hand, we will hold the celebration when all of you are healed. So, how about in two or three weeks?" suggested Roditis. No one had any complaints. The date had been set. The rest of the meeting continued without incident, and they were all allowed to return to the comfort of their medical beds.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 35 - Celebration!

    Three weeks passed since the attack on Soteria city. The Lambros Corporation ensured the proceedings with the reconstruction of the country went well. Throughout the time, Kyros made the most of his suspension from the military and acted as Runa and Sarra''s tour guide throughout the rest of the city.

    He found it odd how he spent all his life in Soteria, and yet he had never taken the time to sit back and thoroughly enjoy all the beautiful sights it provided to its people. As he thought back on it, perhaps his suspension was not so bad after all. It gave him a sense of relief that he could spend a few days not worrying about his military duties.

    But, those times couldn''t last forever. He knew that. Sooner or later, he''d have to return to his harsh reality. There was still so much to do. So many problems left.

    Soon, nightfall came, and the long-awaited celebration took place. Roditis Lambros took control of the ceremony and acted as the host. Behind him on the grand stage stood the guests of honor, the heroes that saved Soteria from the Jaya Acolytes. Chayse Raleigh, Elma Chloris, Kyros Aleister, Runa das Meer, and Sarra Zosime.

    The crowd chanted those names after Roditis announced their heroic deeds. He had the people eating out of the palm of his hand. He used such grandiose words and phrases, implemented dramatic pauses to keep the listeners on the edge of their seats.

    From the perspective of the people, they believed the country would''ve fallen if not for the efforts of Kyros and the others. And that''s how Roditis wanted it.

    Kyros smile turned sullen. Oh, how he wanted to speak out and correct the tall tales that Roditis weaved in the minds of the others. But, he couldn''t. For the first time in his life, he saw looks of admiration and respect in the eyes of the people as they stared at him. It was genuine.

    He couldn''t spot a single glance of hatred or contempt. Who was he to wash away those expressions?

    Besides, it wasn''t all about him. The protection of Soteria was a joint effort from everyone. The military, the police, and even the citizens.

    He wished he could''ve brought everyone on the stage to celebrate. But, he knew that would''ve defeated the purpose of the celebration in the first place. The point of it was to celebrate the defeat of their enemies, boost the morale of the people, and deepen the relationships between Soteria and the Gardens of Eden.

    Kill three birds with one stone.

    The military, the police, and even the citizens.

    When the opening speech ended, Kyros and the others spread out and enjoyed themselves at the party. The first ones that interacted with him were his subordinates. But, he kindly brushed them off. He couldn''t face them properly. Not after having lost three members of his squad.

    Throughout the party, he consistently saw their faces. No matter how much he wished it; they were dead. Nothing would ever bring them back. The good men that lost their lives under his watch couldn''t be there on that glorious day of celebration.

    "Mr. Kyros? Are you okay?" Kyros snapped out of his trance and looked down. There, he spotted Sarra staring at him with a sweet smile. "Are you not feeling well? Need me to get you some food?"

    "I''m alright, Sarra. I''m just thinking a few things over. That''s all," Kyros assured her. His eyes wandered around the area. He found it odd seeing Sarra all alone with Runa having her joined at the hip. "Where''s Runa?"

    "I saw her wander off towards the bridge," Sarra answered. She stepped aside and pointed in the direction. "Runa''s not much a party person. Or, at least this kind of party."

    "Oh? And you are?" Kyros inquired. The little girl''s statement piqued his interest. He wished to see what kind of party person the Huntress was.

    "It depends on the party," A mischievous smile crossed the face of Sarra. It amused him how such a sweet girl could flip a switch and somehow morph into something else entirely. "Now that Runa''s not supervising me, I can try some alcohol for once. She never lets me try when we''re at the guild."

    "Probably because it''s illegal for minors to drink, Sara. No one here''s going to give you any alcohol," Kyros strictly informed her. Sarra folded her arms across her chest and pouted. "Pouting won''t get you anywhere. I don''t know why you want to drink in the first place. It''s not good for you."

    "Everyone else seems to be having a good time," Sarra indicated to the more loud people in the crowd. The drunkest person was Chayse. His face was flushed red, and he wandered around, flirting with any pair of breasts that crossed his path. His partner, Elma, wasn''t too far behind removing him from their presence.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    "Take a good look at that, Sarra. He''s an adult and alcohol is doing that to him. So, imagine what it would do to you." Kyros patted the girl on the shoulder and then wandered off toward the bridge, gently maneuvering through the crowd.

    Eventually, he spotted Runa, all alone, leaned against the railing of the bridge. She faced out toward the river.

    "Hey there," Kyros called out to her. The woman didn''t bother to look at him. "You''re missing out on the party."

    "Ah, that party''s not exactly my thing. Besides, all I''ve done was my job. I don''t deserve a celebration." Runa said.

    "That''s a shame. I wanted to see you dress for the occasion." Kyros commented. "Seeing you in something other than armor and fur would be a nice sight."

    "Have you been talking with Chayse?" For once, the woman turned her head to glance at Kyros with a familiar scowl. "That guy makes me uncomfortable. I don¡¯t know how his partner deals with him."

    Kyros defensively raised his hands, following up with a nervous chuckle to assure her that he meant no harm by his comment. "Relax, Runa, relax. It was all in good fun."

    "Anyway, how come you¡¯re not enjoying the party? Isn¡¯t something like this what you wanted all along? To be recognized as a hero by your people and country?" She turned the tables on Kyros. Ever since Aion told her about one of his ambitions, Runa took any opportunity she could to tease him about it. She looked at him as if he were trying to fulfill some childhood fantasy.

    "This is just a formality. None of us are truly considered heroes to these people. Something like this is nothing more than a step closer to my goal." Kyros answered.

    "A step closer, huh?" Runa turned her head back toward the river. "I don''t understand the point of being a hero, but the best of luck to you. Now that the Varvara attacks stopped, after today, Sarra and I are heading back to our guild."

    "Out in the Gardens of Eden, right?" Kyros inquired.

    She confirmed it with a nod of her head. "It''s been three months since we left. Pretty sure my guildmates are worried sick."

    "Well, I would say it''s been fun having you around. But, most of the time we spent together involved fighting,¡± Kyros mentioned. ¡°However, we''ve had a few enjoyable moments here and there. Overall, it was great to have you and Sarra as partners. Should you ever feel the need to come back here, feel free to stop by and say hello now and then."

    Her head turned towards Kyros. Her gaze¡ªfierce and focused. It mirrored the gazes she gave him when they first met. Kyros thought that they were past the harsh glances, but apparently, he was wrong.

    "Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself. I don¡¯t plan on coming back here anytime soon or ever again. After tomorrow, we¡¯re kissing this place goodbye forever." She announced coldly.

    Charming as always that one.

    Never a dull moment whenever she was around. Runa never made it any secret that she strongly disliked the country. Kyros understood where she came from. Soteria wasn¡¯t precisely a utopia filled with sunshine and rainbows. Then again, what country like that ever existed in history?

    "What a shame¡­"

    "Anyway, I¡¯ve meant to tell you something for some time now." Her gaze averted from him. "For everything you¡¯ve done, regarding keeping our secret¡­thank you. I know that you didn¡¯t have any obligation to keep it, especially not after how I treated you when we first met. You¡¯ve had multiple chances to reveal and get me arrested."

    "I told you from the beginning that as long as you were only here to complete your mission and not cause any trouble, I would keep your secret." He reminded her.

    "I didn¡¯t know that I could trust you at the time. Even now I¡¯m still having doubts about leaving you alive knowing that you know my secret." Her fingers rhythmically tapped against the railing. "But, if you were to disappear now a matter of days before I leave suddenly, it¡¯s certain to look suspicious. So, I guess you¡¯re off the hook for now."

    "Seriously? After all we have been through? That''s what''s keeping you from killing me?" Kyros exasperated.

    After that, something unexpected happened. She laughed. Runa das Meer laughed.

    It was the first time Kyros felt that the woman had any real fun in the country. She was always so hardened and reserved. The only times she showed genuine emotions of joy was whenever Sarra was around. So, it felt comforting to hear her laugh so wholeheartedly¡ªeven though it was at his expense.

    "S-Sorry about that. I haven¡¯t had a good laugh in a while." Runa wiped a tear that formed in the corner of her eye.

    "Well, it''s good to see you having some fun at least." Kyros placed his hand on her shoulder. "You should come back to the party and enjoy yourself. Might as well consider it a going away party."

    "I¡¯ll join you in a little while. I¡¯d rather enjoy the sights a bit longer." Her head turned toward the river once again.

    "The sights?" Kyros faced the river as well. He couldn''t see what she found so interesting about the water.

    "The city lights that reflect on the water. Mixed in with the stars from the sky. It all looks like an extravagant painting I saw once before." She explained with a soft, genuine voice of fascination. "Seeing something like this makes me wonder if anything for the past few months even happened in this kingdom. Like, how can something so peaceful looking possibly come so close to destruction?"

    Kyros had no exact answer to her question. All he could do was stand there and stare out at the water. They remained like that for quite a while¡ªin complete silence. Sometimes, admiring the sights wasn¡¯t so bad after all. Watching the lights reflecting on the water distort from the ripples produced amusing and yet calming effects.

    The effect became even more spectacular when a thunderous noise resonated throughout the area. Following up seconds later were flashes of varying colors that soon disappeared without a trace.

    Fireworks.

    Roditis had to set up fireworks for the ceremony. Kyros swore that man always had to be over the top in nearly everything he did. But, then again, it wasn''t all so wrong. The spectacle of explosions of bright, captivating colors that filled the night sky brought a smile to Kyros'' face. It soothed him.

    The rest of the night went on without a hitch. Runa and Kyros eventually returned to the ceremony, where they met up with Sarra and the others. They partied the night away until it all finally came to an end. Elma carried a drunken Chayse back to headquarters, Runa and Sarra hitched a ride back to Pandora city, and Kyros returned to Elpida town.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 36 - Official Orders!

    Hours passed. The night turned to day. The sunlight bleached through the windows of Aion¡¯s weapon shop in Elpida Town. Kyros reluctantly left the comfort of the bed on the top floor, his body still aching sore from his battle against Melanie.

    After performing a series of stretches, the young man left the room and headed downstairs. There on the front counter rested a large box with a tag that had his name on it. Without hesitation, he opened the box. Inside resided new gauntlets, custom-made by Aion.

    Kyros'' mind instantly traveled back to the moment Dire destroyed his trusty gauntlets with a single kick. That one strike broke more than his weapons, his pride as well as his mentor''s, shattered with it. Perhaps one the hardest things Kyros ever had to do in his life was mention that his gauntlets got destroyed.

    Fair enough to say, Aion wasn''t too thrilled about the news. The weapons engineer took great pride and joy in his work. Those that dared to destroy his works of art never saw the light of day again whenever he got their hands on them.

    It took quite the amount of begging and pleading for Kyros to convince Aion to make him another pair. Like the previous pair, they were gauntlets of bronze. However, the metal he used for the detail and craftsmanship was of Robust Steel, a type of mineral found in ores out in the mines outside the country.

    It came in twenty-four different grades. Kyros'' previous gauntlets were Zeta Grade. Just by the touch, Kyros could tell Aion used a stronger class.

    Equipped in the gauntlets were glass tubes filled with liquids of different colors. Just from the sight of it, Kyros gasped in shock. It was liquidated Vitalis.

    "Master Aion isn''t playing any games," Kyros softly commented, knowing the dangers of liquidated Vitalis. While they packed more of a punch in combat than regular Vitalis, using them was a bit of a double-edged sword. Its concentrated power alone could demolish an entire town or village if he weren''t careful.

    Kyros was proud that Aion trusted him to handle such a dangerous substance, but also somewhat terrified.

    The young man slipped on the gauntlets and shifted them to inactive mode. They altered into bracelets. Afterward, Kyros headed out into the town to get some air.

    The repairs of the town went rather smoothly. Nearly all damages to the place were fixed as good as new¡ªas if nothing ever happened in the first place. The construction workers from the Lambros Corporation certainly did an excellent job.

    Most of the townspeople stood outside of their homes, practicing with the utilization of their Praus. Military soldiers kept watch and tutored those that struggled more than others¡ªindeed a heartwarming scene. Hard to believe that the people once berated the soldiers for their inability to keep them safe.

    Over one hundred people died in the town. No one would forget that. It would be forever etched into the hearts of the people that lived there. However, they would not let that fact keep them down. They had to live on. They practiced and trained to grow stronger so that no more lives would be lost in the future.

    Along with his stroll through the town, Kyros received a summons from the council. Figuring that it was about his suspension, the man didn''t waste any time in borrowing a Nemean and heading to Pandora City.

    When he reached the castle, he was escorted into the council room. Once again, Roditis Lambrose with his associates and General Zofia were in attendance.

    "Captain Kyros Aleister, welcome." Agathe started the meeting. "We called you here today to discuss a few things regarding your suspension."Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    "I understand," Kyros nodded his head and continued, "I''ll answer your questions honestly as always."

    "Let us start with your participation in the battle three weeks ago," started Bethesda, "you were suspended, and yet you still saw to it to fight against the Acolytes."

    "Well, isn''t that obvious? Regardless of my suspension, I''m still a citizen of this country. I won''t stand by and watch as my people fight and die to defend their homes from the Acolytes." Kyros proudly announced to them. Roditis and Zofia seemed pleased with the show of dedication and patriotism.

    "We expected no less from you. It is because of that dedication that we have decided to remove your suspension and reinstate back to full duty." Callidora informed him.

    If not for the presence of everyone, Kyros would''ve jumped for joy and roared on the top of his lungs. Since he couldn''t do that, he conveyed his emotions through a big smile.

    "Thank you very much. I shall do my best to serve my country. I''ll work myself to the bone if I have to."

    "We are glad to hear you mention that. You see, we have a critical task for you." Agathe said.

    "Name it."

    "Before we tell you, how would you describe your relationship with the pair of Huntresses, Runa das Meer and Sarra Zosime?" asked Callidora.

    "Our relationship is professional. We''ve worked together in a few instances and formed a particular bond." Kyros answered without hesitation. He didn''t need to think about it.

    They were allies at best. He never heard Runa or Sarra refer to him as their friend. Everyone in the room seemed pleased with the answer once again.

    Bethesda leaned forward then rested her chin on her hands. "It is interesting that you bring up that bond, Captain Kyros. For you see, we would like for you to strengthen that relationship you have with the two of them."

    "Excuse me?"

    "It is no secret that this country has a complicated relationship with those out in the Wild Lands. Your partnership with the Huntresses may be a step forward in the right direction to strengthen our relationship with the Wild Landers." Callidora explained.

    At that moment, Kyros vaguely realized what they wanted. He too wanted to strengthen the relationship with the people out in the Gardens of Eden. But, he couldn''t understand how they wanted him to do that with Runa and Sarra. The two of them were scheduled to leave the country soon.

    "So, you will no longer lead the Fifth Recon unit. You will venture out with the Huntresses. Join them on their journey¡¯s as an envoy to the country." Agathe ordered.

    "Join them?" Kyros struggled to say.

    They were serious. The council wanted Kyros to leave the country and join Runa and Sarra out in the Gardens of Eden. Kyros felt honored that they trusted him with such a task.

    However, he also insulted.

    First, they suspended him for no significant reason. Then, they wanted to kick him out of the kingdom to do their dirty work.

    Not that Kyros wasn''t excited, though. He had only left the country once when he was ten years old. The experience was life-threatening. It would be a lie to say that he wasn''t traumatized by the whole ordeal. But, he was a child back then. He wouldn''t make the same mistakes that he did before.

    "I know this may seem sudden. But, it would benefit everyone if Soteria and the Gardens of Eden formed a healthy relationship." General Zofia stepped forward. "Right now, you are the one and only person that can succeed in this mission."

    Kyros immediately saluted his superior officer. It was always hard to refuse an order from her, and it wasn''t because of her rank.

    "Leave it to me! I promise you that I will strengthen the relationship between Soteria and the Gardens of Eden without fail!" Kyros proclaimed. His intentions were pure. However, he had no idea how he would do that in the first place.

    "While you are out there, you are required to give daily reports on your situations. Inform us of everything that is happening out there, no matter how insignificant." Agathe instructed.

    "Yes, ma¡¯am. I''ll see to it that I do that." Kyros nodded his head. "However, Runa and Sarra mentioned that they would be leaving today. They could''ve possibly left by now."

    "Do not worry. We have not received any reports about them leaving. You still have time." General Zofia assured. "We will send word to the guards to keep them at bay until you prepare everything you need for your trip. But hurry, Captain Kyros."

    "Yes, ma¡¯am!" I saluted her. "If there is nothing else, I shall head out immediately to get packed for the journey!"

    They had nothing else for him. With that, Kyros saluted all of them one last time before he left the room. He felt a burst of emotion inside him¡ªconcern, excitement, and foreboding. The Gardens of Eden homed the most dangerous places on the continent of Venetus. No official form of Government existed out there.

    But regardless, people still lived out there. It was common belief that those that lived out in the Gardens of Eden were mighty warriors with nearly unmatched strength. And soon enough, Kyros was going to encounter them, and hopefully someone else.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 37 - The Hunt Continues!

    With their wounds healed and inspiration renewed, Chayse and Elma continued with their investigation of the Acolytes. The duo''s first stop was Tartarus. Three weeks had passed since their prisoners had been locked up. Elma could only imagine the type of torture that they were forced to endure throughout their stay.

    She believed that it served them right.

    If the prisoners didn''t want to suffer through the excruciating pain, then they shouldn¡¯t have attacked the country and killed countless people in the first place. They earned no sympathy from her.

    Elma had many questions that flooded her mind.

    Where did they come from? Why attack the country with such limited manpower? Where did they get their hands on the artificial Vitalis?

    After three weeks of torture, they had to be willing to talk. Even the most hardened of criminals would break down and answer her questions in that period.

    Upon entry into the prison, the warden of the prison and a few security guards greeted the duo. After going through the formality of identifying themselves, explaining their purpose of being there, and even going through the routine body examination, they were allowed further entry.

    They wandered through the secret tunnels and found their technical officer, Caz. The man half-heartedly waved at them before escorting them to the prison cells. There they stood, in front of the cages which held their prisoners of interest, Gigas, Maur, and Thelo.

    Heavy shackles kept the prisoners restrained against the wall. Around their necks were the infamous subjugation collars. No matter what kind of trick they tried, they''d never escape from their cells.

    "Three Exousia locked away in their cells. That¡¯s gotta be a record or something." Chayse said before he let out a small whistle, clearly impressed with the amount of work he''d put in over the past month.

    "Definitely," Elma agreed with her partner. "We often only get one."

    "Is a true that one surrendered himself?" Caz pointed to Gigas.

    "Yeah, weird right?" Chayse asked. "I heard he could''ve killed Runa and the others back there. But instead, he gave up. What''s up with that?"

    "I''m not sure," Elma answered. Even she found it strange that a man with such immense strength and power would easily surrender himself to the country. It was thanks to that action that he was spared of any form of torture or mistreatment for the most part. Instead, he was only locked away without receiving any food or water.

    "Has he spoken a word since he''s been locked up?" Chayse looked at Caz for answers, only to get a head shake in response.

    "Not to me at least," Caz said. "But the other two won''t shut the hell up about how they''ll escape and get their revenge. You know, classic prisoner banter."

    "Stop talking about us as if we aren''t here!" Thelo barked as he relentlessly thrashed about in his chains and shackles. "You''ve made a huge mistake in keeping us here! Let us out!"

    "Your incessant barking is annoying. Silence," Maur demanded.

    "Caz," Elma ordered. As commanded, Caz pressed a button on a remote in his hand. A glass wall lowered in the cells and blocked out all noise. "There we go,"

    "Anyway, Caz, has the Director stopped by here at all?" Chayse wondered.

    His question was soon answered once the door leading to the room opened. The person that entered the room was none other than the Director, better known as General Zofia.

    However, behind her stood a surprising guest, Aion Faure. The greatest weapons manufacturer in the country.

    "Director Zofia, ma¡¯am!" Chayse and Elma saluted their boss.

    "Why¡¯d you bring the old man along?" Caz rudely questioned the Director. Elma immediately administered punishment for his behavior by driving her fist into his stomach. The man buckled and fell to the floor.

    "Nice group you have here, Zoffy. Real nice." Aion sarcastically commented.

    "I told you not to call me that," Zofia coldly responded then walked past Chayse and Elma. She and Aion moved over to the cell containing the prisoners. "These are the newest prisoners?"

    "Yes, ma''am," Elma nodded her head and joined Zofia by her side. "All three of them are Exousia."

    "Good work, Elma." Zofia placed a gentle hand on Elma''s shoulder and smiled. Elma''s face turned beet red as she returned the smile, finding it difficult to meet the woman''s warm gaze.

    "Unfortunately, we couldn''t get the ringleader." Chayse cut into the conversation. "She got away,"

    "Don''t worry about it," Aion assured the Hunter. "We get a chance to see our little sister again soon enough."

    "Sister?!" Chayse exclaimed.

    "Yes, Melanie, Aion, and I are siblings," Zofia revealed as she turned her head and glared at Maur from behind the glass wall. Maur noticed the glare and smiled, not feeling a shred of fear from the woman''s sharp gaze. "I want answers from that man."

    Caz nodded and pressed the button on the remote again, raising the glass wall from Maur''s cell. The moment it raised, Maur''s wicked chuckle reached the group''s ears.

    "My, my, General Zofia and Aion Faure, what a pleasure," Maur mockingly said. "This one wishes we could have met under more fortunate circumstances."

    "Fortunate for you, right?" Chayse asked.

    Maur answered with a smile.

    "This is how this works," Zofia stepped forward, setting out the ground rules for the exchange between the two. "We ask the questions; you give us answers. Follow that simple instruction; perhaps we can work something out."

    "Is this the part where this one breaks under pressure and spills everything?" Maur questioned, not a shred of fear appeared in his eyes. That much everyone in the room could tell. "Melanie prepared this one of your tactics in case of our capture. Your tricks shall not break this one."

    "The first question," Zofia ignored Maur''s obvious provocations. Due to her years of experience, she knew how to respond to her prisoners of war. "Did Melanie bring you here for revenge? One of my subordinates told me that she went to the graves of the fallen to revive him."

    "Pathetic," Maur chuckled. "This one told you the answer before, remember?" His eyes locked onto the Hunters.

    The bodies of Chayse and Elma tensed up, knowing exactly what the Acolyte meant by his response.

    "The revival of Mother, right?" Chayse nonchalantly answered, regaining his composure. "Mother, the Goddess of Destruction, Jaya, deity you fanatically worship."

    "You mercilessly slaughtered hundreds of people all for her," Elma added.

    Maur nodded his head, letting out a happy hum. "Correct. Mother is here. We can sense her. One way or another, she shall return. You may have prolonged her revival for now, but you are only delaying the inevitable. You cannot stop what is to come. The way of the New Path dictates that her second coming is at hand."

    The man''s expression grew deranged the more he preached about his supreme sovereign.

    "Are you sure about that?" Elma stepped forward and gripped the cell bars. "We stopped your plot to destroy this country. Who''s to say that we can''t do the same for the others?"

    "You can keep sending whatever you want our way. Elma and I will keep knocking them down." Chayse proudly stated.

    Elma wasn''t as brazen to agree with Chayse''s announcement. She''d never admit to his face, but she didn''t possess his boundless confidence. She wanted to end things then and there.

    Jaya Acolytes were dangerous.

    There were no official records of how many members they had in their twisted cult. Hopefully, it would end with those three.

    But, that was wishful thinking on her part.

    "Do not make idle threats that you cannot hope to keep, Hunters," Maur scoffed at the arrogance of his enemies. Sure, he lied defeated in their cell, but, he was confident that his chance would come some day. "This one guarantees that your deaths are imminent."

    "Why is Melanie so fixated on Jaya? Your motives are puzzling." Zofia asked.

    "After you lot killed Melanie''s father, her dear uncle opened her eyes to the truth of this world. He explained to her the deepest and darkest secrets that this country hides from its people. Like this place for instance. Does the council even know that this room exists?"

    No immediate reply came from any of the interrogators. Countries had their secrets. The most common reason was to protect the people. That was the case for them. The secrets they kept were for the best interest of everyone. If they knew everything that they did, there would be inevitable massive panic among the populace.

    That could not happen, no matter what. Panic and chaos bred Varvara. They couldn¡¯t let those creatures back into the country again.

    "This one wonders why you would want to keep this place a secret. What could you possibly be hiding down here in your maximum-security prison?" Maur continued to taunt the group before him, having no problems revealing that he knew a lot more than the others realized.

    "Where''s Melanie going?" Aion suddenly shifted the direction of the interrogation.

    "Who knows?" Maur shrugged his shoulders. "Know this, however, the next time she returns to this country, it''ll be the end."If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    "This interrogation is over for now," Zofia shook her head, knowing that she had to work on Maur a bit more and wear him down. She left the cell and had Caz raise the glass wall on Maur''s side. Then, her focus shifted to Gigas and Thelo. "Those are in leagues with each other?"

    "That''s what Thelo said when we brought Gigas in here," Chayse informed her.

    "We''ll question him next," Zofia commanded. Caz raised the glass wall, allowing Zofia and the others inside the cell. "Good evening, Gigas Alcaeus."

    Gigas lifted his head and returned the greeting, "Good evening, General Zofia."

    "You''re surprisingly civil," Chayse commented, feeling slightly awkward around the two. Both Gigas and Zofia were renowned for their cruel deeds in combat. And yet, there they were, having a decent conversation without an ounce of bloodlust.

    "Figured you''d be thrashing about like your friend there," Elma indicated to Thelo.

    "He''s not my friend," Gigas corrected. That was one thing he wanted to get straight with them. Dire and Thelo were far from his friends. They were associates at best, and even that irritated him.

    "Then what about Dire?" Zofia brought the man''s attention back to her. "We have received numerous reports of you two wandering throughout the country together."

    "That''s true."

    "Why is that? What are two notorious criminals like you doing here?" Elma inquired.

    "Idiots! Do you reallythink Gigas will tell you anything?" Thelo taunted the others. He didn''t Gigas long, but from what he could tell, the mercenary was one of the hardest, tight-lipped people he''d ever met in his life. "No matter what method of torture you try, Gigas will never tell you a thing!"

    "I was ordered by a powerful man to come here with Dire and Thelo. He wanted all three of us to cause trouble in the country and test your defensive measures," Gigas gave up the information without hesitation, shocking nearly everyone in the room.

    "Defensive measures?" Chayse repeated. "That doesn''t sound good. The only reason someone would want to test that out is because--"

    "They plan to infiltrate themselves," Aion concluded.

    Thelo''s jaw almost reached the floor. Never in his life did he expect his colleague would give away the secret of their mission.

    "Why did you suddenly surrender then?" Zofia asked.

    "I''m tired..." Gigas admitted before he heaved a heavy sigh. "The mission combined with babysitting Dire and Thelo, and dealing with the Acolytes and Varvara, it all took its toll on me. I''m through with Mercenary work."

    "Gigas?! What the hell are you doing?! You''ll get us killed!" Thelo snapped.

    "I don''t care," Gigas shook his head. "I''ve done so much over the past few decades, caused the deaths of many. I don''t want to do it anymore. If given a chance, I''d like to use my talents for good."

    "Would you like that chance?" Zofia suggested. All eyes affixed to her.

    "What do you mean?"

    "My subordinates confirmed that you''re an Exousia. Is that true?"

    "It is,"

    "Then, work under me. Use your skills for good, and I will pardon you of your crimes if you prove yourself useful." Zofia offered.

    "I''d be honored," Gigas bowed his head to the woman. A soft smile formed on his face at the thought of turning over a new leaf. After decades of fighting and killing for the sake of money or personal gain, it lit a fire inside him to try and do some good in the world.

    "First, you must prove your loyalty," Zofia walked over to Gigas and released him from his chains and shackles. Chayse and Elma immediately reached for their weapons, preparing themselves for combat in case the mercenary dared to try and escape.

    "What would you like me to do?" Gigas asked.

    "Kill that man," Zofia pointed at Thelo.

    "What?!" Thelo exclaimed.

    "What good would killing him do?" Gigas wondered. He wasn''t entirely against the idea of killing his former partner. However, it wasn''t his most ideal first chance at turning over a new leaf.

    "He is not useful to us. He has refused on numerous occasions to assist us in our mission. Therefore, he must be eliminated," Zofia answered.

    "Y-You can''t do this, Gigas! Don''t do this! Kill her and free me, damn it!" Thelo demanded.

    Gigas looked back and forth between Zofia and Thelo, weighing his options. It didn''t take the man long to walk over to his former partner while cracking his knuckles. If killing another person meant that he''d be on his way to redemption, then it was a small price to pay in the long run. He clenched his hand into a fist and swung.

    Before it could make contact with Thelo''s face, Zofia''s hand suddenly caught Gigas'' fist. Oddly enough, it didn''t budge. Gigas put in enough strength into his fist to obliterate Thelo''s face, and yet, that woman''s firm hand halted all its momentum. Surely, the General''s were not people that he could ever underestimate.

    "Well done, Gigas," Zofia flashed a smile at the man. "You completed my first task with flying colors. That was definitely a killing blow."

    "Thank you?" Gigas lowered his fist down to his side.

    "Caz, take Gigas to a different cell. We have to prep him along with the others," Zofia ordered.

    "Right, right," Caz scratched the back of his head and sighed, knowing that he''d have more work to do thanks to her. "Come on, big guy."

    Caz and Gigas exited the room. Meanwhile, Zofia and the others left the prison cells and wandered even deeper into the hollowcaves.

    "Director Zofia, are you okay?" Elma wondered, showing a surprising amount of concern to which Chayse found strange.

    "I am fine, Elma. Do not worry about me." She answered sternly. "The two of you did an excellent job bringing those three here. We will continue to probe them for information until I am satisfied."

    "So, you''re really gonna bring that Gigas guy into our ranks? I don''t trust him," Chayse blurted out, showing no restraint when it came to serious matters like recruitment. He had no problems chasing after and capturing Exousia. But, bringing them onto the team was something he never really agreed to when he first came onto the job.

    "Don''t question the Director," Elma slapped her partner against the back of his head.

    "We will have Gigas work for us until he helps us locate the ones that hired him," Zofia said. "He showed no hesitation in trying to kill his colleague, so he will be useful when we hunt down Dire."

    Chayse and Elma lowered their heads and frowned, knowing that their Director inadvertently mentioned that they weren''t strong enough to take down Dire themselves.

    "Maybe he will prove useful in tracking down the other Acolytes as well. We will continue to use him until he drops," Zofia callously stated. Not a shred of remorse hinted in her words.

    "What about Melanie?" Aion asked. "What''re you gonna do when you find her?"

    "Eliminate her after I get the answers that I need,"

    "Eliminate?" Elma struggled to keep her voice low. "Director Zofia, you intend to kill her? Your sister?"

    Zofia turned around then glared at Elma. Her cold, emotionless eyes made her blood freeze. She didn''t know why she even bothered to remind her of that fact. Zofia was a hardened woman that led an army for Goddess sake. She''s made many hard decisions that resulted in the deaths of many.

    She helped her siblings overthrow and execute her father. That only hardened her heart. As far as she was concerned, what was another death to her? Keeping the country safe was her top priority. She''d do anything to achieve her goals.

    She''s made that clear on more than one occasion.

    "I will not let my relationship with Melanie deter me from my path. Yes, she is my dear sister. However, she must be punished for her crimes against the country. Like our father and the others before her." Zofia announced.

    "You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry, I stepped out of line." Elma nodded her head.

    Deep down, she admired Zofia. But, she could never be like that. It was never her intention. Zofia was powerful, cool-headed, and dependable. Anyone could always count on her to make the tough choices in dire situations.

    However, sometimes her tough choices weren¡¯t morally right. Elma knew that. Zofia knew that. Everyone knew that. But, things like that just had to be done to ensure the safety of the kingdom. So, if Melanie had to die, then she was going to die.

    "Fuck, well, if that''s how it''s gotta be," Aion scratched the back of his head. It wasn''t the ideal situation, but he figured he didn''t have a right to complain. "Melanie''s long gone. There''s no changing her now."

    "Perhaps if we can get her to cooperate, the council will be lenient with her sentencing. But, that is only if she cooperates." Zofia stated.

    "How do you plan on getting her to cooperate? With more torture?" Aion shot Zofia a questioning glance.

    The atmosphere suddenly grew tense as the two forces traded glances. It overwhelmed Elma to even be within the same room as the two of them.

    "That is the plan,"

    "You know, for someone renowned for her limitless brilliance, you sure are acting like an idiot."

    Elma gasped at that moment. Out of all the times she heard people badmouth the Director, she had never seen someone have the audacity to say something to her face. While she respected Aion as one of the country¡¯s greatest heroes, even she wouldn¡¯t allow him to disrespect the Director.

    When Elma stepped forward to reproach the man; Zofia held her arm out to stop her

    "Is that so? What coerced you to make such a ridiculous statement?" She asked.

    "It¡¯s been three weeks, Zoffy. The jailers starved them for that long, and that Acolyte hasn''t given up an ounce of useful information," stated Aion, "you add torture into the mix, and he''ll say whatever you wanna hear to make the pain stop."

    "Do not underestimate our methods of information gathering, Aion. From now on, I will personally conduct Maur¡¯s torture. He will answer all of our questions, one way or another."

    Aion¡¯s fist suddenly smashed through the nearest wall in the cavern. "You don¡¯t understand, do you?! Torturing Maur will do you no good! You have to try another method!"

    "I am open to ideas." Zofia spread her arms out, patiently waiting to hear something from her brother. When nothing came, she continued, "I thought as much. From my perspective, you are still attached to Melanie because of your guilt. As I mentioned years ago, perhaps I should have been the one to kill our father. Unlike you, I would not regret the decision."

    "You wouldn¡¯t? Or you couldn¡¯t?" Aion narrowed his eyes as if gauging Zofia¡¯s expression.

    Surprisingly, Zofia lost her calm composure and smacked her lips. Then, she turned her back to her brother.

    "I am doing the best that I can for this country and its people. I am aware that my methods are unsavory. But, my concerns are more focused on the people than a madwoman." She said. "Sadly, in human affairs, it is necessary for one to be sacrificed for the needs of the many."

    "And what would you know about human affairs?" With those last words of contempt, Aion parted from the room.

    Zofia stood there in silence. It was a rare moment, seeing the Director appear so conflicted.

    "Director?" Elma softly called out to her.

    "Any other reports regarding Exousia hunting?" She demanded with an assertive tone as she suddenly walked down the hall at a quick pace.

    Elma snapped out of her trance and answered, "No ma¡¯am. Those are the only three that we have found in the kingdom. We haven¡¯t heard any mention of new ones showing up from Caz."

    "Bellamy and Rasmus haven¡¯t reported any findings either," Chayse added.

    "Is that so?" Zofia brought her hand to her chin. "I guess we can take that as a good sign for now. However, we will need more members if we want the plan to work."

    The Director stopped in front of a massive security door at the end of the hall. She pressed her hand against the scanner then stood back at the door opened. From there, she led the group into a large room with a single podium located in the center. Resting on the podium was a small, black box.

    However, it was heavily chained up. But, despite that fact, Elma and Chayse felt an ominous presence around the box. Elma instinctively reached for her bow and arrow just in case something would escape and attack them.

    Although embarrassed by the unnecessary action, Elma took comfort in the fact that Chayse had the same reaction.

    "Okay, I¡¯m just gonna go ahead and ask," announced Chayse. "What the hell is with that box?"

    "This, Chayse, is what Melanie and the other Acolytes were after," Zofia answered.

    "Really? A box? Hundreds of people died over a stupid box?" Chayse threw his hands up into the air then angrily paced around the room mumbling to himself.

    Elma felt like doing the same. However, she refused to do so while in the presence of the Director.

    "Director, is it too much to ask as to what exactly is inside of that box?" Elma inquired.

    "It is." Zofia coldly responded. "Know that from now on; things are going to get more hectic. Now that I am aware of the Acolytes plans, we will have to be prepared for anything."

    "No problem. Elma and I can handle anything the Acolytes throw our way." Chayse boasted.

    "Your enthusiasm and seemingly endless optimism are admirable, Chayse. However, do not let your success get to your head. This is only the beginning." Zofia warned them. "Now that I know what the Acolytes are after, we must increase the defenses of the kingdom."

    "Is that box really worth all the trouble?"

    "Don¡¯t question the Director, Chayse!" Elma quickly chastised her partner.

    "Unfortunately, Chayse, it is. If they got their hands on this box, I fear for what would happen to this country. No, the world even." Zofia reckoned.

    Those solemn words of hers¡ªElma didn¡¯t want to believe them. The Director was never the type of person to make jokes or tell tall tales. So, no matter how absurd her statement, she knew that there was truth behind them.

    Elma racked her brain trying to figure out what could¡¯ve been inside the box. What could¡¯ve been so alluring for the Acolytes to attack an entire country?

    "Well, I¡¯ll take your word for it." Chayse accepted her statement without complaint or question.

    "What do you need for us to do?" Elma eagerly asked, ready to take part in the next mission.

    "Continue with your previous assignment as planned. Locate and capture as many Exousia in Soteria as you can. We are going to need all the firepower we can get for what is to come in the future." Zofia warned them before she led them out of the room.

    From there, the group parted ways. Zofia returned to the surface while Chayse and Elma remained in Tartarus. They wasted no time in using any resources they could to locate any other Exousia in the country. Soteria was a large place. There were plenty of places for the rats to hide.

    But, no matter where they hid, Chayse and Elma would find them. For as long as they chose to hide within the walls, they were nothing more than caged animals. Sooner or later, they¡¯d get hunted down.

 Exousia V1 Chapter 38 - Heading Home!

    It was all over. Two months of hard work had finally paid off for the Huntress duo of Runa das Meer and Sarra Zosime. No reported Varvara attacks reached their ears for a few weeks. As far as they were concerned, they could return home to the Gardens of Eden¡ªparadise.

    No longer would they have to deal with Soteria and its corrupt politics and screwed up values. Runa internally hoped that the country''s filth hadn''t tainted her sweet partner.

    Their bags were already packed and ready to go. They only needed to get one last thing done. Collect their payment from their employer.

    Their client was a wealthy man that offered five hundred thousand Axia for the completion of the mission. Runa was lucky enough to have been the one to accept the mission before anyone else at the guild. Five hundred thousand Axia could last the team for years.

    Runa could sit back and relax. Of course, she''d have to take jobs now and then to keep her rank, but it was a small price to pay for a job well done.

    Outside of their hotel, men in black suits waited for the Huntress. Behind them was their method of transportation, a black limo. Runa and Sarra got in and were takento the central office of the Lambros Corporation building.

    "Welcome to the Lambros Corporation building, well-esteemed Huntresses of Wild Hunt," Roditis announced. He then smiled and gestured for them to take a seat.

    "Thanks for having us here." Sarra took a seat. However, Runa preferred to stand. She hadn''t planned on staying there for too long. "But, why are we here?"

    "Oh? Did your partner not tell you?" Roditis looked at Runa, then back at Sarra. "I am the one that requested for Huntresses to come here. I am your client, Miss. Zosime."

    Sarra gasped in shock. She had looked at Roditis and Runa before she responded, "How come you didn¡¯t tell me that back when we met at the weapon shop?"

    "He wanted to keep his identity confidential. And as requested, I saw to that." Runa answered.

    "But why did you have to keep it confidential from me?"

    "What did it matter if you knew or not? The only thing you needed to know was that we were getting paid handsomely for our troubles."

    "And you will be paid. You performed tremendously. You went above and beyond that of what ordinary Hunters would do," said Roditis. "Wild Hunt made the right choice in sending the both of you to complete this mission."

    "Enough with the flattery. Give us the money so that we can go home." Runa demanded. Her outburst caused the secretary, Retsina, to snap her clipboard in half.

    "How dare you speak to Mr. Lambros like that! Have you no respect?" She yelled at the Huntress. "You should be honored that he has decided to pay you at all!"

    "Ungrateful," added Malvasia.

    "You suck!" chided Amarantha.

    "That is enough, you three. Calm yourselves." Roditis ordered. The three women immediately bowed their heads and responded with an immediate apology. "Please forgive them, Miss. Runa. They tend to lose their temper when they sense that I have been disrespected."

    "Trust me; I¡¯m not paying them any mind. As I said, I only want the money. As soon as I get it, I¡¯ll leave." Runa said.

    "Very well. Retsina, please go and fetch their reward money."

    "Yes, sir!" Retsina quickly left the room with much eagerness.

    "I have a question," announced Sarra, "I¡¯m curious as to why you requested for Hunters to help deal with the Varvara in the country. Shouldn¡¯t the army and police have been enough to take care of them?"

    "Sarra, don¡¯t stick your nose into business that doesn¡¯t concern us." Runa scolded her. It didn¡¯t matter why they were called to do our job. What only concerned Runa was completing the mission. Nothing more, nothing less.

    A soft chuckle had come from Roditis before he replied, "It is quite alright. You see, I had full confidence in defense of the kingdom. However, I felt that it would be best if we requested for outside help."

    "So, you called for Hunters." Runa assumed. "That was a risky move. Others could see that as a sign of weakness. Should anyone learn that someone as influential as you requested the help of mere Hunters to defend your country, I fear for what could happen somewhere down the line."

    "Even more reason to keep my involvement in this matter a secret. This country likes to boast and showcase its power. Now, I have no problem with that. However, I would like others to know that Soteria is completely willing to form bonds and alliances with others outside of its borders."

    "My, how noble of you." Runa sarcastically said, not trusting half the shit she assumed spewed from the man''s mouth. She had a gut-wrenching feeling that Roditis was more involved in the situation than he gave himself credit for. But, it wasn''t her business. So, she didn''t bother calling him out on it.

    As long as he paid, there wouldn''t be a problem.

    "You may not care for this country, but I do. I care for all countries, their people, and those outside of them. I care for humanity." He continued with his insistent preaching. "My dream is to help humanity evolve. The best way for that to happen is by having humanity work together. This is just the first step in our evolution."

    "Rodi is so kind! You should be grateful!" Amarantha pointed at Runa.

    "Grateful," Malvasia said.

    "So basically, you want to create stronger bonds with us?" Runa concluded. "It''ll never work. But, I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s your money. Feel free to waste it as much as you want."

    "All bonds have to start from somewhere. It just so happened that ours began with the promise of money." Roditis nonchalantly stated. "As I said, this is just a small step. Sooner or later, humanity will come together again just like in ancient times."

    That man was a strange one.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    Runa didn¡¯t see why he was so fascinated by the evolution of humanity. But, she didn¡¯t care. If Roditis thought that the mission could strengthen the bond between them, who was Runa to correct him? He could believe whatever he wanted. The truth of the matter was that all Runa wanted was the money.

    She didn¡¯t care for the country or its people. Should a request for another mission in the country come by, she''d immediately refuse. She was through with nations and their corrupt, sick, and twisted politics. In her experiences, humanity would never come together. She didn¡¯t believe that it even happened in the first place.

    Humanity coming together? Nothing but ravings of a madman. It wasn¡¯t as simple as Roditis made it out to be. Whatever his goal was, it wouldn¡¯t come true. Humans were complex beings that could never truly compromise.

    "Mr. Lambros, I have returned with the reward money." Retsina entered the room with a sack of money. The satisfying sound of the jingling of coins brought a smile to Runa''s face.

    "Once again, I would like to thank you for your hard work. May we someday meet again soon." Roditis stood up from his seat then came around from his desk to shake Runa and Sarra''s hands. While Sarra shook his hand, Runa took the money from the secretary.

    "Hopefully not. Let¡¯s go, Sarra." Runa turned her back to the group then left the building with Sarra.

    "Now, onto our other guest," Roditis casually approached a bookcase to the nearest wall. He removed a single book, which activated the secret passage in his office. Out from the secret entrance stepped out a wounded Melanie. She limped over to the nearest chair and took a seat, not minding the blood she shed on the beautiful floor.

    "So, I guess the operation didn''t go so well, huh?" Amarantha taunted the beaten Acolyte. Usually, Roditis or Retsina would''ve criticized the girl on her rude behavior. But no attempt was made. It was a rare moment for them to see their "partner" look so defeated.

    Melanie instinctively reached for her sword. Her intent to silence the arrogant girl was clear as day. Despite her recent failure, she was still a Goddess of Destruction in the making. She''d make an example out of the entire Lambros Corporation if she needed to. Even in her weak condition, a little girl was an easy kill.

    However, Roditis, Retsina, and Malvasia had no plans to lose one of their comrades. They didn''t care who or what Melanie was; if she intended to harm one of their own, they''d make sure there''d be hell to pay.

    "Keep that girl silent," Melanie demanded and let her hand hang loosely to her side. It took too much effort to move her body, so she tried to spare as much energy as she could. She replayed her plans through her head over and over, trying to find out where she went wrong.

    It would''ve been a pure massacre if the body of her father remained intact. But, of course, the citizens of the vile country had to destroy it. They wanted to erase him from history. Well, that notion was impossible. For as long as members of his family continued to exist, then so would the man''s memory.

    "Would you like us to escort you to the medical floor?" Roditis inquired.

    "No," Melanie refused treatment. "Not yet. There''s something we need to discuss."

    "And that is?" Retsina asked.

    "How my plan could''ve failed," Melanie glared daggers at the Lambros employees. Her plan was far too well thought out and precise for it to fail. She nearly had everything in the palm of her hand. There were other forces at work that sought her demise.

    "Are you insinuating that we had something to do with this?" Roditis asked. "We provided you and your subordinates dozens of our man-made Vitalis for this operation. The problem was not with us, but rather your execution."

    "Execution?" Melanie repeated in a low tone. She didn''t expect the businessman to grow a backbone suddenly. If she didn''t know better, she assumed it was because of her weakened state. If not for that, she''d have the man''s tongue. "You lived here for so long, yet you refused to inform me of the condition of my father''s body!"

    The Acolyte shot out from the chair and unsheathed her sword. Amarantha, Malvasia, and Retsina already moved in front of their boss, ready to lay down their lives to protect him from the vile woman. All someone needed to do was make a single move and a fight would break out.

    "Settle down, Melanie," Roditis calmly pleaded. Last thing he wanted was a fight to break out in his headquarters. "You made it clear yourself that your operation was a need to know basis. Had you informed me of your plan to ressurect your father, I would have told you about what happened to him. It was a mistake on your part that cost you success in your mission. Do not make another by choosing to vent your anger out on me."

    Melanie bit down on her lip, resisting the urge to shed tears in front of them. Years of planning down the drain because of her arrogance. She''d never hear the end of it from the others. She had to turn things around somehow. But no plans came to her mind. She bet everything on this one conquest.

    With her beaten and her subordinates either dead or captured, what was more for her to do than flee the country?

    The woman lowered her sword and muttered, "I''m leaving."

    "Just like that?" Amarantha asked.

    "It''s clear there''s nothing more for me to do here. Staying would be a constant reminder of my failure. I don''t want to wallow in my pain here," The Acolyte sheathed her sword and limped over to the secret passage. "I''ll stay in contact."

    "Good luck on your journey, Melanie. Perhaps we can try this again in the future," Roditis suggested. Had it come from anyone else, Melanie would''ve taken it as an insult. The woman nodded and left the room.

    Meanwhile, with their bags packed and money secured, Runa and Sarra headed off to leave the country once and for all. They reached the familiar gates. Beyond them was paradise¡ªthe Gardens of Eden. Home sweet home. Runa and Sarra collected their horse and carriage, then placed their bags on the vehicle.

    Unfortunately for Runa, a familiar young man in armor stood by the gate with a large backpack. It was Kyros Aleister. A bright smile plastered on his face when he spotted the Huntresses.

    "Mr. Kyros!" Sarra called out to him. She smiled as well and returned his friendly gesture with a wave of her own. "Have you come to see us off?"

    "How thoughtful of you," Runa said.

    "Well, not exactly." Kyros sheepishly responded while scratching the back of his head. Something about that gesture alarmed Runa. The feeling in her gut returned and alerted her to the potential danger. "You see, I''ve been ordered by the council to accompany the both of you on your journey back to your guild."

    "What? Really?" Sarra¡¯s eyes beamed. And there it was, the culprit behind the feeling in Runa''s stomach. Would her suffering never end? Why had the council suddenly decided to have Kyros join them? The old hags hadn¡¯t even the slightest amount of common courtesy or decency to ask their permission.

    Perhaps they figured that she''d say no. But no matter, Runa refused to have that man tag along with them. It was just going to be Sarra and her traveling back home. Like hell, she would agree to have that military man join them. Runa had no idea what the country had planned for them, but she wasn¡¯t going to play along.

    As far as she was concerned, her ties with Soteria were severed. She had no obligation to adhere to their wishes.

    "I''ve only been outside of my country once. So, it''ll be fun to head out and explore the Gardens of Eden with you two." Kyros nonchalantly approached the carriage. He had the full intention of getting on.

    "Did you hear that, Runa? Mr. Kyros is going to come with us to Wild Hunt! Isn¡¯t that great?" Sarra placed her hands on Runa''s shoulders then eagerly shook her. Having Kyros come along was far from exceptional. It was a nightmare ¡ª the thought of him coming with them to their home brought up mixed emotions¡ªthose of which Runa made sure to keep bottled up.

    All Runa could do at that moment was laugh. Sarra and Kyros joined her. However, when compared to theirs, Runa''s was forced. She had made up her mind. She directed the horses to move onward with the reins. With great haste, they took off down the road into the wilderness, leaving Kyros behind in a trail of dust.

    Despite having traveled a few meters away from the gates, Runa could hear his voice in the distance. She looked over her shoulder and grimaced at the sight of him desperately chasing after them. How idiotic could he get? Four legs against two couldn¡¯t even be considered a fair match up. He had no hopes of catching up to them anytime soon.

    At times, Sarra and Kyros¡¯ voices synced together as they called out Runa''s name. She had no intention of listening to them. She wouldn¡¯t stop the carriage until that idiot was miles behind them. She didn¡¯t care if he came to Wild Hunt, but he wasn¡¯t coming with them. That was for sure.

    Kyros was all on his own. Whatever happened to him out in the Gardens of Eden wasn¡¯t any concern of hers. Should he somehow get himself killed, it would be his damn fault. His country hadn¡¯t asked her permission to bring him along with them. So, no fault lied with her. It was all on them.

 Exousia V2 Chapter 1 - The Gardens of Eden!

    The Gardens of Eden, an exalting area outside of Soteria filled with steep hills, coastal plains, and valleys. Fields of green stretched out far beyond the eye could see. It was a sight to behold. It was hard to believe that such a beautiful place was considered to be the most dangerous area in Venetus. Or at least from the perspective of those that lived within the safety of the walls of Soteria.

    Most people of the country referred to the Gardens of Eden as the Wild Lands, and those that lived out there were called Wild Landers. In the eyes of Soterians; Wild Landers were mere savages since there were no official forms of government or police force recognized by the country. Low lives and criminals could potentially run rampant out there without having to worry about the consequences of getting arrested. After all, Soteria had no jurisdiction out there. They had caused enough problems out there in the past. They didn¡¯t want to create any more by lording their authority over them.

    That was most likely the reason why Kyros Aleister was selected to venture out and explore the Gardens of Eden with his newest companions, Runa das Meer and Sarra Zosime--two Huntresses he met back in his country. As ordered by the council, they wanted Kyros to act as the countries envoy andstrengthen the relationship of the area although Kyros knew that it was most likely an excuse to kick him out of the country.

    About three weeks passed since Kyros, Runa, and Sarra left Soteria. It took a week and a half for the country to disappear off in the horizon. Venetus was the largest continent in Salome, with Soteria located on the southwestern end of the landmass. Natural barriers such as the ocean to the southeast and the mountain ranges to the northwest protected the kingdom.

    The group traveled north.

    Their destination¡ªthe Wild Hunt Guild located at the largest town in the Gardens of Eden, Anemone. From what Runa and Sarra explained to Kyros, there were only about four towns and a handful of villages in the area. Throughout their journey, the team went through two of them.

    Despite the pleas of her teammates, Runa took charge and demanded that they kept moving. Eventually, the moon rose, and the group camped out for the night.

    ¡°Which one of us is going to be doing the hunting for tonight?¡± Kyros suddenly asked as he stared at the meat roasting over the campfire. They were about two to three days away from Anemone Town. But food rations ran thin.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? It¡¯s gonna be you,¡± answered Runa. ¡°You don¡¯t expect two vulnerable women to head out in the dark, do you? We need a big, strong man to hunt for us.¡± The woman¡¯s sarcasm knew no bounds. Runa knew damn well that she could handle herself in a fight. She was a seasoned Huntress and Exousia.

    Kyros doubted an ordinary monster could take her down.

    ¡°Runa, would you quit teasing him already?¡± Sarra looked to her partner then heaved a sigh of annoyance. ¡°Mr. Kyros has been doing more than enough work for us. He should get some rest.¡±

    ¡°Hey, he¡¯s the one that said he¡¯d be willing to do anything to help us,¡± Runa directed her attention to her partner. ¡°It just so happens that having him do all the work is helpful for us.¡±

    ¡°I knew it! You were making me do all the work!¡± Kyros pointed at the one-eyed Huntress.

    Runa clapped her hands together a few times then looked at Kyros with a mocking smile. ¡°Figured that out by yourself?"

    Kyros and Sarra kept silent and stared blankly at Runa. The numbers were against her. Eventually, she relented and left the others behind to hunt more meat for tomorrow''s journey. She disappeared through the brush of the bushes, leaving Kyros and Sarra at the campfire. The two exchanged glances then immediately broke out into laughter. Unlike Runa; Sarra and Kyros had a good relationship. They often talked, laughed, joked, and played around together whenever they had the chance.

    "Do you think she''ll find anything?" Kyros wondered. It was late at night after all. Hunting monsters in the dark couldn''t have been the easiest of tasks, even for experienced Hunters.

    "Knowing Runa, she''ll come back with something. Her pride won''t allow her to admit defeat," Sarra said.

    "Nothing wrong with that. It was thanks to that attitude we defeated the Acolytes." Kyros lied downin the grass then took a bite of the meat. Afterward, he gazed up at the night sky.

    It was beautiful. A dark sky that stretched on for infinity, illuminated by the blazing figures of light that flourished with immense clarity. It was hard to believe that Kyros experienced such beauty every day that he spent out in the Gardens of Eden. At times, he found himself unconsciously trying to reach out and capture the stars in the palm of his hand¡ªas if that were possible.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing it again, Mr. Kyros.¡± Sarra pointed out Kyros'' odd quirk. However, she joined his side and imitated me.

    ¡°Am I? I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just so beautiful out here. I was captivated.¡± Kyros sheepishly stated.

    ¡°Yes, it is beautiful out here.¡± The little girl suddenly leaned up, then looked at him with a stern expression. ¡°But, it¡¯s dangerous as well, Mr. Kyros. You can¡¯t afford to get distracted out here for too long. You always have to be on your guard.¡±

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯m just taking a moment to admire the night sky.¡± Kyros leaned up from off the grass. ¡°This is my second time outside of the walls of my country. I want to savor moments like these for a little while longer.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Kyros, you¡¯ve been outside the walls for over a month now. You¡¯ve had plenty of time to admire the beauty of the wilderness.¡± Sarra placed her hand on his shoulder. ¡°I can¡¯t allow you to let your guard down and slouch around while we¡¯re out here. Just because Runa isn¡¯t here, it doesn¡¯t mean that you can take it easy.¡±

    Kyros held back the urge to laugh in Sarra''s face. It was the first time he''d seen Sarra act so assertive and forceful. Was that how she was like whenever Runa wasn''t around to watch her?

    "What''s so funny?!" Sarra exclaimed.

    "I''m sorry, but am I seriously being lectured by a little girl right now?" Kyros struggled to say. It was one thing to get reprimanded by his superiors and comrades, but a little girl of all people? Now that was something different. Something that he didn''t expect. He was enjoying every second of the Gardens of Eden.

    ¡°I may be a little girl, but you can¡¯t deny that I have far more experience in surviving out here than you. I may have been useless back in Soteria, but out here I can be almost as useful as Runa.¡± She proudly stated with her hands firmly on her hips.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    It was true, Kyros couldn''t deny the experience of the Huntresses. They faced unimaginable dangers and hardships throughout their travels together. But underestimating Kyros would be a mistake as well. He was the military captain of his unit for a reason.

    But he wasn''t going to argue with a little girl about who had a harsher lifestyle. Nothing good would ever come from an argument like that. The best thing to do would be to accept the situation and adequately listen to any advice given to him by the Huntresses. He could afford to learn something or two from the professionals.

    ¡°You¡¯re right about that. I¡¯m sorry, Sarra. I¡¯ll properly listen to you and Runa.¡± Kyros apologized.

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Kyros. The fact that you listened to me makes me very happy." Sarra smiled. However, it slowly dropped as she continued, "When I say things like that to Runa, she just brushes it aside and keeps treating me like a child.¡±

    ¡°Well, you are a child,¡± Kyros stated. Sarra''s gaze averted from his as she sat back down, hugging her legs close to her chest. ¡°But, just because you¡¯re a child, doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t learn from you.¡±

    ¡°I wish someone would tell Runa that. She¡¯s been doing nothing but treat me like a child ever since we first met each other a year ago.¡± Sarra frowned at the memory.

    ¡°Came across each other? What do you mean by that?¡± Kyros felt obligated to ask the question. He always wondered how Runa and Sarra met each other in the past.

    ¡°Runa saved me from almost certain death. And ever since then I¡¯ve grown to respect her a lot,¡± She answered, ¡°I wish that she would stop treating me like I¡¯m some useless child. She understands the things I¡¯ve gone through ever since I became an Exousia.¡±

    Kyros opened his mouth to respond. But he couldn''t find the words to comfort the sad girl. Instead, he kept silent and allowed Sarra to continue to vent her anger and frustrations. It seemed as if the girl had kept it bottled up for a long time, and she needed to let it out.

    ¡°I felt so useless back in Soteria. While you and Runa were out there fighting, and protecting the people of the country, I was off hiding and cowering.¡± She shamefully admitted. Her tone grew more cold and harsh. ¡°I followed Runa to Soteria to help her. But, I¡¯ve done nothing but slow her down. I want to get stronger so that I can be of some use to someone. I don¡¯t want to lose anyone important to me anymore just because I¡¯m weak!¡±

    Sarra''s sudden display of conviction and determination stunned Kyros. He saw it in her eyes¡ªthe fiery passion, the iron will to become stronger. It caused him to remember back when he made the same declaration eighteen years ago.

    ¡°You should tell Runa that when she gets back from hunting our dinner,¡± Kyros told her as he placed my hand on her shoulder. ¡°If you tell her the same thing you said, she¡¯d have no choice but to say yes.¡±

    ¡°I tried before, and she didn''t listen.¡± Sarra lowered her head. "She said she wouldn¡¯t train me unless I learned how to unlock my Praus.¡±

    ¡°Your Praus? You mean you haven¡¯t unlocked it yet?¡± Kyros inquired. At that moment, he rememberedback to when they encountered Roditis in Aion¡¯s weapon shop. Sarra was eager to use his technology to unlock her Praus. But, Runa sternly forbade it.

    Sarra shook her head, then responded, ¡°No. I can¡¯t seem to grasp how to do it. Runa explained the basics to me, but I can¡¯t get the first limiter open.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Kyros closed his eyes and thought for a moment about the situation. Not having ones Praus unlocked was very dangerous, especially out in the Gardens of Eden. One severe injury and Sarra would die. That was a problem they''d have to fix as soon as possible. If Runa wouldn''t help her, then he would. "How about I try and teach you how to do it?"

    Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she looked at Kyros with great admiration and respect. ¡°Really? You¡¯d do that for me?¡±

    ¡°Why not? We¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Yes! We are!¡±

    ¡°Alright then, first, let¡¯s start by telling me what you know about Praus.¡±

    Sarra brought her hand to her mouth then cleared her throat before she answered, ¡°Praus, an inherent emanation of power that all living creatures on the planet possess which can be used for a broad range of abilities such as strengthening attacks or protecting the body from harm. It is a form of life energy. So, should one run out of it, they are sure to die. Ordinarily, it is not visible unless it is highly concentrated or manifested in large amounts. While visible, Praus appears in several different forms depending on the owner. The most common forms are that of a radiating glow or flaring flames. Each person¡¯s Praus is different and as such, gives off a unique signature; for example, no one has the same color of Praus.¡±

    Kyros sat there with wide eyes, clearly stunned at the extensive knowledge that Sarra had on the subject. Sarrarecited it so quickly like it was out of a textbook. That girl was dedicated to her studies. What surprised him the most was that she was entirely right.

    ¡°Anything else?¡± Kyros wondered. At that point, he was purely probing the girl''s brain for more information.

    ¡°One cannot gain access to their Praus without first opening the limiters in their body. There are seven limiters in the human body. The more limiters one opens, the more access they have to their Praus.¡± She explained. ¡°The limiters are located in the spine, sacrum, stomach, heart, throat, forehead, and the crown of the head.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. I can tell you¡¯re serious about this.¡±

    ¡°I am. I¡¯ve been trying to open the first limiter for a year now to no success.¡± Sarra hung her head once again. ¡°How did you manage to do it?¡±

    ¡°Through meditation,¡± Kyros answered. ¡°If you want to open the first limiter, you must be aware of what you¡¯re afraid of.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m not scared of anything.¡± Sarra¡¯s eyes wandered away from him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to yourself, Sarra. Everyone has something that they fear. I do, you do, Runa does. Learning to accept them is the first step.¡±

    ¡°But, you and Runa are so brave and strong. You both show no hesitation to charge into battle when a situation calls for it.¡± She stated as she raised her head. ¡°How could you two be afraid of anything?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes being brave and being afraid go hand in hand.¡± Kyros clasped his hands together for emphasis. ¡°When I fought against the Acolytes, I feared for my life and the lives of others. In the back of my mind, I had doubts that I could do anything. But, I knew that if I did nothing, then innocent people would die. I couldn¡¯t allow that to happen. I accepted my fear and still fought despite it.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s trying meditating together.¡± Kyros closed his eyes and crossed his legs together. ¡°I want you to think real hard about what you¡¯re most afraid of. Confront that fear of yours.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± The hesitancy in her voice alarmed him. Kyros peeked one eye open then watched her meditate with a stern expression. He focused his attention on trying to sense Sarra¡¯s energy. Since her Praus hadn¡¯t been unlocked, it was impossible to detect her.

    Kyros had faith in the little girl. He kept his eyes closed and waited until he sensed a sudden burst of energy nearby. However, it never came. He didn¡¯t know how many minutes passed, but he eventually opened his eyes and found Sarra sprawled out on her back, panting heavily.

    The poor girl nearly exhausted herself, trying to open the limiter through force rather than meditation. That was extremely dangerous. The most commonly used methods to unlock limiters was through meditation and willpower. Forcing them open was the less desirable option.

    ¡°Sarra? Are you alright?¡± Kyros rushed over to her, then lifted her back up from the ground. Her breathing grew rapid. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t try to open your limiter like that so forcibly. It¡¯s very dangerous.¡±

    ¡°But, I can¡¯t seem to do it the normal way,¡± Sarra complained.

    ¡°Well, trying to speed things along and then complaining about it when you fail won¡¯t do anything to help you."

    Sarra closed her eyes then nodded. She moved away from Kyros then situated herself a little closer to the campfire. After she had taken a few deep breaths, she returned to her meditation.

    The two remained silent for the rest of the time until Runa returned to the campsite. She dropped several carcasses of dead animals by the carriage.

    ¡°Goddess, I¡¯m exhausted.¡± She had announced before she plopped down by the campfire next to Sarra. ¡°Instead of cooking those bad boys for tonight, let¡¯s save them for the morning.¡± She slowly closed her eye then drifted off to sleep, not bothering to call out her meditating teammates.

    Nonetheless, the three of them called it a night and went to sleep. Or rather, the Huntresses did. Kyros still had the duty of keeping watch. After all, monsters and Varvara often appeared at night. Once his four-hour night watch shift ended, he awoke Runa and then went to sleep after she took over.

 Exousia V2 Chapter 2 - Wild Hunt Guild!

    Morning soon arrived. Kyros, Runa, and Sarra awoke when the sunlight crept over the hills and beamed down on them. Kyros gathered all the supplies and set up the carriage per usual. Meanwhile, Runa and Sarra started up another campfire and cooked some of the meat from the hunt the previous night. With the food prepared, everyone gathered around and ate their breakfast. Upon finishing, the team set out toward Anemone Town once again.

    From what Runa had told Kyros, they''d reach the settlement by the end of the day. It felt exciting to Kyros to see the place where Runa and Sarra called home. They''d seen his country, so seeing their home was something nice for a change. Unlike Runa; Kyros would keep most of his complaints, if any, to himself. The woman''s bluntness was on a whole other level at times.

    Discretion wasn''t her strong suit.

    "Hey, what''s that?" Sarra pointed toward a trail of smoke off in the distance. Kyros spotted the smoke and pulled on the reins, stopping the carriage.

    "Smoke?" Kyros surmised. He squinted his eyes and tried to get a closer look. It was far too much smoke for comfort.

    "Leave it alone," Runa waved it off. "Keep driving straight. We don''t have time for detours."

    "But it could be trouble," Sarra pleaded, not wanting to ignore the possible scene of danger. If something was happening off in that area, then she wanted to help.

    "Trouble means danger. I don''t wanna expose you to any more of it. Not when we''re this close to home," Runa countered.

    "We should check it out," Kyros retook command of the reins and directed the carriage towards the trail of smoke despite Runa''s demands to continue down the path ahead. They soon reached a village. However, unlike the ones they encountered before, it was burnt to the ground.

    Visible signs of a raid laid out before their eyes; fresh corpses, trails of blood, burning houses, and strewn across the ground were several miscellaneous items.

    "What happened here?" Kyros jumped off the carriage and rushed ahead in search of any survivors. He called out for anyone, leaving intentional pauses between his shouts to listen for any responses.

    Runa wasn''t in any hurry to leave the carriage. It didn''t take a genius to know the fate of the village or its residents.

    "Runa, shouldn''t we look for survivors?" Sarra asked with a shaky voice.

    "Stay in the carriage," Runa ordered. She collected her weapon and left the carriage. "Have your weapon ready and call me if anything happens. I''ll be right back."

    "What? No, I want to help!"

    "It wasn''t a request, Sarra." The blue-haired Huntress didn''t bother turning around. Her harsh tone of voice was more than enough to force her companion to comply with her demands. From there, Sarra watched helplessly as her friends disappeared further into the distance.

    "Hello?! Can anyone hear me?!" Kyros shouted for perhaps the twentieth time. No one responded once again. The military man closed his eyes and activated his Praus. If he couldn''t find anyone by calling out to them, he''d resort to using his Praus to sense for any survivors. He extended his sensory range to cover the entire village.

    He sensed, Runa, Sarra, and one other person. Fortunately, they were nearby. A wave of relief and yet terror washed over him. If someone else was alive in the village, why hadn''t they answered his calls? Were they wounded? Were they an enemy waiting to ambush him?

    "You about done wasting our time?" Runa called out to Kyros.

    "I located someone," Kyros filled her in. The Huntress rolled her eye but gestured for him to lead the way. The pair wandered over the survivor''s location, spotting a man pinned under a pile of rubble that was once a house. The wounded man weakly raised his head and looked at them. It was faint, but the man smiled at the two.

    "Oh, thank goodness. You came¡­you came¡­to rescue us." The man said.

    "What happened here?" Kyros asked.

    "Bandits." He replied immediately. "They¡­raided the town¡­kidnapped the children. We tried to¡­fend them off. But, there were just so many of them. And then, the Varvara appeared."

    When he finished his explanation, he went into a violent coughing fit. He stained the ground with his blood.

    "Don¡¯t talk anymore! Save your strength! We¡¯ll get you out of there right now!" Kyros moved over to the man and started to lift the support beam that pinned the man to the ground.

    "My daughter¡­did¡­did she getaway? Please¡­please tell me that she got away¡­" The man pleaded for an answer.

    Kyros hesitated to answer. There were no other survivors in the village beside the man. He found no evidence to prove that anyone else even escaped. "I¡­I don¡¯t¡­"

    "Don¡¯t worry; your daughter is safe." Runa interrupted Kyros.

    A smile of relief plastered on the man¡¯s face before he lowered his head to the ground and mumbled, "Oh, thank Goddess. Thank you¡­thank you¡­thank¡­you¡­"

    "Runa! Help me get this off him!" Kyros desperately pleaded. But the woman didn''t budge an inch.

    "Why? He''s dead," She solemnly pointed out. Unable to believe her at first, Kyros looked down at the man and called out to him.

    No response.

    He called again.

    Still no response.

    "Son of a bitch!" Kyros backed away from the scene and brought his hands up to his head.

    "C''mon, no use staying here anymore. We gotta move on," Runa ordered, already making her way back over to the carriage.

    Kyros approached Runa and grabbed her arm to stop her. "Wait, we can''t leave! We need to do something!"

    "Like what? There¡¯s nothing we can do. The bandits are long gone, and the people here are dead."

    "We can at least gather all the bodies and bury them. They don¡¯t deserve to sit out here and rot away."

    Runa broke free from his grasp then turned to face me. "Look, if you wanna do that, then go ahead. I won¡¯t stop you. But I¡¯m taking Sarra as far away from this place as possible. We don¡¯t have time to spend days burying people."

    "This isn¡¯t right. We shouldn¡¯t leave the village like this."

    ¡°It¡¯s not about what¡¯s right or wrong out here. Things happen that are out of our control, and there¡¯s nothing we can do about it. If you can¡¯t deal with that, then you¡¯re not ready to be out here.¡± Runa laid out the cold, hard facts, making direct eye contact with Kyros in the process.

    ¡°Is it always like this? Calm and beautiful in the day, disorder, and chaos at night? Is this what you call paradise outside of the kingdoms?¡± Kyros raised his voice, not understanding the logic of it all.

    "It''s just the way of the land.It may not be the ideal way of living, but everyone that lives out here chose to be here other than your country. They have the freedom to choose whatever lifestyle they want.¡±

    ¡°I understand that. They got their freedom, but at what cost? There was no one here to protect them from the bandits or Varvara.¡±

    ¡°As I said, it¡¯s the choice they made. It¡¯s not our faults that there wasn¡¯t a guild stationed here to protect them. All we can do is mourn for them and move on with our lives.¡±

    ¡°Do you have to go through something like this every day? What does Sarra think about all this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like she isn¡¯t used to seeing stuff like this...¡± Runa responded.

    "What does that mean?" Kyros pressed for more information.

    "It''s not important. If you''re done wasting time, we gotta go. We''ve burnt enough daylight," Runa turned her back to Kyros and walked back to the carriage with Kyros reluctantly following behind her. Every now and then his eyes wandered to the carnage of the village.

    He couldn''t understand what the village did to deserve such a cruel fate.No doubt, things were very different when compared to Soteria. If people died out in the Gardens of Eden, chances of getting buried were slim. Kyros had no idea what the populace of Eden felt about being buried in the first place.

    Burying someone was a sign of respect for the dead and hope for a better time in the afterlife in his country. Kyros didn''t believe in the aspect of the afterlife.

    It infuriated him to know that others would wander across the village in the future, only to encounter nothing but death and destruction. But as Runa mentioned, they didn¡¯t have time to spend days burying the others. All Kyros could do was silently mourn for the fallen victims of the attack.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    No, there was more he could do. Quietly mourning wasn¡¯t enough. Bandit raids and Varvara attacks were preventible with enough protection and security. Finding out an efficient way to provide that security would be an excellent way to complete his mission. If he could better the relationship between his country and the Gardens of Eden, perhaps the military could work something out.

    The military could construct outposts around the villages, daily patrol officers, and much more. The people outside the country could live their lives with freedom and protection. It was a win-win situation for both sides.

    Kyros had to make both sides see that. His mission was of the utmost importance. No matter what Kyros had to do, he''d make sure to complete it. For the people of the entire continent.

    When they returned to the carriage, Sarra didn¡¯t bother to ask about what happened. The expressions on their faces said it all to her. They rode the rest of the way in complete silence. The day passed, and they finally reached their destination, Anemone Town.

    The town was more than Kyros expected. From all Runa and Sarra told him; he imagined a community with a high wall or fence¡ªsomething to protect it from invaders. But, there were none.

    No gates.

    No fences.

    No walls.

    Nothing seemed to protect the town other than the guards that occasionally patrolled through the place. The guards stopped the carriage and ordered Kyros to identify himself. Runa and Sarra watched in amusement as the guards harassed Kyros with several personal questions. They asked him where he was from, what he was doing entering the town, and so on. Kyros hadn¡¯t expected to go through such a stern interrogation. But he answered their questions honestly and was eventually allowed to enter the town.

    From roads of dirt and grass to one of bricks. A somewhat smooth transition.

    The crowded street of the town moved aside as the carriage pulled through. The townspeople waved and cheered upon the return of Runa and Sarra¡ªthey were treated like celebrities. Nearly everyone Kyros saw carried around a weapon. From adults to children. Perhaps the community wasn''t as defenseless as he initially thought.

    The team continued through the town until they reached its center. There resided their destination¡ªthe Wild Hunt Guild. It was the most massive structure in the entire town, at least five or six stories high. The name of the guild displayed on an archway and statues lined the front of the building.

    The first statue that drew in Kyros'' attention was one of a man in a cartoonish looking dog mask that obscured his entire head.

    ¡°Who are those statues supposed to be?¡± Kyros asked.

    "Those are the top strongest members of the guild," answered Sarra, "like Varvara, members of guilds are ranked. The ranks are from E to S."

    "What are your ranks in the guild?"

    "I¡¯m a D-Rank Huntress. Runa¡¯s a B-Rank." Sarra proudly announced.

    "That¡¯s impressive."

    "Before we enter, let me warn you," Runa stopped in front of the door then turned to face Kyros. "Always be on your guard while in Wild Hunt. It¡¯s a matter of life and death here. One mistake could cost you your life."

    Kyros didn''t doubt her words. The stern expression on the woman''s face opted the military man to steel himself for whatever lied beyond the wooden double doors.

    Without hesitation, Runa kicked the doors. They swung open and collided against the walls, gathering everyone''s attention on the ground floor.

    All eyes turned to the three-person team as they entered the building. It appeared to be the main hall that doubled as a pub and entertainment center.Dozens of round tables spread out across the room, nearly all of them filled with unsavory looking characters with gruesome scars and well-made equipment. To the far left of the room was a small stage. Loud music played, and female dancers performed for the drunk onlookers.

    Along the walls of the establishment lined the various heads of creatures. Wild Hunt indeed held its name as Hunter''s Guild in high regard. As Kyros and the others continued to move forward to the front, the music and loud people all seemed to quiet down as they passed. Kyros felt the gazes from the hunters burned through him as if they could see into his very souls.

    The trio eventually reached the front of the building where the receptionist desk lied. A gruff woman with a muscular build and one, large eye came to the window and looked at Runa. Kyros'' eyebrows slightly raised at the sight of the woman. It wasn''t every day he''d come across someone belonging to the Mono Race.

    "Runa? Still alive, I see," The woman crossed her arms over her broad chest.

    "Yeah," Runa answered quickly and placed her mission form on the desk along with a sack of money. The receptionist rummaged through the bag and pulled out a single coin.

    She held it up in the light. It sparkled. But, despite its magnificent shine, the woman appeared unimpressed and skeptical. She brought the coin close to her lips then bit down on it. The currency remained unharmed. However, the same couldn¡¯t have been said for the poor woman¡¯s tooth.

    Her eyes widened, and a groan of frustration leaked past her lips as she raised her fist. Held in said fist was a stamp, which she then used to mark the mission form as completed.

    "Listen up you bastards!" The receptionist called out to everyone.

    "That was a swear, Cailey," Sarra informed her.

    "Ah, my bad. Forgive me." Cailey immediately apologized before her gaze returned to the others. "Anyway, Runa¡¯s completed the Varvara extermination mission! Drinks are all on her tonight!"

    Followed immediately by the announcement, roars echoed throughout the entire building, perhaps even the town. Dozens of people raised their mugs in celebration then rushed over to the bar area. The only ones that didn¡¯t seem to celebrate were Kyros and the others.

    Too stunned to move from his spot, Kyros couldn''t understand the workings of the guild. Runa and Sarra, on the other hand, seemed right at home. Sarra wandered off and found herself a table while Runa loudly objected to wasting her money buying everyone else alcohol. She collected her sack of money and set in front of Sarra before rushing off to make sure no one tried to make a bar tab in her name.

    Kyros eventually regained his composure and joined Sarra at the table.

    "Wow, I wasn''t expecting a Hunter Guild to be this rowdy," He commented.

    "Really? This is rowdy to you?" Sarra seemed surprised by my comment. To her, it was an average day at the guild. She''d find it strange if a brawl didn''t break out soon enough. "Most of the time, things escalate into fights. This is lukewarm at best."

    "You¡¯re very familiar with this place, aren¡¯t you?"

    "Yes. I¡¯ve been a member of Wild Hunt for a little over a year."

    "What about Runa?"

    "Not sure. But, since she¡¯s a B-Rank in the guild, I¡¯d assume somewhere around six or seven years."

    "Is it that hard to become a B-Rank?"

    "It all depends on the person. Usually, Hunters are ranked on their level of strength and their number of mission completions. When they¡¯re confident that they can rank up, the issue must be brought to the Guild Master. If the master approves, then they must take a test," Sarra explained. "For example, if Runa wanted to become an A-Rank Huntress, she¡¯d have to complete an A-Rank mission and then defeat an A-Rank Hunter from the guild."

    "Okay, I have a basic understanding of how it works. So, the mission she took in Soteria, what rank was it?" Kyros inquired.

    "B-Rank," Sarra answered.

    "How do you determine the rank of a mission?"

    "By their level of threat, just like with the Varvara. S-Rank for a global threat, A-Rank for continental threat, B-Rank for national threat, C-Rank for citywide threat, D-Rank for town threat, and E-Rank for Village threat."

    "Wow, this place is far more organized than I thought," Kyros mentioned.

    However, that sentiment changed when a body crashed down on their table. The man split the damn thing in half. Kyros'' eyes quickly glanced over to the direction where he came¡ªit was the bar.

    It was a brawl. About a dozen, maybe more combatants participated in a pure slugfest. However, only one proved to be the most dominating force¡ªRuna. Men of all shapes and sizes stepped up to challenge her, but one by one, they were all crushed beneath her heel. Surprisingly, everyone laughed as they fought. No one harbored any ill feelings as they beat the hell out of each other.

    The guild certainly possessed an odd form of comradery. But, it wasn¡¯t Kyros'' place to judge. All he could do was watch in amazement and laugh along with the others. About an hour passed until things settled down. Runa joined the others at their new table, and they all ate together.

    Eventually, Cailey approached and then snaked her arm around Kyros'' shoulder.

    "So, Runa. Who''s your new friend?" Cailey wondered. She brought her hand up to Kyros'' chin, gently caressing his jawline. "Never seen this man around town before."

    "Who, him? He¡¯s¡­" Runa glanced over to Kyros, then back at her guildmate. "A souvenir from the Soteria Kingdom. The council wrapped him up in a box and tossed him in my carriage when I wasn¡¯t looking. So, if you want him, go ahead and take him."

    Rowdy laughter erupted inside of the building once again. Her words were harmful as usual, but Kyros kept a straight face¡ªor at least he believed he did.

    "Soteria kingdom, huh?" Cailey moved her face closer to Kyros. She stared straight into his eyes as if scanning for something. "He looks kinda tough. But why is he here?"

    "Good question," Runa responded. "Why are you here?" She rested her elbows on the table then glared at him.

    "My council sent me out here as their envoy. They¡¯d like me to strengthen the relationship between the Gardens of Eden and Soteria." Kyros answered respectfully and honestly. Many glances traded around the room, as were skeptical murmurs and whispers.

    "Gardens of Eden, huh? You sure you don¡¯t want to call this place the Wild Lands?" Cailey took a seat next to Kyros. Her face was still as close as ever. She had the smirk of a trouble-maker. "You¡¯ve seen it, haven¡¯t you? The difference between this place and your birdcage of a country. It¡¯s ruthless and cut-throat out here. And yet, this place is believed to be paradise by most."

    "No rules or regulations are restricting others. It¡¯s complete anarchy out here. People are free to do as they please without having to worry about consequences coming from official police or military force." Kyros surmised. "I can understand how this place would entice people. However, this land also has its disadvantages."

    "Oh yeah?"

    "Crime rate must be through the roof. Plus, with no forms of defenses such as walls or gates, most settlements must be under frequent attacks from bandits and monsters."

    "Yeah, you¡¯re right about that." The woman pulled her face away. "Every place has its ups and downs. Can¡¯t expect a utopia to exist. But anyway, how¡¯re you hoping to strengthen the relationship between your country and this massive place of paradise?"

    "Well, for starters I¡¯ve considered the thought of joining your guild," Kyros answered. Almost immediately, Runa choked on her drink then saved herself by spraying it all over his face. Sarra grabbed napkins and cleared Kyros'' face from the substance.

    "Don¡¯t let him join!" Runa quickly protested the idea.

    "Such fierce protest from Runa. Haven¡¯t seen that in a while," commented Cailey. Her eyes glanced over to Kyros. "What did you do to make Runa hate you so much?"

    "That¡¯s a good question." Kyros nervously replied.

    He knew the answer. Runa''s hatred towards him came from her learning about her existence as an Exousia. Kyros kept his word and hadn''t mentioned it to anyone. But, the Huntress continued to hold that over his head.

    "I don¡¯t see the problem with letting him join, Runa. Mr. Kyros was beneficial, acting as our tour guide in Soteria, and he¡¯s strong too." Sarra came to Kyros'' defense. "He¡¯s a lower B-Rank if not an upper C."

    "So, you can handle yourself in a fight?" Cailey asked.

    "I¡¯m a Captain of my unit in the Soterian army," Kyros proudly announced.

    "Captain, huh? You must be tough then. I don¡¯t see any problem letting you join. But, I don¡¯t have the authority to let you in."

    "Oh, then who does?"

    "The guild master, and guild members ranging from S to A. However, before we can even talk about letting you join. There¡¯s a test that you need to pass first."

    At that moment, Kyros felt his blood run cold. Dangerous glints appeared in the eyes of everyone around him. What followed up after was a series of synchronized chuckles from the Hunters. Even though every fiber of his being warned him against it,he opened his mouth and responded, "What kind of test?"

    Once again, Cailey¡¯s face drew exceedingly close to the man''s. Kyros swore that woman never knew the meaning of the personal space.

    "I¡¯m glad that you asked! Let¡¯s take this outside!"

    With no effort at all, the woman lifted Kyros from the chair and dragged him outside. Nearly all members of the guild left the building to join them. Whatever the people had planned for him, it wasn¡¯t going to be good.

 Exousia V2 Chapter 3 - Examination!

    Kyros was astounded about the disastrous situation he found himself in. All he''d asked to do was to join the Wild Hunt Guild. But, of course, things could never be that simple for him. According to Runa, there was a routine or rite of passage people had to take to join the organization. From Kyros'' understanding, it seemed to be quite the spectacle since dozens of people stood around the wall in the guild training ground located in the back.

    The military man stood directly in front of a weapons rack presented to him by Sarra. Weapons ranging from brass knuckles to swords waited there for selection. But Kyros chose none of them, deciding to stick with his signature gauntlets.

    On the other side of the courtyard resided his opponent, personally selected by majority vote. It was The Mono, Cailey. The buff woman performed a few practice swings with her sword, winking at Kyros when they made eye contact.

    The spectating Hunters circled Runa, handing money to the woman as part of some transaction. Gambling. They were gambling on the outcome of the exam.

    "Explain to me again why I''m fighting the receptionist?" Kyros wondered. Out of everyone he expected to get placed against, the receptionist of the guild was the last person on his mental list. Well, at least it wasn''t Runa. Something told him that she''d enjoy kicking the shit out of him.

    "It''s a physical examination," explained Sarra as she pushed the rack of weapons out of the way. "Anyone that wants to join has to pass the exam by facing a current member in combat."

    "And everyone voted on the receptionist?" Kyros activated his gauntlets, grinning as they enveloped his fists.

    "Don''t underestimate, Cailey, Mr. Kyros. She''s known as ''The Wrangler'' of the guild. Her current rank is C, but rumor has it that she''s as strong someone from S-Class."

    "Interesting," Kyros heeded the little girl''s warning and proceeded to approach his examiner. The Hunters shut their mouths and watched in anticipation as both combatants met in the center of the courtyard.

    "Allow me to introduce myself properly," Cailey politely bowed to Kyros. To him, it was a sign of respect, but to those that knew her, it was evident sarcasm. She straightened her posture and continued, "The name''s Cailey, and I''ll act as your physical examiner today. If you want to join Wild Hunt, you must pass this test."

    "What is it exactly that I have to do to pass? I understand that we must fight. But do I have to defeat you?" Kyros inquired. If Cailey was as powerful as Sarra claimed, then perhaps he didn''t stand a chance against her. Even if that were the case, that fact wouldn''t stop him from trying.

    Laughter erupted from the Hunters around them. Voices of mockery and ridicule bombarded his eardrums.

    "T-This guy? Defeat Cailey?"

    "That''ll be the day!"

    "What should we write on his tombstone?"

    "I call dibs on his armor when she kills him!"

    Cailey stabbed her sword in the ground, silencing the unwanted voices. She was in charge of the exam; she wouldn''t have spectators raising their voices without her permission.

    "Ignore them," Cailey said. Kyros nodded his head, taking her words as a small gesture of apology. "No, you don''t have to defeat me. Just last five minutes against me without hitting the ground three times. If you fail, that''s it."

    "Understood," Kyros retained the information for the exam.

    Almost immediately after the explanation, Cailey unleashed an immense pressure from her body. So much that it nearly blew Kyros and the others around her into the walls surrounding the courtyard.

    While Kyros struggled to regain his balance, Cailey wasted no time in closing the distance between them. She swung her sword horizontally, aiming to cleave the young man''s head clean off his shoulders. Kyros leaned back as far as he could and watched the blade cut through the air. The wind pressure from the swing knocked over the rack of weapons and other Hunters behind them.

    Fear immediately set itself in. The woman planned to kill him. There was no doubt about that.

    Kyros readjusted his position and went on the offensive, stepping forward for a right hook. Cailey''s palm captured the man''s fist, and she followed up with a knee strike to his mid-section. The attack forced Kyros to hunch over, but he found himself on his back after the next blow from the examiner.

    "That''s one," Cailey stepped back and raised her index finger. The Hunters cheered and applauded the first point the woman scored against Kyros.

    Kyros got to his feet immediately, noting his first mistake. Having two more tries, he activated the Ignis Vitalis in his gauntlets, allowing them to catch ablaze. From there, he launched flaming projectiles at the woman.

    However, with a single swipe of her sword, the flames dissipated.

    "Neat trick. You''d at least be able to light some birthday cake candles with those flames," Cailey taunted, earning another roar of laughter from the spectators.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Kyros didn''t let it get to him. He was used to mockery and ridicule from the residents of his home country.

    "I''m just getting started," He warned. He stepped forward again, firing more flaming projectiles. Cailey evaded them all, ignoring the cries from the unfortunate watchers that got caught in the flames. When he got close enough, he threw a flaming punch.

    His fist of flames and Cailey''s sword collided. The clash from their weapons sent out a ripple that knocked down some of the Hunters. Just when Kyros pulled his fist back for another attack, Cailey kicked him to the ground again, marking the second time his back met the concrete.

    "That''s two," Cailey revealed. "One more and you''re done."

    Unlike the last time, Kyros didn''t get up. Not immediately. He stayed on the ground, staring up at the sky. The onlookers got impatient, booing and jeering for the man to make his move.

    "What''s he doing?" Runa wondered. It wasn''t like Kyros to stay down for too long.

    "Not gonna get up? Are you giving up already?" Cailey asked. Suddenly, her feet sank into the ground. The bright shine from Kyros'' gauntlets told her everything that she needed to know. Her opponent used the Terra Vitalis in his gauntlets to manipulate the ground beneath her, keeping her stuck in place.

    Kyros took advantage of the situation, getting up and charging the woman with his gauntlets of flames once more. Even when restrained, Cailey''s fighting spirit never wavered. She tossed aside her sword and grabbed Kyros'' shirt and arm, using his momentum against him to flip him over her shoulder.

    All eyes widened in anticipation for Kyros'' back to hit the ground, but it didn''t happen. The young man landed safely on his feet, instantly blasting the trapped woman with a torrent of flames once freed from her grasp. Even the extreme heat of the fire did nothing to stop the woman.

    A fist shot through the flames and struck Kyros in the stomach. Thankfully he used his Praus to soften the blow, but it still hurt like all hell. But he didn''t back down.

    Kyros returned the favor and drove his fist into Cailey''s stomach. She didn''t budge an inch. But a quick wince of pain crossed her face. Afterward, the two combatants traded a series of fierce blows. It didn''t seem like a sparring match any more than a test of endurance.

    One way or the other, one of them would fall. But Kyros swore that it wouldn''t be him.

    When Cailey went for another punch, Kyros evaded her first by a hairsbreadth. Then, he increased his Praus output, flaring the flames around his fists more wildly. His final flaming punch against Cailey launched the woman out from the ground and into the wall.

    Everything grew silent the moment Cailey got brutally buried underneath the pile of rubble. Just when Kyros prepared for more, the timer ran out, signaling the end of the exam. The new recruit had somehow survived his test against The Wrangler.

    However, Kyros didn''t feel like celebrating. Not out of disappointment for his failures during the exam, but rather the fear. He battled against a well-respected member of the guild and won. He had no idea how its members would react to him beating one of their friends.

    Soon enough, the outcome of the match processed in the minds of the Hunters. Everyone besides Runa gave a thunderous ovation to Kyros'' victory. The one-eyed Huntress sighed and returned some of the money she collected to their rightful owners.

    The first person to congratulate Kyros on his victory was Sarra. The little girl crossed the courtyard and embraced the young man in a tight hug.

    "Congratulations, Mr. Kyros! You passed!" Sarra smiled. She''d seen many people come and go in the guild, trying to join the prestigious organization. But they always came up short when it came to the physical exam, especially since Cailey was their opponent. About a year passed since she''d seen someone else join the guild.

    "Isn''t Cailey the one that has an overall say in that?" Kyros looked at the pile of rubble. A single hand popped out from the heap, giving him a thumbs up. He took that as a pass.

    Cailey stepped out from the rubble, clearing her clothes from the debris. She collected her sword from the ground and approached Kyros with a smile, "Not bad for a souvenir. Not bad at all. You pass the exam."

    "Thanks so much," Kyros smiled.

    "Now there''s only one thing you need to do before you can officially join the guild," Cailey placed a firm hand on Kyros'' shoulder. "The Guild Master needs to have an interview with you."

    "Is the Guild Master here?" Kyros asked.

    "Upstairs," Cailey pointed to the window at the highest point of the building. "C''mon and follow me. Runa, Sarra, you two can come along as well."

    The Mono woman led the group into the building and up the seven flights of stairs. Cailey and Runa walked side by side while Kyros and Sarra stayed behind.

    "So, what''s the Guild Master like?" Kyros whispered to Sarra, wanting to collect as much information as he could about the individual. If the receptionist was as eccentric as she was, he couldn''t imagine how the leader of the organization acted.

    "He''s hilarious," giggled Sarra, recalling all the times she''d met with the man himself. "He tells me funny stories and gives me lots of candy whenever I complete a quest."

    "Is he strong?" Kyros wondered.

    "Incredibly," Sarra nodded. "He''s the strongest person in the guild. Only Cailey and the other S-Class Hunters can match him."

    Kyros made sure to retain the information, noting why Cailey was so strong. Even though he passed the exam against her; he felt that if it were a full-blown battle, he wouldn''t have won. Not that he felt troubled about the potential outcome. He knew that he was far from the strongest. It only inspired him to train harder.

    The group walked down a long hallway, eventually reaching a well-refurbished door at the end of it. Loud barks and howls came from the other side of the door. Runa and Sarra pressed their backs against the nearest walls before Cailey opened the door.

    A stampede of hounds poured out of the room, knocking Kyros on his ass. They ran down the hallway and rushed off down the stairs.

    "Seriously, I wish he kept those things on leashes," Runa complained.

    "The Guild Master is quite the free spirit," Cailey nonchalantly commented, not bothered by the rowdy animals causing a ruckus in the guild building. She ignored all the cries and screams from the members downstairs.

    Not too long after the hounds escaped, a tall man dashed out of the room. Kyros'' eyes immediately locked onto the man''s most distinguishing figure, the large cartoon dog mask worn over his head, concealing his entire face. It was then he recalled a familiar statue outside of the guild building. At first, he imagined the statue was meant as a joke.

    But that was far from the case.

    The man was the Guild Master, Serhan.

    "No! No! No! My dogs! My precious dogs! Come back! Come back!" The man desperately pleaded. He shouted out the names of the dogs, but none rushed to return to him.

    "Should we do something?" Kyros asked, feeling somewhat guilty about the situation.

    "No, give him a minute. He''ll come to his sense eventually," Runa, Sarra, and Cailey wasted no time in wandering into the Guild Master''s room. While hesitant, Kyros followed the others inside and waited with them.

 Exousia V2 Chapter 4 - Guild Master Serhan!

    Kyros and the others waited inside of the Guild Master''s office. He kept his complaints to himself, but the place was a complete mess. Dog food crunched underneath their feet with nearly every step; fur almost covered the entire room, and the smells alone could''ve knocked anyone unconscious. How could anyone live under such conditions?

    Somehow, Runa and Sarra found places comfortable enough to take a seat. Cailey and Kyros stood around awkwardly, waiting for the man in question to return.

    And soon enough he did. The Guild Master of Wild Hunt, Serhan, stormed into the room. He yelled, "What is wrong with you people? How dare you release my dogs without warning, and then make yourselves comfortable in my office!"

    "No one''s comfortable in here," Runa voiced her disgust in the situation. She couldn''t wait to leave behind the pound of a room. "You ever considered cleaning the place up? Opening up a window for fresh air to blow in?"

    "And run the risk of them jumping out the window to their deaths?! No, thank you!" Serhan shook his head in absolute refusal. His dog mask performed complete three-sixties until he stopped it with his hand.

    "With you as their master, it''d be mercy," Runa snarkily commented.

    "What was that?!"

    "Have a seat, please, Master Serhan." Cailey brought herself between Runa and Serhan. "We have someone we''d like to introduce."

    The Guild Master collected himself and sat behind his desk. He cleared his throat and began, "So, who are you? Fresh meat? Welcome to Wild Hunt! I''m the Guild Master, Serhan!"

    The air around the Guild Master suddenly changed. He seemed more professional and stern than the man that was down on his knees, crying moments ago. He exerted a type of pressure befitting someone of a leader.

    "It''s nice to meet you. My name is Kyros Aleister," Kyros introduce himself.

    "Where are you from?" Serhan rested his elbows on the table. Meanwhile, Cailey opened up the large window behind him. She had reached her limit with the horrendous smell.

    "I''m from Soteria," Kyros revealed.

    "Soteria? You''ve come quite a long way," Serhan noted. He rested his head in the palm of his hands. "Tell me, why''d you decide to leave your country to join our guild?"

    "It was an order from my council. The council sent me out here to act as their envoy. They wish for me to increase the relationship between the Gardens of Eden and Soteria."

    Silence met Kyros'' answer. All eyes honed on him.

    "That may be impossible, Kyros. The Gardens of Eden don''t want anything to do with your country." Serhan informed the military man.

    "I understand that. Runa made it clear to me that my mission won''t be easy." Kyros revealed.

    "And yet, here you are anyway, even though you could potentially be out here for the rest of your life."

    "I''m prepared for such a situation." Kyros nodded his head. "I don''t believe that every single person out there feels the same about Soteria as Wild Hunt seems to feel."

    "Oh?" Serhan''s tone suddenly went cold. Kyros felt a hazardous pressure from the Guild Master, Cailey, and Runa. Had he said something he shouldn''t have?

    "Isn''t the fact that they choose to live out here instead of in your country proof enough that they hate it?" Cailey pointed out.

    Kyros closed his eyes and nodded his head. He had much time to think about the Gardens of Eden throughout his tenure, exploring the vast lands. He met various people, learning bits and pieces about their livelihoods. Yes, they expressed their joy in living their lives freely, but, they all had something in common.

    Protection.

    The people wanted safety and sanctuary from the criminals and Varvara that raided their lands. Sure, specific guilds existed to protect the people, but from what Kyros had seen, there weren''t enough around.

    "They may hate it, but I know there are extenuating circumstances about their decisions to stay out here. I can understand their hatred, but I won''t abide by their carelessness."

    "And who are you to try and force others to see things your way?" Serhan wondered.

    "Not force, persuade." Kyros corrected. The conversation wasn''t going how he planned, but it was too late to press the brakes. He decided to keep going to get his point across to the Hunters. "I want to provide a better alternative for the Gardens of Eden. Soteria and the Gardens of Eden can remain separate, yet united."

    Runa scoffed at the mere notion of Kyros'' suggestion. It was a pipedream at best.

    "Interesting idea," Serhan leaned back in his chair and enthusiastically clapped his hands together. Kyros was unable to catch if the man was sarcastic or not with his mannerisms. "You believe joining our guild will help you with your goal?"

    "From what Sarra told me, Wild Hunt carries a lot of authority in this town, perhaps even in all of the Gardens. So, yes, I do believe that it will."Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Serhan lunged forward, pressing his face against Kyros''. "You''re an interesting fellow! You''ll make a fine addition to the guild!"

    "What?!" Runa exclaimed. She couldn''t believe her eyes and ears. Had her Guild Master gone completely insane? Kyros was one of the worst possible people to allow into the organization.

    "Yes! Congratulations, Mr. Kyros!" Sarra jumped out of her chair in joy.

    "Wait for a second," Runa injected.

    "Is there a problem, Runa?" asked Serhan, "do you have any objections to my decision?"

    "I have plenty..." The blue-haired Huntress narrowed her eye and then returned to her seat. "Get him out of the room, and I''ll explain."

    "Very well," Serhan backed away from Kyros. "Kyros, if you may leave the room and head downstairs for a moment. We''ll come back down once we make our decision."

    "Sure thing," Kyros offered no resistance. He left the room and headed downstairs.

    Almost immediately upon his departure, Runa stood up and paced furiously back and forth in front of Serhan''s desk. She hadn''t been back home for more than a few hours, and her guildmates already found a way to piss her off seriously. For months Kyros had been a thorn in her side.

    It was one thing to force a temporary alliance with him back in Soteria. But now Serhan was going to allow him into Wild Hunt without prejudice? She wouldn''t accept that outcome. Runa only allowed the man to follow them to Anemone Town because he never envisioned him joining the organization. Not if the Guild Master had anything to say about it.

    "This is stupid, Serhan! Very stupid!" Runa complained. The man sat there in the chair, staring at her with his decorative eyes. "Why are you letting that man join our guild, our family, so easily!"

    "He passed the physical exam, didn''t he?" Serhan indicated to Cailey. "Why not let him in for passing?"

    "Cut the shit!" Runa slammed her hands on the table. "Passing or failing the physical exam shouldn''t be enough to determine if someone joins or not, and you know it!"

    "Oh, you silly girl," Serhan stood from his seat and playfully poked the woman''s forehead. She bared her teeth, and attempted to chew the finger, clean off the man''s hand. "There''s a bit more to my reasoning of letting him join."

    "Runa, you need to calm down," Sarra suggested.

    "Stay out of this!" Runa exclaimed, not bothering to turn back to face her partner. The grown-ups were talking, after all. Children needed to stay silent. "Care to explain your reasoning, Serhan? You didn''t grill him as hard as you did me when I first joined!"

    Serhan gasped, quite overdramatically as he placed his hand on his chest. He opened up a drawer in his desk and set a newspaper on it for everyone to see. The paper detailed the terrorist attacks across Soteria.

    "Runa, how could I do something as cruel as to interrogate one of the saviors of Soteria?" Serhan asked.

    Runa narrowed her eye and groaned in frustration, having immediately caught the sarcastic tone in the man''s voice.

    "If anyone needs an interrogation, it''s you," Cailey pointed.

    "Shall we discuss your time in Soteria?" Serhan suggested although everyone knew that it was more of a demand. Runa relented and sat back down in her seat. "I would first like to congratulate you both on the succession of your mission, and returning home safely. Those Acolytes must''ve been troublesome."

    "You have no idea," Runa rolled her eye. If not for the fact that the Acolytes were Exousia, she wouldn''t believe how three people could cause so much destruction throughout a country.

    "Those Acolytes were scary, but Mr. Kyros and Runa teamed up to take down the leader!" Sarra announced. She wanted to make sure that the sung praises of Kyros resided in the hearts of Serhan and Cailey.

    "That''s another thing I was wondering about," Serhan said. "I''m curious about your relationship with that man."

    "He''s a souvenir," Cailey teased, recalling her conversation with Runa from before.

    Serhan threw his head back and held his sides, laughing hysterically at the woman''s choice of words. "Another souvenir from Soteria? How fortunate are we?"

    "I''d say unfortunate," Runa sighed.

    "This is a blessing, Runa. That I can assure you." The Guild Master informed his guildmate once his laughter ceased. "Soteria''s trying to form a better relationship with the Gardens of Eden? How cute."

    While they couldn''t see it, Cailey, Runa, and Sarra could feel the man''s sinister smile from behind the safety of his dog mask. Serhan never made his hatred toward Soteria a secret. The other members shared his distrust toward the country, but Serhan''s was on another level.

    That very hatred forced Runa to beg the question, "Serhan, why did you request for Sarra and I to take this quest?"

    There were plenty of other Hunters that could''ve taken the mission. Not that she was complaining. She completed the quest and walked away with half a million Axia. She could live like a queen for quite a long time if she wished.

    "We needed Soteria to owe us a favor. A huge favor," The Guild Master spread his arms out as wide as he could for emphasis. "We helped them protect their precious country."

    "They repaid us for that though," Sarra stated as she pointed to the sack of coins on Runa''s hip.

    "That was only a small payment in comparison to what I want," Serhan dismissed the large sum of money as nothing more than pocket change. The man had big plans for the future for the Gardens. "Thanks to our assistance, the Lambros Corporation owe us a lot more."

    Runa gritted her teeth, realizing that her Guild Master used them for some shady, under the table deal. She and Sarra nearly lost their lives in Soteria, and he didn''t seem to care. That''s not how Wild Hunt was meant to operate.

    Immediately noticing the woman''s frustration, Serhan came around from the desk and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Forgive me for not filling you in, but I assure you that I wouldn''t order you to do anything that I''m not willing to do myself. You and Sarra made an enormous contribution to Wild Hunt."

    Runa brushed off the Guild Master''s hand. "I don''t care about the mission anymore. That''s over and done. My only concern is that Soterian you''re allowing to join us. What if he''s a spy?"

    "I''m leaving you in charge of that," Serhan said.

    "What?" Runa blinked in surprise, unsure if she heard what she thought she''d heard.

    "You''re in charge of keeping an eye on him. You two worked so well in Soteria, so it only makes sense to keep you two together for the time being."

    "I refuse!" Runa shook her head.

    "Runa das Meer, as your guild master, I command you to keep an eye on Kyros until I deem he is no threat to our organization." Serhan exerted his authority over his subordinates. It wasn''t every day he''d pull such a tactic, but it was an exceptional circumstance that time around. He couldn''t allow Kyros to walk around unchecked in his town. Sending unfamiliar faces to follow the Soterian around would only keep the man on his guard.

    "Wait! There''s no need for any of this!" Sarra objected to the idea of treating Kyros as an enemy. "Wild Hunt is a family. We shouldn''t act distrustful towards family members! Mr. Kyros isn''t a spy!"

    "How can you say that with such certainty?" Cailey questioned the little girl.

    "Mr. Kyros is my friend! He helped us take down the Acolytes, despite the terrible things we did to him at first! He doesn''t deserve anyone''s suspicion!" Sarra exclaimed.

    "Be quiet," Runa set her hand on Sarra''s shoulder. That was all it took to get the girl to shut her mouth. "If it''s a direct order to keep an eye on him, then I''ll do it until you''re satisfied."

    "We." Serhan corrected. "Until we''re satisfied. You have your grievances about him joining us. You don''t have the authority to refuse him, but I appreciate your opinion as much as anyone else''s."

    "You two are the only ones that know him more than anyone else in the guild. We do not believe he''s a bad person. We''re just cautious." Cailey added to help ease the tension in the room.

    "I understand. Come along, Sarra," Runa guided her partner out of the room, leaving the Guild Master and Receptionist alone. Her plan failed. She thought Kyros would get kicked out of town once his allegiance with Soteria was revealed. But unbeknownst to her, the guild master preferred having the man around. Now there was no sanctuary left in Anemone. With Kyros around, the danger was soon to befall the settlement.

    She dreaded the thought of that very day.

 Exousia V2 Chapter 5 - Guild Registration!

    The first floor of the Wild Hunt Guild was in complete shambles. Over two dozen dogs ran amuck, knocking over tables, wasting food and drinks alike. They chased off guests, relieved themselves all over the place. Runa and Sarra, accompanied by the Guild Master Serhan and Cailey, the receptionist, came down from the top floor to witness the chaos.

    Cailey and Sarra found it amusing that a bunch of dogs managed to cause such an uproar in the building. Meanwhile, Runa and Serhan saw it as anything but entertaining. Several dogs made a mockery of the trained Hunters in the organization by chasing most of them off. Such nonsense couldn''t stand.

    Runa wondered why her Guild Master bothered having so many dogs if he couldn''t even control them in the first place.

    The guild members scrambled around the mess hall, trying to capture as many of the dogs as they could. Soon enough, all eyes turned to Runa. The one-eyed Huntress knew what everyone expected of her. She hated that she had to be the one to do it.

    Begrudgingly, Runa wandered over to the center of the mess hall and placed two fingers in her mouth. The sharp whistle from her caused all the dogs to stop and turn their heads toward her. With their undivided attention, she squatted down and called out to them with the hopes that they would approach her.

    She flashed the brightest smile she could muster, at least from her perspective. From the viewpoint of the dogs, however, they stared into the face of death. The Huntress exuded an ominous presence. One that frightened the dogs back upstairs.

    Laughter filled the entire building as the guild members pointed their fingers at Runa, enjoying the moment at the expense of their guildmate.

    Despite the woman''s occupation as a Huntress, she loved animals. Unfortunately, no animal that Runa has encountered had ever reciprocated those feelings. Because of her imposing demeanor, most animals fled at the sight of her.

    "I hate everyone," Runa complained, hiding her red face of embarrassment after the laughter died down.

    Serhan stepped forward and gathered everyone''s attention with a loud, clap of his hands. With all eyes on him, the Guild Master spoke, "Good afternoon, everyone! Forgive me for the sudden commotion! Someone decided to open my door without permission! I won''t name any names..."

    The Guild Master slowly turned his head toward Runa. His action wasn''t subtle at all, but Runa didn''t care.

    Cailey took a step forward and decided to take over the announcement, "Now then, everyone, we have someone here that would like to join us!" The receptionist pointed to Kyros, who''d remained quiet and kept to the back of the room. That tactic of his didn''t last long when the woman called him out. The Hunters found him within seconds. He stuck out like a sore thumb.

    Questionable gazes traded around the mess hall, as did skeptical murmurs. Sure, they watched Kyros'' sparring match against Cailey earlier. They acknowledged his strength and endurance. But, was he worthy enough to join them?

    "If no one has anything to say, we''ll go and get him registered." Cailey walked over to Kyros and grabbed him by the arm, effortlessly dragging him toward the basement. Serhan, Sarra, and Runa followed them.

    "Not much for warm welcomes, are they?" Kyros sarcastically asked.

    "What didya expect? For ''em to roll out the red carpet?" Runa responded with a sarcastic remark of her own.

    "No, I didn''t." Kyros shook his head.

    "Don''t worry about them, Mr. Kyros. They''ll warm up to you eventually," Sarra optimistically said, believing wholeheartedly in her words.

    "So, how this registry process go?" Kyros asked.

    Eventually, the group reached a white room down in the basement. A few chairs resided around a large crystal ball in the center. Sarra and Runa occupied some of the chairs while Cailey and Serhan stood by the crystal ball.

    "We''ll start by gauging your Praus," answered Serhan as he placed his hand on the crystal ball. It shined along with his body once his Praus activated. The energy from the Guild Master swirled inside of the crystal ball until it finally settled¡ªeventually flowing inside of the ball as if natural.

    "In this exercise, it doesn''t matter how many limiters you have unlocked. We would like to know how much control you have over your Praus," Cailey continued with the instruction.

    "You¡¯d be surprised what you can learn about a person when you see how they control their Praus. I¡¯m curious to see how you do it." The Guild Master chuckled.

    Kyros didn¡¯t seem to notice, but that was one of Serhan¡¯s subtle ways of information gathering. Some truth laid within those words of his. How one controlled their Praus was very important in life. The method didn¡¯t matter.

    It was all about control.

    "How much do you want me to pour into it?" Kyros asked.

    "However much you feel is necessary. Just make sure not to destroy the crystal ball. It costs a lot of Axia, you know." Serhan complained before he turned his head in Runa''s direction again. The man was the type of person that never forgot the past. He held grudges, that much was certain.

    Kyros stepped forward then placed his hand on the crystal ball. His body glowed a light-blue as his Praus poured into it. Like the Guild Master, it swirled around in the crystal ball.

    However, it never settled. It remained turbulent.

    Kyros gritted his teeth and placed his other hand on the crystal ball. More Praus poured into it, but the result remained the same.

    "Okay, that¡¯s enough," Serhan called off the exercise.

    Kyros reluctantly removed his hands from the crystal ball. "So, how did I do?"

    "Your Praus control needs some work. But overall, you did well. You kept your Praus contained in the crystal ball. Sure, it never settled like mine. But that doesn¡¯t matter." Serhan said. "You can¡¯t expect to master it on your first try."

    No one saw it physically, but everyone sensed the smug smile from behind the mask of the Guild Master. While arrogant as ever, no one questioned the validity of his statement. The exercise required refined Praus control, something that very few people naturally possessed.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    "You did better than Runa when she first arrived. She shattered the entire thing on her first try. Poor girl," Cailey shamelessly leaked the embarrassing information to Kyros.

    "Cailey!" Runa snapped at her.

    Kyros fought off the urge to laugh, knowing that doing so in front of Runa meant certain death.

    "What happens now that I''ve done the exercise?" Kyros inquired.

    "The crystal ball registered your Praus¡¯ wavelength and compared it to everyone else that touched it. It will compare you amongst them and rank you. But I''m the one that has the final say in your rank." Serhan revealed.

    "I understand. Thank you very much for letting me join your guild in the first place." Kyros nodded his head.

    "You¡¯re not officially in the guild yet. The crystal ball takes an entire day to rank you. You¡¯ll be a member tomorrow." Runa informed him.

    "Then I will come back tomorrow." Kyros seemed all too delighted by the news. He was one step closer to completing his goal.

    "Excellent! Can¡¯t wait! You¡¯ll receive your identification card and your guild mark tomorrow!" Serhan threw his arms up in the air. "For now, you¡¯re free to do as you please! Why not go on and explore the town for a little while?"

    "Yeah. I guess I¡¯ve got time to do that." Kyros accepted to master¡¯s suggestion.

    "Runa and Sarra will serve as your tour guides." Serhan roped them into something unnecessary once again. Runa opened her mouth to protest, but the man continued to speak, "I hope that you find the town as interesting as I do."

    "Believe me, I already do." Kyros looked over at Runa and Sarra, "Well, shall we take that tour around the town?"

    Runa lowered his gaze to the floor and heaved a sigh. No matter what she wanted, it would never come true. She wasn''t the one in control of the situation.

    Fighting against the wishes of the Guild Master was like trying to swim against the tides of the ocean in a raging storm. Ultimately, she accepted the flow of the events and nodded her head. Everyone in the room beside her seemed excited. Runa decided that she''d play along with their little game at that moment.

    However, she refused to let them manipulate her throughout the entirety of the game. Sooner or later, things would go her way.

    <hr>

    The dreadful tour went on for hours. First, Runa led Kyros through the Guild, getting him familiar with the building. Afterward, they walked through the town. They mostly visited several stores in the shopping district, clothing, food, weapons, and other miscellaneous places.

    The tour came to an end once the sun lowered and the street lights came on. Most of the townspeople went to their homes, and many guards patrolled the town. Some of the guards wore official uniforms presented to them by the Mayor of Anemone Town, while others were clearly from the Wild Hunt Guild.

    Anemone Town mainly promoted safety as one of its attraction points. That was the case for the most part. Not many monsters wandered into the town out of pure instinct, and Varvara rarely appeared as well.

    "Tour''s over," Runa stopped in the middle of the road and faced her followers, Kyros and Sarra. "We''ll be splittin'' up from here. Sarra and I are goin'' back to the Inn."

    As the woman turned on her heels in full preparation to leave, a hand reached out and grabbed her wrist. Runa looked over her shoulder and saw that the culprit was Sarra.

    "Runa, we should at least offer him a place to stay for the night before leaving." The little girl sternly suggested. Runa tried to shake her hand away, but the girl had her in a vice grip. She refused to let go until her partner relented.

    "Fine," Runa sighed and gave in to the wishes of his partner. She led the others to the Inn and left Kyros to acquire a separate room for himself. There was no way she''d allow him to stay in the same place as them.

    Unfortunately, the only room available was the one right next to theirs. How much shitty luck did Runa have?

    When the girls got themselves settled into their room, Sarra immediately fell asleep. She''d had a long day, so Runa was sure to let her get as much rest as she could. Quietly, Runa left the room and headed next door to speak with Kyros. There was much she had to say to the man.

    If they were to stay in the same town, work under the same organization, then she had to set some strict ground rules for him to follow.

    "Coming into my room this late at night, Runa?" Kyros let the woman into the room. While she made herself get comfortable on his bed, the young man removed his armor and set it against the nearest wall. "People are going to talk,"

    "Funny," Despite her comment, Runa''s face showed no outward expression of humor.

    "You know, it wouldn''t kill you to laugh every once in a while," Kyros suggested. The only times he''d seen the Huntress crack a smile or laugh was always at his expense. Did she even have a sense of humor?

    "Since when did you decide to join Wild Hunt? I doubt that it was a spur of the moment decision." Runa began with her session of questioning. She didn''t plan on leaving until she got all the answers she wanted.

    "It was a few weeks ago," Kyros answered.

    "Why? What does joinin'' Wild Hunt have anythin'' to do with your mission?"

    "Probably nothing," Kyros scratched the back of his neck. He received a familiar glare from the Huntress as a response, but he continued nonetheless, "But that doesn''t matter. I didn''t join with my mission at the forefront of my mind."

    "What was it then?" asked Runa, not finding any sense in Kyros'' reasonings. Regardless of his intentions, she didn''t want the man to make a mockery of her guild. Everything that he did while under the banner of Wild Hunt would affect the organization''s reputation.

    "I''m looking for someone," Kyros solemnly answered. His gaze moved to the window. "This is my best opportunity to search for them. The council hasn''t yet given me an accurate time frame of when to return to Soteria."

    "So, you''re gonna take advantage of that and search for that person?"

    Kyros confirmed the woman''s assumption with a nod of his head. "That''s right. By traveling around the continent, hunting down monsters, I may find that person. It''s a long shot, I know. But it''s better than nothing."

    Runa closed her eye and nodded her head in understanding. She didn''t want to question him any further on that subject. As far as she was concerned, he wasn''t there to spy on the guild. Well, that much she knew from the beginning.

    "Guess the least I can do is wish you good luck," Runa said.

    Kyros'' eyes widened, not expecting a nice thing to leave from the foul-mouthed Huntress. "Who are you? And what have you done with Runa?"

    "And you wonder why I¡¯m not that nice to you." Runa rolled her eye.

    "Perhaps it has something to do with this?" Kyros raised his hand and showed the Huntress his Exousia Brand.

    "Show off,"

    "I didn''t choose to become an Exousia."

    "I know. Neither did I." Runa averted her gaze from him, knowing that she''d have to get to the nitty-gritty topic of the conversation. "Listen, tomorrow mornin''; you''ll become an official member of the guild. So, through unfortunate circumstances, you''ll become a member of the family."

    "I think I remember some of the guild members mentioning something like that earlier," Kyros nodded his head. "Is there any particular reason for that?"

    It was an odd concept for him. An organization of Hunters referring to themselves as family members. If that''s how deep their level of camaraderie worked, then he wasn''t going to judge them.

    "Most members of the guild don''t have a family of their own. Either they got abandoned as children or orphaned due to unfortunate circumstances." Runa answered and locked eyes with Kyros, wanting to get her point across as sternly possible. "It isn''t always about blood connections. Sometimes, people wanna belong somewhere."

    "I understand," Kyros moved his hand to his chest, knowing all too well about someone''s desire to belong somewhere. He wasn''t welcome in his home nation. The Soterians made that fact clear to him. "I hope tomorrow you''ll start treating me well since we''ll be a family."

    "Don''t push your luck," Runa shook her head. "You''ll be a Wild Hunt member, but no one will trust you that easily."

    "I''m already used to that," Kyros nonchalantly mentioned, thinking back to his days back in the military academy. Even as a student or soldier, he always had to watch his back.

    "Also, make sure to keep Sarra and I out of your personal business. We have no interest in helping you with your mission." Runa stood up and headed for the door. "Remember, we''re trying to keep a low until we reach the final eight of the God Selection. You''re the First Exousia, so no doubt you''ll bring danger to this town and the guild."

    "I''m sorry," Kyros lowered his head. He hadn''t considered that possibility at all. His presence anywhere brought danger to anyone and everyone around him.

    "It''s far too late for that," Runa sighed, knowing that there was nothing else she could do. Plans were already in motion. There was no stopping them now. "Just leave us alone, and we won''t have any more problems, understand?"

    "I understand."

    "Good." With that parting words, Runa left the room, leaving Kyros to contemplate his next course of action.

 Exousia V2 Chapter 6 - Official Member!

    The special day finally arrived. Kyros awoke to the sound of loud knocks coming from his door. Upon answering, a familiar little girl barged into the room, jumping for joy in celebration for the glorious day, and entering shortly after Sarra was the little girl''s partner, Runa das Meer. The woman showed no excitement.

    From their conversation last night, Runa made her displeasure well-known to the military man. She didn''t trust him. She wouldn''t trust him. But if he kept the Guild and the others out of trouble, she''d stay out of his way. That was the agreement.

    The group returned to the Guild, stepping into an explosion of confetti and streamers, courtesy of the Wild Hunt members. The only ones to express genuine excitement and joy was the receptionist, Cailey, Sarra, and the Guild Master, Serhan.

    "Congratulations, Kyros!" Serhan continued to shower Kyros with streamers and confetti. The other members of the organization watched on in mild interest.

    The Guild Master and the receptionist flanked Kyros and provided him with his guild identification card. He took the card and smiled, now a proud, official member of Wild Hunt. Next to a photograph of him was his rank.

    F.

    The lowest rank the Guild provided. He expected to get placed around the C-level, but he wouldn''t complain. He''d stay and raise his position in no time.

    "Hey, Runa! Look! I''ve got a guild card!" Kyros enthusiastically waved the card around in his hand.

    "Wow, yeah, that''s great." Runa had long stopped caring about the celebration of the organization''s newest member. The woman instead focused on ordering a meal for her and Sarra from one of the waitresses.

    "You could at least pretend to be happy," Kyros slipped the card into his pocket.

    "Oh, never mind her," Cailey spoke all too calmly, brushing off Runa''s rude behavior as if it were natural. "Now that you''re a member of the guild, there are a few rules that you must abide."

    The Mono''s usual carefree and joyful tone suddenly vanished. A dreadful air of seriousness hung in the air. Kyros took immediate notice of the change in atmosphere.

    "I''m listening." He said.

    "Rule number one," Cailey raised her index to Kyros'' face. "The Blood Law. Members of the Wild Hunt Guild are family. Therefore, murdering members of the organization is prohibited."

    Kyros stared at Cailey in mild disbelief. He wasn''t bothered by the fact that the rule existed. It was the fact that it needed to get announced to him in the first place. Even when he first joined the military, it was an unspoken rule that no one should murder comrades. There was no need to mention it.

    Allies should fight together, not each other.

    But the Gardens of Eden was different. The people out there were far more savage and selfish, at least according to the Soterians.

    If the no killing allies rule needed mentioning, then someone without a doubt committed such a heinous deed. It should''ve been common sense not to harm, let alone kill allies. But someone, at some time in the past, didn''t understand the concept of comradery.

    "Know that if you try and murder anyone in the guild, you''ll be hunted down and brutally executed," Serhan warned. There were only two instances in Wild Hunt history where someone either murdered or attempted to kill fellow guild members. Serhan was unfortunate enough to witness both cases.

    "I understand." Kyros nodded, feeling the weighted words of his guild master press down on his entire body. "What else should I know?"If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    "That''s the most important rule," Serhan''s joyous tone and eccentric mannerisms returned in a heartbeat. He left Kyros with those parting words and headed back upstairs to his office. The Guild Master was a busy man, after all. He didn''t have the time to babysit every new member of the group personally.

    "Runa can explain everything else to you," Cailey waved Kyros goodbye and followed her boss up the stairs.

    "Damn it! Why do they keep droppin'' you on me?!" Runa slammed her fist on the table, severely damaging the surface. She had half a mind to climb the stairs and chew the devious bastards out. But it''d do her no good. Like it or not, she was stuck with Kyros.

    "We''re partners, aren''t we?" Kyros joined Runa and Sarra at the table, greeting the ladies with a warm smile. At that point, Runa figured that he was screwing with her. He knew that she didn''t like him, and he was trying to test her patience.

    "Sarra and I are partners," corrected Runa, wanting to make sure the man got that fact straight. Kyros was nothing more than an annoying tag along.

    "We can become partners now that you''re one of us," Sarra delightfully stated. Ever since she joined Wild Hunt, she''d always wanted to form a giant, unstoppable team of Hunters. With a team of three Exousia, they were well on their way to the summit of Huntsmen''s history. But Runa adamantly refused to allow others into their group.

    "He''s not joinin'' our team," Runa set her foot down on the subject of the matter.

    "C''mon, Runa! Mr. Kyros is a good guy!" The little girl''s desperate pleas fell on deaf ears. Runa wasn''t having any of it.

    "We''re not bringin'' a rookie into the team," Runa shook her head in refusal. It wasn''t the only reason, of course, but it was the most logical argument at that time.

    "He''ll get better! We''ll train him!"

    Kyros edged himself away from the conversation. His travels with the Huntress duo waned his desire to get in between the two. They often argued, especially whenever Kyros'' name was brought up. But in the end, Runa always won. Kyros sat back and waited for that moment.

    "Look, I''m the leader of this team! I get the say in who joins us or not!" Runa raised her voice and slammed her foot on the floor. The entire first floor fell silent. "This discussion is over."

    "Runa, you''re too harsh on--"

    "Stay out of our business!" The one-eyed Huntress snapped at Kyros, immediately reminding him of his place in the organization. Afterward, the woman settled down and stood from her seat. "I''m gonna look into buyin'' a house. I''ll come to collect you later."

    With those parting words, she felt the guild building. Eventually, everyone went back to minding their own business. Arguments in Wild Hunt were a regular occurrence. The Hunters were glad that it didn''t result in a brawl. It cost a lot of money to fix broken furniture and structures in the building.

    Kyros placed a hand of comfort on Sarra''s shoulder, knowing all too well how the little girl must''ve felt. He experienced such oppression in his home country ¡ª the citizens, public figures, and even from his allies.

    "Are you okay?" Kyros asked worriedly.

    "Mr. Kyros, let''s take on a quest," Sarra immediately suggested. Kyros smiled, noticing the fire in the Huntresses'' eyes. That whole exchange with Runa lit a fire in her. If Runa refused to acknowledge Sarra as an equal, then she''d show her.

    "What kind of quest do you have in mind?" Kyros wondered. Sarra got up and led the young man up to the third floor. The duo found themselves in front of the quest board.

    Posted on the board were several mission request forms for everyone to see.

    "Let''s show Runa what we can do," Sarra snatched the first mission form that caught her eye. "The highest missions we can do at the moment are D-Ranks, thanks to yours truly."

    "What are we hunting?" Kyros asked.

    "Wolves," Sarra showed the picture to the man. The request form detailed essential information such as the type of wolves, the items required to consider the quest completed, and the location of the beasts. "We collect their paws, ears, and pelts. The more we gather, the higher our reward payment."

    "Sounds good, when do you want to head out?"

    "Tonight," Sarra answered. "The sooner we do this, the better."

    Kyros offered no complaints, figuring the two of them could handle a pack of wolves without Runa. He remembered his conversation with the woman last night. He was initially concerned with how she''d react with him going out on a mission with her partner. But he wasn''t the one that initiated the task.

    The honor went to Sarra.

    Perhaps he wouldn''t get in too much trouble thanks to that crucial piece of information? Who was he kidding, he knew Runa would get pissed regardless. She always had a reason to get angry at one thing or another.

    Thankfully, Sarra''s happiness dispelled his initial fear of Runa''s rage. The little girl deserved some independence under her partner''s tyrannical rule. Partners should be equals, regardless of age, experience, and rank. Kyros planned to treat Sarra with respect while on their mission.

    The duo brought the request form to Cailey, and the receptionist approved it. Kyros and Sarra were officially a team for as long as the mission remained active. They collected the necessary supplies and headed out of town.

 Exousia V2 Chapter 7 - First Mission!

    House hunting was perhaps the most tedious thing Runa''s done in her entire life. When she first came to Anemone Town, purchasing a house was one of her dreams. She was hours away from accomplishing that dream after seven years, and yet it took so long. Numerous real estate agents took her several tours across many houses. While impressive, none of them quite screamed out as home to her.

    By the end of the day, Runa postponed her decision to purchase any of the houses. It was a difficult decision to make without Sarra around. It wasn''t just a house for her, after all. The place was where both of them would stay for a long time. It needed to be perfect.

    Runa returned to the Wild Hunt Guild and searched around for Sarra. When no sign of her partner appeared, she asked around for the little girl''s location. To her immediate dismay, she learned of Sarra''s decision to head out on a mission with Kyros.

    "What were YOU thinkin''?!" Runa kicked in the door to the Guild Master''s office, knowing that the duo of Serhan and Cailey would be there. She stormed into the room and grabbed the scruff of The Mono''s shirt, shaking her violently.

    "Calm down, Runa. Calm down," Cailey nonchalantly pleaded, showing no fear towards the enraged Huntress.

    "Calm down? Calm down?! How can you expect me to calm down when you send my partner out on missions with strangers?!" Runa hollered.

    "Mr. Kyros is a member of our family now, Runa," Serhan interjected, raising an index finger as he left his chair. "Therefore, he is no longer a stranger. Besides, Sarra was the one that brought the mission form to the lovely receptionist."

    "Thank you," Cailey giggled.

    "Stop flirtin''!" Runa released Cailey and confronted her Guild Master instead. "You''re the one that ordered me to keep an eye on him in case he''s a Soterian spy. And yet you send him out of town with my partner?! What sense does that make?!"

    "We couldn''t stop them from leaving without raising suspicions. We tried to contact you, but you never answered your Milo," Serhan said.

    "Where are they going?" Runa demanded. It was getting dark out. Sarra was in the dark with perhaps one of the most unreliable men in the world. That fact alone frightened the Huntress beyond belief. She had to find her partner before anything happened.

    "Lamium Village. They''re hunting wolves," answered Serhan as he handed the woman a copy of the mission form.

    "Goddess damn it!" Runa snatched the form out of the man''s hand and made a mad dash for the village. Thankfully for her powers, she''d reach the settlement within a day if she ran with all her might. And since her partner could''ve been in danger, that''s what she planned to do.

    <hr>

    Meanwhile, the duo of Kyros Aleister and Sarra Zosime traveled on the dirt path cutting through the vast plains of green. Their destination--Lamium Village. The Hunters dismounted from their carriage when they reached the location specified on their mission request form. It was perhaps the largest structure in the entire village, but it paled in comparison to the Guild building back at Anemone Town.

    "This is the place," Sarra announced while Kyros dealt with the horses.

    "Have you been here before?" Kyros asked.

    "A few times, yes." Sarra nodded, thinking back to the days Runa brought her here during her rookie days. The little girl found it ironic that now she was the teacher and Kyros, the student.

    Almost immediately, an older man accompanied by two young women stepped out from the building, carefully walking down the steps towards the Hunters.

    "Ah, Sarra, so you and Runa were the ones that accepted my request?" The elder smiled at the sight of the little girl.

    "It''s just Mr. Kyros and me today." Sarra indicated to Kyros with her finger.

    The elder and the two women looked at Kyros in utter confusion. It was unheard of for them, Sarra teaming up with other Hunters without Runa around somewhere. Not that Kyros didn''t look capable of getting the job done, but they all knew how protective Runa is of Sarra. Should anything happen to the little girl, the people feared what Runa would do to them out of retaliation.

    "Did something happen to Runa? Is she sick?" The elder wondered.

    "Would you mind telling us what the issue is concerning the wolves?" Sarra waved the mission form in her hands. She was in pure business mode, a sudden side of her that Kyros didn''t even know that she had. Perhaps he''d continue to see different sides of the girl now that Runa wasn''t around.

    The elder took the hint and gestured for the others to join him inside of the building. The group situated themselves in the living room, where the man proceeded to explain the situation to the Hunters.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    "As stated in the mission request form, the village has been having problems with wolves lately," The elder began while the young women prepared food and refreshments. "They''ve been traveling further from their hunting grounds, even sneaking into the village, preying on the people."

    "Any deaths?" Kyros asked.

    "Five," The elder reluctantly answered. "Three men, one woman, and a child."

    "Where do the wolves usually hunt?"

    "The forest. It''s not too far from here. You must have seen it during your travels."

    "We did," Sarra nodded. The forest was several miles away from the village. It certainly struck her as odd that the wolves would travel so far to hunt. That usually only meant one thing ¡ª a change in the ecosystem. Something fiercer than the wolves was driving them out from the forest, forcing them to hunt and prey on the innocent people of the village.

    If it were just the wolves, then Sarra wouldn''t have much of a problem dealing with the mission. But with the addition of something fiercer in the mix increasing the level of difficulty, perhaps requesting back up would be the best course of action. Unfortunately, that''s not the decision Sarra decided to make. She wanted to prove herself a capable Hunter without needing the assistance of Runa.

    "Mr. Kyros, let''s head to the forest and investigate," Sarra stood up from her seat and smiled.

    "You want to head out there now? It''s getting dark out," The elder warned the little girl.

    "Don''t worry; we can handle a couple of wolves." Sarra dismissed the warning.

    "It''s not the wolves he''s worried about," Kyros surmised when he noticed the elder''s brows furrowed. Several animals and other creatures roamed in the night, but the most dangerous of them all was the Varvara. Beings of pure destruction that only appeared when the sun went down. With those monsters out there, hunting the wolves proved difficult.

    "We can handle the Varvara too," Sarra boasted. Well, Kyros was the only one that could deal with them. Since the girl hadn''t unlocked her Praus, harming the Varvara was an impossible task for her. But that''s what partners so useful. They could cover for the weaknesses of their teammates.

    Kyros could handle the Varvara while Sarra dealt with the wolves. And once finished, they could deal with whatever chased off the wolves in the first place.

    "Well...if you''re sure..." Everyone noticed the hesitance in the elder''s voice. He was confident in their abilities, but that didn''t mean he wasn''t worried about their well-being. Nighttime was the worst time to hunt. Usually, a party traveled at night together to hunt. But since it was only the two of them, he couldn''t help but feel concerned.

    "We''ll be back before you know it," Sarra assured them before she walked out of the building with Kyros. The team returned to their carriage and headed out for the forest.

    They stopped just outside the area to gather necessary supplies. Once situated, they traversed into the forest.

    "Keep close to me at all times, Sarra," Kyros took the front with the lantern in his hand.

    "You don''t have to worry about me, Mr. Kyros. I can handle wolves," Sarra proclaimed as she walked behind Kyros with her dagger drawn. Her head was on a swivel. With each step they took, she couldn''t help but scan the area around her. There was no telling what could jump out of the woods and attack them.

    "We''re not here for wolves, and you know that," Kyros said sternly, having picked up on the situation long ago. If they wanted to deal with the wolves, then they could''ve waited by the village and guarded it during the day. But instead, Sarra wished to travel to the forest at night.

    "You picked up on that?" Sarra frowned.

    "Immediately," Kyros answered. But it wasn''t the time to scold her. Not in that forest. "We''ll investigate what''s causing them to move away from their hunting grounds, and then we''ll leave and report back to the guild."

    "But, if we take down whatever''s chasing them away, then we--"

    "Sarra, no!" Kyros sharply turned frowned at the girl. "I know what you''re trying to do, but this is too dangerous! We''re in the middle of a forest at night! It''s just you and me! If Runa were here, then I''d feel a bit safer being out here with you! But, I don''t have that luxury!"

    "I can look out for myself, Mr. Kyros!" Sarra snapped back as she brushed the man aside and continued forward. She didn''t very far since Kyros reached out and grabbed the back of her shirt. "Let me go!"

    "Where do you think you''re going? I told you to stay close to me."

    "I found something," Sarra pointed ahead to the number of dead wolves spread across the area. Most were mangled and ripped into pieces. Large chunks of their flesh were bitten into but left for the scavengers.

    "Shit..." Kyros carefully approached the carcasses of the wolves. He knelt and inspected their injuries. Meanwhile, Sarra wandered over to the nearest tree when large claw marks caught her eye. She ran her hand across the scarred tree.

    "It was sharpening its claws here," Sarra noted.

    "And decided to test them out on the wolves," Kyros figured. He left the wolves and approached Sarra. The light from his lantern illuminated a missing piece to their investigation. Feathers.

    Sarra picked up the feathers and inspected them. She recognized them from somewhere, but she couldn''t quite put her finger on it. Thankfully, the girl carried around an encyclopedia in her bag. She grabbed the book from searched through its contents.

    She grinned and planted her finger on the page for Kyros to see. It featured a depiction of a large, avian creature with horns and sharp talons.

    "It''s a Noctua," Sarra revealed. "C-Rank nocturnal avian monsters that hunt their prey at night and tear them apart with their beaks, and sharp claws, or impale them with their horns."

    "C-Rank? We signed up for a D-Rank mission, Sarra. We should turn back." Kyros decided to air on the side of caution.

    "Not yet," Sarra advised against leaving. "We should at least find it before we go. Once we find its nest, we can head back to the village and take care of it in the morning."

    "...Fine," Kyros and Sarra proceeded onward, following the trail of mangled bodies and feathers to lead them to their next destination. In the dead center of the forest resided more feathers and uprooted trees. The only one left standing was perhaps the largest of trees in the whole forest. In the center of the tree was a large hole.

    Out from said hole was the avian monster itself, the C-Rank monster, The Noctua. It''s sharp, golden-eyes pierced through the darkness. It''s wingspan alone was perhaps the cause for the uprooted trees.

    "Kyros, turn off the light!" Sarra pleaded. Kyros turned off the lantern, but it was already too late. The Noctua spotted them almost immediately since they stood out in the open space created by the monster.

    It spread its wings and screeched. The ear-piercing sound forced the duo on their knees, leaving them helpless as the monster swooped down from the tree, seeking to tear them apart like it did the wolves.

 Exousia V2 Chapter 8 - Successful Extermination!

    "Get down!" Kyros shoved Sarra out of the way from the descending Noctua. In protecting her, he exposed his back to the creature, a fatal mistake most novice Hunters make. The Avian beast swooped down and plucked Kyros from the ground, taking off into the air.

    "Mr. Kyros!" Sarra cried out with an outstretched hand toward her partner. They were far too high for her little arms to reach. The situation was bad. Two minutes hadn''t even passed, and the duo was already in grave danger.

    "I''m fine! Stay somewhere safe!" Kyros shouted as loud as he could, hoping his voice would reach the little girl. The last thing he wanted was to involve her in the battle. He came prepared to fight against wolves, not giant avians.

    With each second, the Noctua carried them higher and higher into the night sky. Did it plan on dropping him? Even with his Praus activated, it wouldn''t save him from several thousand-feet drops.

    With a clench of his fists, Kyros'' gauntlets activated and enveloped his arms. Now he was combat-ready. His first resort to freedom was by using the Ignis Vitalis. He extended his arm out and launched a torrent of flames from the palm of his hands.

    The Noctua screeched and released Kyros from its grasp, sending the man plummeting to the ground. The next phase in Kyros'' plan--landing strategy. He kicked off several trees, using them as stepping stones until he reached the safety of the ground.

    Kyros glanced up and noticed that the Noctua was no longer caught ablaze. Burning the avian beast to death wouldn''t be an easy task to do. Thankfully, the cover of the trees obscured him from the eyes of the Noctua.

    But that moment of serenity vanished once the avian swooped down and tore through the trees with its talons. Kyros dodge rolled out of the way and watched in complete horror on how the monster cleared a vast area of the forest.

    "If this keeps up, there won''t be much of a forest left," Kyros noted and flung more pillars of flames in the shape of fists toward the creature. Each attack landed, but the Noctua refused to go down. It whipped around and flapped its wings, summoning up a gust of wind that blew Kyros back.

    The young man lost his footing and skidded across the ground, coming to an immediate stop once he crashed into one of the uprooted trees. Next thing he knew when he opened his eyes, the Noctua swooped down at him once again with its talons ready to tear him to shreds. He rolled out of the way once again, narrowly avoiding the devastating attack.

    Its talons tore through the tree as if it were made of paper. One hit from those, and he''d be dead. He couldn''t die there. Not with his life and Sarra''s hanging in the balance.

    He lunged across the battlefield and landed several flaming strikes against its torso. The Noctua screeched once more, but another flap of its wings launched Kyros back again. The hunter landed safely that time around, preparing for his counter attack.

    "Mr. Kyros!" Sarra rushed back into the action with her dagger drawn. She jumped from one of the trees and stabbed the blade into the beast''s back.

    The Noctua writhed in pain from the unexpected attack. Sarra held onto the beast as long as she could but eventually got thrown off once it took flight.

    "Sarra!" Kyros leaped into the air and caught the little girl, safely landing and setting her down back on the ground. "What did I say?! Stay somewhere safe!"

    "I''m not leaving you behind to face it alone! I got us into this, and I''m gonna help get us out!" Sarra declared. She was through with sitting back and doing nothing while others risked their lives. She was a Huntress, after all. She''d fight with her comrades through thick and thin.

    Kyros didn''t have the time to argue with the little girl. He appreciated the assistance, but it wasn''t the time for it. The monster was too dangerous for someone of her level.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    The Noctua quickly recovered from the knife in the back and glared daggers at its prey. It flapped its wings and threw a volley of its feathers at them.

    Kyros covered Sarra and endured through the pain of the sharp feathers cutting away at his body. His Praus took severe damage. Each hit he took caused it to shimmer viciously across his body. Thankfully, it sustained to the end of the onslaught.

    But there wasn''t much of it left. One more hit like that and he''d become utterly defenseless.

    "Are you okay?" Kyros asked Sarra. Despite the damage he took from the Noctua, her safety was far more critical.

    "Don''t worry about me! What about you?!" Sarra inspected the shredded pieces of Kyros'' clothing. Thanks to his Praus, no blood was shed from his body. But that wouldn''t last long if they didn''t finish the fight.

    The Noctua swooped down, leading with its beak for a ferocious charge attack. Kyros shoved the little girl out of the way and took the brute force of the attack head-on. It was a gamble, but he''d risk it all to take down the monster and save their lives.

    Kyros forced the mouth of the Noctua open, and unleashed a pillar of flames into its body, roasting it from the inside out. Afterward, they crashed through more trees, stopping a couple of yards away from Sarra.

    "Mr. Kyros!" The little girl rushed on the scene and searched for her partner. She found him lying directly across from the corpse of the beast with a pale blue light shimmering around his body once more before dissipating. His Praus--the essential defense to life-threatening damage shattered.

    "I''m alright...a little tired...but I''m alright," Kyros assured the worried girl. With the fight now over, perhaps that meant the completion of the mission. With the Noctua slain, the wolves would return to using the forest as their hunting grounds.

    Sarra heaved a heavy sigh of relief. She wouldn''t have known what to do with herself if her partner wound up dead on their first mission. It was a small step in the right direction, but she believed that Runa would see her in a different light upon their return to the guild.

    "Thank goddess," The Huntress retrieved her dagger from the charred carcass of the Noctua. "You go ahead and rest. I''ll carve up the monster and bring some of the materials back to the village as proof of our battle."

    "Thanks," Kyros smiled and heeded the girl''s advice. Unfortunately, it didn''t take long for their moment of peace to shatter. Out from the woodwork came packs of wolves. "You''ve got to be kidding me," He groaned and returned to his feet.

    "I''ve got your back, Mr. Kyros!" Sarra stood back to back with her partner. That time she planned to take charge of the team. With Kyros exhausted and no Praus to defend himself, he couldn''t afford to receive any further damage.

    The wolves snarled and surrounded the pair, seeing them as fresh meat for their returning hunt in the forest.

    Despite the clear disadvantage in numbers, Kyros and Sarra refused to go down without a fight. They proved that once they struck down the first three wolves that lunged at them. Kyros grabbed the first two and slammed them to the ground while Sarra provided cover and stabbed the third wolf with her dagger.

    The third wolf snapped at Sarra with its teeth, but the girl evaded and plunged her dagger into its throat. Once she removed it from the wolf''s carcass, she prepared herself for the next incoming enemies.

    "Keep close," Kyros warned her after he strangled the wolves in his hands.

    "I know," Sarra acknowledged the warning.

    More wolves rushed the pair.

    Kyros held his arms out in front of him, allowing two of the wolves to sink their teeth into his gauntlets. With their necks on full display, Sarra rushed by and slit their throats without hesitation. And with his arms freed, Kyros planted several punches to the jaws of the lunging canines.

    A single wolf managed to circle behind them, staring at their backs with clear murderous intent. When it spotted an opportunity, it lunged with its teeth bared.

    "Duck!" Kyros ordered as he spun around. Sarra immediately obeyed and dropped to the ground, avoiding a sharp kick that threw the attacking wolf against a tree.

    When Kyros showed his back, more wolves approached to attack. But Sarra slew them within seconds.

    "I''ve got your back!" Sarra smiled.

    "Thanks, but we can''t keep this up forever." Kyros took a mental count of the wolves in the area. It seemed as if more and more of them came out of the woodwork. How long had they been hiding?

    "What should we do?" Sarra asked.

    "We--" A sudden pain ached in Kyros'' chest. It started as small but quickly spread throughout his entire body; the intensity of the pain forced the man to his knees.

    "Mr. Kyros?!" Sarra fought against her instincts to look back and check on her partner''s wellbeing. Looking away from an enemy in mid-combat could cost people their lives.

    The wolves took immediate notice of Kyros'' condition. They slowly approached from all directions. Confident they''d get the kill, they all lunged toward them, only to find themselves decapitated within seconds. Kyros and Sarra dropped their guards once they found the source of the sudden slaughter.

    "Hey, guys," Their comrade and fellow Huntress, Runa das Meer, glared at them furiously as the blood of the slain wolves dripped slowly from the blade of her weapon. "Remember me?"

 Exousia V2 Chapter 9 - Helpful Advice!

    The ride back to Lamium Village was far from comfortable or rewarding. After getting rescued by Runa das Meer--Kyros Aleister and Sarra Zosime sat in the back of their wagon while the blue-haired Huntress took control of the reigns. Absolute silence hung in the air, as demanded of her.

    Runa admonished the duo on their actions and made sure they thought back on their choices. She was at least satisfied that Sarra survived the whole ordeal, but it didn''t get rid of the fact that she could''ve died. If that happened, she might''ve killed Kyros in retaliation.

    "Thanks for having our backs out there, Runa," Kyros spoke up to end the awkward silence around them. They were comrades. The silence between them was unnecessary, in his opinion.

    "We didn''t need your help," Sarra spat, gaining a glance of concern from Kyros and an expression of annoyance from Runa. "Mr. Kyros and I had it handled."

    "Didn''t look that way when I showed up," Runa countered, immediately recalling the scene of them surrounded by wolves with Kyros down on his knees. "You two could''ve gotten yourselves killed."

    "But we survived," stated Kyros as he struggled to raise his hand into the air. He didn''t know what happened to him back there. Despite his exhaustion during the fight, he still had enough strength to defend himself from a bunch of wolves. But then the next moment, the terrible pain in his chest brought him to his knees.

    The pain reminded him of the time when he first met Runa and Sarra at Soteria.

    "Thanks to me," Runa reminded.

    "I know, that''s why I thanked you," Kyros stated.

    "I don''t understand how you could let a little girl convince you to bring her to such a dangerous place at night! It''s idiotic! You could''ve gotten Sarra killed!" The blue-haired woman went off on another tangent. She was in her right to chew him out on his actions. Kyros and Sarra could''ve lost their lives out there on the mission. "You useless piece of--"

    They encountered a monster above their rank but thankfully took it down. Plain and simple, the duo got lucky. Nine times out of ten other hunters would''ve met their end if they were in their situation.

    "Stop blaming everything on Mr. Kyros!" Sarra demanded, standing to her feet on the wagon. "I''m the one that sent us out on this mission, and I''m the one that suggested heading out into the forest to find the Noctua! I''m the one to blame! Not him!"

    "Oh, you''ll be sure to get an earful from me when we get back to the guild," Runa assured her partner of her future punishment. It was the woman''s mission to keep an eye on Kyros for the time being. She couldn''t accomplish her task if he and Sarra went out on separate missions without telling her in the first place.

    "Go easy on her, Runa," Kyros pleaded. He understood the wrong decisions he made throughout his first mission. He allowed Sarra to take charge of everything, which nearly resulted in them losing their lives. He should''ve pointed out the flaws in Sarra''s decisions and discussed other potential courses of action.

    "Oh, believe me, I''m goin'' easy on her," Runa assured them and kept silent for the rest of the ride back to the village. The group spoke with the request sender and informed them of their success. As compensation, they received money and a place to stay for the night, which they happily accepted.

    Kyros split off from the rest of the women, at Runa''s command, and got a room for himself.

    The next morning, Sarra awoke and got herself prepped for the trip back to Anemone Town. She wasn''t looking forward to the journey there thanks to none other than her partner, Runa. The little girl scowled at the sight of the older woman sleeping away without a care in the world.

    It wasn''t fair.

    Runa had no business sticking her nose in their business. Their mission was going well until she arrived. Sure, there were some hiccups here and there, but they survived nonetheless. What was the point of accepting and completing missions without Runa, if the specified Huntress would show up anyway?

    Sarra was too angry to stay in the room with the woman any longer. She left the room and headed downstairs to get some breakfast. It was oddly packed during that time of day. But she thankfully found a table and ordered some food from one of the waitresses.

    Her time of leisure was almost immediately interrupted when a group of men entered the inn and made themselves comfortable at her table. They chatted up a storm, completely ignoring Sarra''s presence.

    "Excuse me," Sarra politely called out to them. "This is my table."

    Again, they refused to acknowledge the little girl.

    "Hey!" Sarra raised her voice and slammed her hands on the table. All eyes locked onto the little girl. "This is my table!"

    "Huh?" The largest man out of the group sneered at Sarra. "Did you say something, shrimp?"

    "Yes! It''s my table! Go find one for yourselves!" demanded Sarra, not in the mood for the childish antics of the group men before her.

    "Other seats are taken," Another one of the sleazy men noted, waving his hand out to display the current state of the inn. "Your table''s the only spot left for us to sit. Don''t be stingy."

    "Try and ignore us. It''ll be like we''re not even here," The third man said.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Sarra gritted her teeth and settled down. As long as the men didn''t cause a ruckus, she''d allow them to stay at the table. That decision proved to be a mistake, as minutes later, the men turned rowdy.

    They got loud and disturbed the other patrons within the inn. And it only got worse once the waitress brought over Sarra''s food. The men surrounded the poor woman and harassed her.

    "That''s enough! Leave that woman alone!"Sarra demanded.

    "Keep quiet, girly. You''re bothering us. Go back to your slop," The large man ordered, dismissing the girl''s shout with a careless wave of his hand.

    Sarra put her utensils down and left her seat, approaching the men with her hand on the handle of her dagger behind her back. It was the most comfortable situation, but she felt she had to do something to put a stop to the men''s unnecessary antics.

    One of the men spotted the dagger and smacked Sarra across the face, joining the others in laughter once the girl hit the floor.

    "Bastards!" Sarra spat her blood onto one of their shoes and unsheathed her knife. They were nothing but no good thugs to her. She''d teach them a lesson and take them down.

    "You wanna go, little girl? Don''t regret this," One of the men warned her as he reached for his sword. However, a hand suddenly reached out and prevented him from grasping the weapon''s handle. The man grimaced and turned his head to face the stranger.

    It was a woman whose face was obscured by a maroon-colored hood and a cloth wrapped around the lower half of her face.

    "Leave. Now." She demanded with a low and cold voice. Chills ran down the spines of everyone within the first floor of the inn.

    "Who the hell are you? Let go of my men!" The large man ordered, using his towering size to try and intimidate the woman. But she wasn''t fazed in the slightest.

    "As you command," The woman spun around and tossed the screaming man out of the window.

    "You bitch!" The large man brought a massive fist down on the woman. Or so he thought.

    With one hand, the woman redirected the man''s fist through the nearest table, which left him wide open for a counter-attack. The woman struck the defenseless man in the solar plexus, leaving him incapacitated once she retracted her fist from his stomach. The large man''s eyes rolled up to the back of his head as he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

    "You want some too or what?" The woman taunted the last man of the group left standing. The man shrieked in terror and ran out of the inn.

    Applause and cheers of celebration filled the establishment from the patrons. The woman waved off the shows of gratitude and removed the large, unmoving body of the man she knocked out. She tossed the deadweight out onto the street and wiped her hands off the situation.

    "That takes care of that," She smiled at her work and approached Sarra. "You alright, little girl?"

    "I''m fine," Sarra frowned and sheathed her dagger. "Thanks for the help, I guess. I could''ve taken them."

    "I doubt that," The woman removed her hood, allowing her dark hair to drop down to her back. "You''d be the one lying out there on the road if I didn''t step in. Either that or dead."

    "Don''t underestimate me! I killed a Noctua yesterday!" Sarra declared.

    "You''re the one that did that?" The woman took a seat at the now less crowded table.

    "Well, I had some help. But, yes." Sarra joined the woman at the table.

    "A runt like you managed to take down a large monster like that without any injuries?" The woman did a quick look over of Sarra, not spotting any noticeable wounds on the girl''s body. "That''s impressive. Maybe you''re not all talk, after all."

    "I''m not," Sarra assured her, trying to sound as harsh as possible.

    The woman quickly reached across the table and pressed her index finger against Sarra''s forehead. "Don''t let it get to your head, kid. You survived thanks to those that helped you out. But alone, you''re practically powerless. I could kill you right now if I wanted."

    Beads of sweat poured down Sarra''s face. Despite the cheerful smile plastered on the woman''s face, it was evident that she meant what she said. Sarra felt the bloodlust seeping from the woman''s body.

    "Of course, you''re not going to," Sarra forced a response once she regained her composure.

    "Oh?" The woman arched an eyebrow out of curiosity, deciding to humor the little girl a bit more. "What makes you so confident?"

    "The gun that I have under the table aimed at her gut," answered Sarra, a wide grin etched on her face as she resumed with her threat, "if you tried anything, I''d empty the entire clip into you."

    "Scary," The woman noted and removed her finger from the little girl''s forehead. "I know you don''t have a gun, by the way. But your attempt to bluff your way out was impressive. You''re an interesting little girl."

    "Thanks," Sarra wiped away her sweat with the sleeve of her shirt. "I''m Sarra Zosime."

    "Lia," The woman revealed with a smile.

    "What brings you here?"

    "Traveling," Lia answered. "I finished with a mission of mine, so I''m heading back home for a while."

    "Mission? You''re in a guild?" Sarra leaned across the table and smiled.

    "Yup," Lia nodded, immediately noticing the interest in the little girl''s eyes. "What guild are you part of?"

    Sarra showed the back of her hand to the woman, leaving her guild mark on full display.

    "Wild Hunt..." Lia muttered.

    "Impressive, right? I''m a D-Rank. But after killing that Noctua, my rank may rise." Sarra flaunted.

    Lia sat back and listened to the little girl rant about her time in the Wild Hunt Guild with a smile on her face. When the mention of her partner came up, the tone of the conversation changed drastically. Suddenly, she had nothing but complaints and spite towards the woman.

    "Your partner sounds troublesome," Lia commented and then took a sip from a drink.

    "I know! She had no business being here, but she shows up anyway and has the nerve to scold me!" Sarra angrily tore away at the food on her plate. "How can I show her that I''m a capable Huntress if she doesn''t give me the chance to prove myself?"

    "From an outside perspective, you''re both pretty stubborn. Your partner for always coddling you, and then yourself for putting your new friend in unnecessary danger." Lia pointed out. "If you want others to treat you like an adult, then you need to act like one. Going off and pulling childish stunts like that won''t get you anywhere."

    "Then, what should I do?" Sarra wondered. No matter how much she pondered on her scenario, she couldn''t come up with a good idea to prove herself to Runa and the others.

    "You''re having trouble deciding because of your close relationship with your partner and friends," Lia immediately surmised. "From everything you told me, Wild Hunt acts more like a family than a legitimate organization. If you want to prove yourself a capable Huntress, I''d suggest cutting your ties with them and going off on your own. Join a new guild and build yourself up again. See how different things are on the other side."

    "Leave Wild Hunt? How can I do that? They''re my family..." Sarra stared down to the guild mark on the back of her hand. How could she possibly leave behind everything that she had left in the world?

    "That''s the problem. They''ll continue to treat you like their daughter, a child, for several more years when instead, you could hone your skills and prove yourself elsewhere. You don''t have to leave forever," Lia shrugged her shoulders and then finished off the rest of her drink. "But it''s your choice. I''m just offering advice,"

    "There''s some truth to what you''re saying, but--"

    "Sarra?"

    The little girl turned her head and spotted her companions, Kyros and Runa approaching the table.

    "We were looking for you. Have you been here the whole time?" asked Kyros.

    "What''s with that bruise? What happened?" Runa pushed Kyros aside and brought her hand to Sarra''s cheek.

    "I''m fine, guys. I was talking to my new friend--" Sarra paused once she looked ahead and found that Lia had suddenly vanished.

 Exousia V2 Chapter 10 - Disbandment!

    "Keep your guard up!" The demanding voice came from Kyros Aleister as he swung his fist out toward his sparring partner, Sarra Zosime. The little girl kept her hands up and ducked under the punch, following up with a stab using her dagger. A quick defense with his gauntlet rendered that attack useless.

    It was now a daily routine for the duo, training together in the courtyard of the Wild Hunt Guild. Since their near-death experience in the forest, they grew determined to get stronger. They wouldn''t accept any other missions until they felt confident with their strength. Sarra made it a personal mission to unlock her Praus within the next few days. Kyros opted to help her, as it was a sure-fire way to help her in the long run.

    While they trained, Runa kept her watchful eye on them through the window from the Guild Master''s office. The woman stayed true to her words and spied on Kyros every opportunity she had. In doing so, the relationship between the group deteriorated. Runa and Sarra hardly hung out anymore except when they were at home, they rarely spoke to one another. Goddess knows Runa tried, but Sarra refused to acknowledge the woman''s presence most of the time.

    "Feeling sad?" An inane voice reached Runa''s ears, earning a sigh from the woman as a response. It belonged to the receptionist of the Wild Hunt Guild, Cailey. "Must be lonely, having your partner find comfort in someone else in the guild."

    It was a pure act of mockery. Cailey and the Guild Master, Serhan, actively teased Runa on their perceived view of her loneliness.

    How many years had it been since she''d been alone in the guild? She didn''t want to count. The sight of her partner training with Kyros brought a wry smile to her face.

    A profound sense of happiness spread throughout Runa''s body as she mentally pictured teaming up with Sarra in actual combat. The two of them standing side by side, protecting one another from the dangers of the world. That would be the case, the longer the God selection continued.

    "I''m not lonely," Runa refuted.

    "Your Praus shifted," Cailey giggled, causing Runa to flip her off in response.

    "Snitch," Runa growled. She despised the uncanny ability the Mono race possessed. Somehow, the one-eyed race had the power to see shifts in the Praus of others, helping them discern whenever people lied. No one could get far with their lies whenever Cailey was around. "How much longer do I have to watch him anyway?" She indicated to Kyros.

    "A little bit longer. We''re cautious, Runa. You understand," Serhan assured his subordinate, having understood the woman''s irritation. But he preferred being safe than sorry. So far, Kyros showed himself an ally to the organization. But how would things go if the guild fell into danger? What decisions would he make in that situation?

    "I do," Runa looked away from the window and headed for the exit. "I''m going to take a break. I''ll make a report later."

    "Understood," Serhan nodded.

    "Gotcha," Cailey waved the woman goodbye before she left the room.

    <hr>

    "I think that concludes the training for today," Kyros wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead while Sarra laid flat on her back, panting heavily while drenched in sweat. It was evident which one of the two spent more energy during the sparring lesson. Kyros took a seat next to the little girl. "How are you feeling?"

    "Terrible," Sarra panted. "I''m not sure if I''m getting any stronger, Mr. Kyros."

    "It''s only been a few days, Sarra. You won''t notice progress immediately," Kyros informed her.

    "Why can''t we go back into Praus training? I still haven''t opened any limiters yet!" Sarra complained, not seeing the point of her physical training. She could make herself stronger and faster, but she''d be useless against the Varvara, the enemies of humanity. Without access to her Praus, a single injury could result in her death.

    "We need to make sure your body is in a fit condition beforehand," Kyros stated. "When you open a limiter, your body acquires access to suppressed power. If your body can''t contain it, then that power will seep from your body and possibly kill you."

    Sarra grimaced at the thought of her Praus leaking from her body. She''d witnessed Runa outwardly project her Praus in the past, but the Huntress had precise control of it. If Sarra tried it, she imagined she''d drop dead within seconds.

    Kyros noted the little girl''s expression and placed a hand of comfort on her shoulder. It wasn''t his intention to scare the child, but rather educate. She had to learn the dangers of her training, or else what was the point with the lessons?

    "Don''t worry. You will unlock your Praus, Sarra." Kyros assured her.

    Sarra looked up at her fellow Hunter and smiled. "I wish Runa acted more like you, Mr. Kyros. You care about helping me get stronger, instead of coddling me like a child."

    Kyros nervously laughed at the mention of the Huntress. He didn''t enjoy others comparing the two together. Those two were complete opposites.

    "I''m sure that Runa cares, Sarra. She wouldn''t have come to our rescue if she didn''t," Kyros noted. He found it admirable that the woman went to such great lengths to protect her allies. He respected Runa on her bravery and strength.

    Of course, she wasn''t without her faults. But who wasn''t? Perfect beings didn''t exist.

    "She only came to control me, like she always does," Sarra continued to complain. It wasn''t fair. Her partner had no business interfering in their previous mission. They were doing fine without her around. "I don''t know how much longer I can stand even being around her. I''m sick of this."

    "Then tell her that," Kyros suddenly said. "Your relationship with Runa won''t change if you don''t try and talk to her. No matter what she does or what she says, don''t let her shut you out. Regardless of your age, you''re still your own person, Sarra."

    Those comforting words enlightened the little girl. Only a handful of people every encouraged Sarra to be her own person and not follow the expectations of others. No longer would she ride on Runa''s coattails. From that moment onward, she''d do things her way.

    "You''re right," Sarra stood up, having affirmed her convictions to set things straight with her partner. She''d air out her grievances and move on with her life, with or without Runa. "I''m gonna go talk to her."

    "That''s good, I''ll come with you," Kyros got up as well, more than prepared to follow the little girl anywhere.

    "No, I need to do this alone. Runa won''t take me seriously if you''re with me."

    "I understand,"

    "Wish me luck," Sarra summoned her courage and headed out in search of her partner.

    <hr>

    About a mile out from Anemone Town resided the Anemone Graveyard. Runa solemnly walked through the cemetery, suppressing the wave of emotions that surged throughout her body with each begrudging step. Most of the adequately marked graves belonged to the fine townspeople of Anemone, however, in the far back of the cemetery, laid the graves of previous Wild Hunt members.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    The blue-haired Huntress stopped in front of her destination, a little mound in the graveyard with nine various weapons lodged into the ground. It was a custom for people in the Gardens of Eden. If a body weren''t recovered, then a personal item of the deceased would suffice to mark a grave. Despite the weapons remaining untouched by others, it didn''t stop nature from taking its course. Rust and vines covered the precious items.

    Each time Runa visited the gravesite, she''d clean them off, only to continuously repeat the process. An endless cycle.

    One that she never imagined doing. Runa cared for them. The weapons and their previous owners. To the perspective of others, it''d be more customary to find the weapons, new users. However, she believed that it would disgrace the deceased, and therefore refused to do so.

    The weapons belonged to them, her precious little daughters.

    "Hey, girls. I''m back," Runa cooed softly. She stood around for a moment in complete silence, merely listening. The subtle breeze of the fresh wind, the grass that flowed in whichever direction the wind demanded. It was them ¡ª her daughters. The woman in mourning took that as a sign of their response. "It''s been what, almost five months since the last time I visited? I''m sorry, I''ve been busy with work."

    Runa took a seat and discussed the events of her mission in Soteria. It was one hell of a ride, but she was happy she made it out alive and well for the most part.

    She closed her eye and allowed the sweet, comforting memories of her daughters inundate her mind. Those memories turned bittersweet and downright painful once reality closed in on her. The joyous laughter, beaming smiles, and dreams of her daughters were gone.

    All gone.

    She''d never see them again. Their ambitions, hopes, and dreams left unfulfilled because of Runa and the harsh world of Salome. None of it had to happen. Out of all the people that had to die on that day, why did it have to be them? Why not her?

    Her daughters were so young and innocent. They''d done nothing wrong, and yet the world brought the unforgiving hammer of reality down on them without mercy.

    "I went to Soteria for the first time. It was quite an experience," Runa sheepishly commented. "As I thought, it''s better out here than any country in the world. No walls or rules to restrict our freedom of choice. It''s paradise."

    Another moment of silence passed as Runa struggled to ignore the hypocrisy of her words. Paradise didn''t exist without her daughters.

    When a cold, wet sensation trickled on her face, the Huntress looked up at the sky, expecting rain. No clouds in sight. The woman brought an unsteady hand to her face and touched her cheek, feeling the tears that streamed down her face.

    All the emotions she''d kept bottled inside, swelled, and exploded in the form of tears without her knowledge. She felt pathetic. No matter how much she wished, the tears wouldn''t stop running.

    How many years had it been since a single tear reached her eye? What good did it do her? Crying solved nothing.

    And yet, the tears wouldn''t stop. Runa clenched her hands into fists, internally demanding control of her body. But they continued to flow without disruption.

    Runa''s weeping session ended once the sound of footsteps reached her ears. She gathered her composure and looked over her shoulder, learning that it was her partner, Sarra.

    "What are you doing here?" Runa averted her gaze from the little girl.

    "I wanted to talk to you," Sarra answered.

    "Another time," Runa shook her head, clearly not in the mood for conversation. "I''m busy."

    Instinctively, Sarra turned to leave as demanded. But she fought against it once she remembered the purpose of the travel to the graveyard. She''d never visited the place before, as she knew none of the deceased buried in the ground beneath her.

    "It doesn''t look like you''re busy to me," Sarra pointed out. "You''re sitting there, staring at those weapons!"

    Runa found the girl''s indignant tone tiresome but decided to ignore it out of the girl''s ignorance. She knew nothing of the weapons lodged into the ground before her. If she did know, then she''d take a more respectful tone towards the fallen.

    "Watch your tone," demanded Runa, merely seconds away from verbally lashing out at Sarra. The weapons and their previous owners were a sensitive topic. "Go back to town, and we''ll talk there."

    "No! We''re going to talk right here and now!" Sarra refused to back down. She''d had enough of Runa ordering her around. She was going to stand her ground and make her voice heard once and for all. "I''m sick and tired of you bossing me around just because you''re older than me! We''re supposed to be a team, Runa! You need to treat me like a partner, not a subordinate! We should be equals!"

    Runa didn''t pay any mind to the little girl''s complaints. She disregarded them as nothing but the ravings of an ignorant child. How could she consider them as equals? The differences between them were as clear as night and day.

    Runa was superior to Sarra in every way--she was stronger, faster, smarter than the little girl. Those qualifications secured her spot as the leader of the team. Hell, she used that term loosely.

    Sarra''s only priority was to use her powers to sense for other Exousia. Runa took care of everything else.

    "Equals? You want to see us as equals?" Runa fought against the urge to laugh in the face of Sarra. The little girl showed bravery confronting her in her time of weakness, so she''d respond in kind. "Start by unlocking your Praus. You''re still having a problem with that, aren''t you?"

    "What I''m having a problem with is your attitude towards Mr. Kyros and me!"

    "My attitude?" "Yes! You constantly undermine and talk down to us as if we can''t take care of ourselves! Case and point when you interfered with our last mission!" Sarra pointed out.

    "That''s because you can''t take care of yourself. Case and point, you two nearly got yourselves killed by those wolves. Had I not arrived in time, I would''ve found your corpses." Runa assumed.

    "You don''t know that! Stop treating me like a kid!"

    "I treat you like a kid because that''s exactly what you are! You''re an eleven-year-old girl that can''t use her Praus, accepting missions above your level of skill! That recklessness will get you killed!" Runa refused to sugarcoat things for Sarra any longer. She laid the harsh reality of her choices on thick so that the little girl would understand. Hopefully, she''d take the hint and back off. "If you want to reach the end of this God selection, then you should listen to me so that you can live."

    The once subtle of the wind grew harsh as the two Huntresses stared each other down in complete silence. None of them dared to blink, as they''d see it as a sign of weakness.

    "Are you sure about that, leader?" Sarra suddenly asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence with a sheer playful condescending tone. She pointed to the gravesite behind her partner. "Those weapons behind you tell me a different story."

    Runa''s eye widened at the mention of the weapons. Not out of fear or surprise, but instead anger and frustration. Sarra wandered into dangerous territory. She ignorantly walked onto thin ice.

    "What did you say?" Runa asked.

    In an attempt to silence the girl, Runa allowed her Praus to leak out from her body. The blue light flared violently around her. While the display of frustration unnerved and intimidated Sarra, the girl fought through her fear with sheer willpower.

    "Those weapons behind you tell me a different story," Sarra found the courage to repeat herself. "Did those weapons belong to your previous party? You were the leader of that team, weren''t you? How''d that work out for them?"

    "Shut up..." Runa ordered softly. Her body shook as she tried to restrain her anger.

    "Did they follow ever command of yours, never questioning your decisions? How far did that get them in life? From the looks of things, not very far!" Sarra continued with her verbal onslaught. She refused to let up. A year and a half of anger and resentment came to the surface as she resumed to spill everything out, "You don''t know everything that will happen out here! Sure, you have more experience than me, but that doesn''t excuse your behavior towards me! If you keep me sheltered and treat me like a little girl, then that''s how I''ll die in this world! I''ll end up like your last team!"

    "I SAID SHUT UP!!!" Runa''s rage reached its peak. The woman spontaneously slapped Sarra across the face, unintentionally knocking the girl off her feet. Sarra''s head bounced against the hard ground. The Huntress immediately recognized her mistake and rushed to help her fallen partner.

    However, she froze when the little girl raised her head. Blood poured down the side of Sarra''s face as she struggled to her feet with a ragged breath. Worst of all, the grievous, piercing gaze turned the hardened woman''s blood cold.

    She''d never seen a gaze like that from Sarra. A look mixed with fear and intense rage.

    "S-Sarra, I''m s-s-sorry!" Runa stammered with her apology. She clenched her shaking hand and hid it behind her back. She''d never done that before, strike a child. No matter what, she never saw any excuse for harming children as permissible in her eye.

    Sarra got to her feet, resisting the immediate urge to cry in front of her partner. No, former partner. They were finished as a team. The hard smack to the face was all that the girl needed to reaffirm her decision to cut her ties with Runa.

    Without another word, Sarra took off and left the graveyard. Runa wanted to give chase, but couldn''t find the words to console the fleeing girl. It was all her fault. That much she knew.

    Thanks to her protective nature, she failed to notice the built-up frustration in her partner. She saw her as nothing but a child and continued to treat her like one, never once considering the girl''s opinions. All those years she believed she changed, but only realized how wrong she was after striking her partner. She was still the same, unworthy, failure of a mother.

    Runa dropped down to her knees and allowed her sorrow to overwhelm her.

 Exousia V2 Chapter 11 - After Her!

    It was another rough day for Kyros Aleister. He rigorously trained in the courtyard of the Wild Hunt Guild, having ignored the wandering eyes of the other Hunters around him. With Runa and Sarra elsewhere at the time, he was left all alone in the organization. It didn''t take long for him to feel out of place. No one bothered to interact with him whenever Runa and Sarra weren''t around.

    Not that he didn''t understand. Kyros was an outsider, after all. It would take some time until others would come to accept him as a full-fledged member of the group. He wasn''t in a rush for acceptance, as he had other priorities to focus on.

    "That should be enough for today." Kyros cleared his face from sweat and headed back to the inn. Along the way, he spotted Sarra trudging her way through the streets. The little girl kept her hand to her head. Blood seeped through the cracks in her fingers. "Sarra?!"

    Kyros rushed to the girl in a panic, immediately bombarding her with questions of concern.

    Sarra hesitated to answer, exhausted from her walk back to the town with a head wound. Before she could answer, the light-blue light emanating from Kyros'' hand caught her eye. The man set his hand on the head wound, enveloping her in the same light. The warming sensation brought upon by the man''s Praus invoked a smile on her face.

    The head wound closed, and the blood stopped.

    "Are you okay?" Kyros concernedly asked. Even if he healed Sarra''s wound, it didn''t mean the head trauma was gone.

    "Yeah, I''m fine now..." Sarra''s gaze dropped to Kyros'' hand. The light radiating from the man''s hand diminished. "It must be nice, having unlocked your Praus."

    The despondent tone in her voice caught Kyros'' attention straight away. He led the Sarra back to his room inside the inn, where they could proceed with their conversation in private. Sarra sat by the foot of the bed while Kyros stood nearby with a stern expression.

    "What happened to you, Sarra?" Kyros asked once again, having used a softer tone that time around.

    "I went to speak with Runa like you suggested," Sarra nervously rubbed her arm, struggling to find the words to describe the turn of events. It was a difficult situation. "She struck me when I spoke out against her."

    Kyros froze when he heard the words straight out of the source''s mouth. He didn''t have an instant response to the revelation. How could he? From his perspective, Runa and Sarra were family. It never crossed his mind that Runa would strike Sarra, a child.

    The woman hit Sarra hard enough to draw blood from the side of her head.

    An intense, seething rage flared inside of Kyros. What kind of person did that? Who would strike a child because they spoke out against you? Unforgivable.

    "Sarra did that to you," Kyros muttered. It wasn''t a question. But rather an affirmation to help soothe the rage inside him. It didn''t help. "I''m going to teach her a lesson."

    "Don''t bother, Mr. Kyros. It doesn''t matter." Sarra softly said. "Runa won''t change. She''ll never change. She''s that kind of person."

    "I don''t care. There''s no excuse for Runa to hit you." Kyros declared.

    "Why? Because you think I''m a child? Too weak and naive to take care of myself?!" A sudden burst of frustration expelled from Sarra as she stood up from the bed. She knew that Kyros meant well by his response, but she couldn''t control it any longer. Years of anger and frustration continued to pour out of her uncontrollably again.

    Her saddened expression turned aggressive, unnerving Kyros. He''d never seen the little girl make such a face. Whatever happened between her and Runa must''ve severely impacted her.

    "That''s not what I meant, Sarra," Kyros tried to defuse Sarra''s hostility. "Yes, you''re a child. But that''s not the point. People shouldn''t harm others."Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Kyros'' words of sincerity passed through one ear and out the other. Sarra was far too upset to listen to reason.

    "Well, that''s not how it works out here! The only rule out here is to survive. It doesn''t matter what you have to do or who stands in your way," Sarra continued to vent. "You just do it."

    "Tell me, Sarra. What does Runa hitting you have anything to do with survival?" Kyros countered. He didn''t agree with the survival of the fittest mentality from the Gardens of Eden. He saw it as archaic and barbaric. Humanity should stick together to survive, lending a hand to everyone that needs help.

    "I..." Sarra averted her gaze to the floor.

    "Did you come to Runa with the intent to kill her? Because if you hadn''t, there''s no excuse for her to attack you."

    "All I did was yell at her," Sarra admitted. "I said awful things to her. I was frustrated and upset about how she treated me like a child. I understand that I''m young and inexperienced, but I''ve been through hell like the rest of you. I''m far from an ordinary child."

    Kyros had nothing to refute. The sudden shift in Sarra''s attitude left him stunned. He was so comfortable with the girl''s shy and meek nature that he never considered any other sides to her personality. He couldn''t imagine the amount of stress she kept bottled up. It was only a matter of time until she exploded.

    "What are you going to do now?" Kyros inquired.

    "I''ve dissolved my partnership with Runa. I don''t ever want to see her again for as long as I live." Sarra answered. That much, she was sure. She couldn''t team up with Runa again. "I may leave Wild Hunt behind too."

    "Sarra, you can''t possibly mean that," Kyros presumed. "I know you''re mad at Runa. But you two are close. You can''t toss her aside over a simple fight."

    "It wasn''t a simple fight, Mr. Kyros. I''ve been thinking about this for a long time," Sarra looked down to the palm of her hands. She clenched her hands into fists, having affirmed her desire to become her own person. "I''m through with Runa, and everything concerning her. I don''t have to follow her orders anymore. I''m free to make my own decisions from now on."

    Her voice beamed with confidence and determination. Kyros couldn''t come up with any viable excuse to alter Sarra''s decision. The girl had made her mind.

    "If that''s the path you plan to go down, then so be it," Kyros reluctantly accepted the decision. "If you''re leaving Runa and Wild Hunt, does that mean you''re leaving the town as well?"

    "Yes," Sarra reluctantly answered. She couldn''t stay in the same town as Runa, not after breaking off their partnership and cutting her ties with the guild. "There''s a guild over at Malus. I''m sure they''ll accept me."

    "Maybe..."

    "When do you want to leave?" Sarra suddenly asked.

    "Huh?"

    "How soon do you want to leave town? You''re coming with me to Malus, aren''t you?"

    "Sarra, it''s a little sudden. I just came to this town and joined Wild Hunt. I can''t just leave." Kyros explained.

    "Why does it matter? Nothing is tying you to this place," Sarra asserted. "You don''t have friends here other than me, and the others don''t like or respect you. Honestly, they think you''re a spy from Soteria."

    Kyros shook his head and heaved a sigh. He understood his situation long before Sarra told him. He didn''t know about the spy stuff, but he let it go since he saw where everyone came from, allowing a stranger into their ranks.

    "I know that already, but I still have to stay here, Sarra. Leaving with you would only complicate things and validate their suspicions toward me," Kyros mentioned.

    Sarra understood Kyros'' reasonings behind his words, but she kept quiet about how hurt she felt. Out of everyone in town, Mr. Kyros was the only other person she could rely on with Runa out of the picture.

    "Okay, I understand. Thanks anyway, Mr. Kyros." Sarra forced a smile and left the room, having decided her next course of action.

    <hr>

    Hours after their argument, Runa das Meer walked back to Anemone Town, having spent most of the time gathering herself and finding the right words to apologize to Sarra. She couldn''t believe it. Everything was a complete disaster. Not only did Sarra spot Runa in her moment of weaknesses, but she physically lashed out and hit her partner.

    What poor, pathetic excuse of a partner did something like that? Runa lost control of her emotions and drew blood from another partner of hers. Worst of all, Sarra severed their partnership.

    Things couldn¡¯t end. Not like that. She wouldn¡¯t allow it. Runa and Sarra had been through so much together. How could she just want to end their partnership over a single argument?

    Runa understood that they both said and did things in the heat of the moment. A moment like that had to be a long time coming. Regardless, she was more than willing to apologize to Sarra. No matter what she said about her children, hitting her was wrong. She shouldn¡¯t have done it.

    Raising a hand against a child wasn¡¯t right. Runa already had enough guilt weighing on her conscious. She couldn¡¯t afford to have anymore.

    Runa snapped out her despaired state when she caught Kyros coming out from the entrance to the town on horseback. He pulled on the reins and stopped the horse in front of the woman.

    "Runa! There''s a problem!" Kyros desperately announced.

    "What? What is it?" Runa asked.

    "It''s Sarra! She''s quit Wild Hunt and taken off!"

    "What?!" Runa exclaimed. "Where?! Where did she go?!"

    "She mentioned a place called Malus to me! I think she''s heading that way!" Kyros answered. "It''s going to get dark soon! We have to get her back!"

    "You don''t have to tell me!" Runa jumped on the back of the horse. "Let''s go!"

    Kyros slammed his legs to the sides of the horse, holding on tightly as the animal took off down the dirt path.

 Exousia V2 Chapter 12 - By Any Means!

    A single horse galloped alongside the dirt path, heading westward for the town of Malus--a settlement situated on the west coast of Venetus. The riders of said horse, Kyros Aleister and Runa das Meer, pushed the unfortunate animal to its absolute limits. Desperate times called for drastic measures, after all. Their partner, Sarra Zosime, ran off by herself into the Gardens of Eden, unprotected and unsupervised.

    The farther they traveled without spotting a sign of the missing little girl, the more the dread spread throughout their bodies. Kyros and Runa both felt as if they had a hand in Sarra''s disappearance. The pain and anguish that swelled inside them helped fuel their desire to find Sarra.

    They had to find her.

    The only solace they found in Sarra''s sudden disappearance was that the sun provided light and kept the most dangerous creatures in Salome away. If Kyros and Runa couldn''t pick up the girl''s trail before nightfall, they feared for the worst. The creatures of Varvara appeared at night, and Sarra couldn''t harm the monsters without her Praus.

    "Can''t you make this horse go faster?!" Runa angrily exclaimed. The Huntress kept her eye on the sun. To her, it fell at an alarming rate.

    "It''s going as fast as it can," Kyros assured her, having long sensed the urgency in the woman''s voice. The duo continued to travel further down the path until the sun unfortunately vanished. The moon soon hung above the sky, providing minimal light, but nothing comforting for the team.

    Kyros heaved a sigh and stopped the horse. He and Runa dismounted from the animal, albeit reluctantly.

    "Why are we stopping?!" Runa demanded an answer.

    "The horse is tired, and it''s dangerous to travel at night, especially on foot," Kyros grabbed the reins and led the horse to the nearest tree, tying it up on one of the branches. "We should set up camp for the night. We can continue our search first thing in the morning."

    "You want to make sure we''re nice and safe while Sarra could be out there in mortal danger?! How stupid are you?!" Runa yelled. She didn''t give him time to answer. Instead, the woman approached the horse, more than prepared to leave the Soterian behind in her search for Sarra. She didn''t have time to sit around doing nothing while her partner was left out alone in the wilderness.

    Several morbid thoughts raced through her mind with each second that passed. Sarra could find herself in the clutches of bandits, wild animals, the Varvara--the list went on and on. Runa couldn''t sit still. She had to leave and find her.

    But Kyros stood in the way. The man blocked the Huntresses'' path and said, "Taking a tired animal into the wilderness at night is a foolish decision, even for you."

    "Move," demanded Runa. The woman reached behind her back and grasped the shaft of her weapon. If she had to use force to get through Kyros, then that''s what she''d do.

    "You''ll get yourself killed going out there alone, Runa. You''re no good to Sarra dead." Kyros stated. "We''ll set up camp, get some rest, and continue with our search first thing in the morning."

    Runa gritted her teeth and lowered her arm to her side. A fight against Kyros wouldn''t help the situation. It pained her to admit whenever the Soterian was right, so she didn''t. She kept her mouth shut and reluctantly assisted the man in setting up camp.

    All she could do was pray that Sarra could survive out in the wilderness for a few more hours.

    Runa sat in front of the campfire, staring as the embers danced above the flames.

    "I''m glad to see that you''ve calmed down," Kyros said.

    "How''re you so calm? Sarra''s out there somewhere. She''s possibly lost, cold, or worse..." Runa brought her hands to her head to contain the grotesque thoughts that nearly poured out.

    "You shouldn''t think like that," Kyros set his hand on the woman''s shoulder, only to have it brushed off instantly. "Sarra''s a smart girl. She can handle herself."

    Runa narrowed her eye at the mention of Sarra''s intelligence. "What kind of smart girl ventures out into the wilderness alone?"

    "I didn''t say she was the smartest girl in the world," Kyros rolled his eyes. "Look, Sarra made a rash decision in the heat of the moment."

    "A decision that could get her killed!" Runa clenched her hands into fists and jumped to her feet. "When I get my hands on that girl, I''m gonna--" "I think putting your hands on her is the source of all this," Kyros sternly mentioned. He brought his hand up to the side of his head as he continued, "When Sarra came back to town, she was bleeding from the side of her head. She told me that you hit her."

    For perhaps the first time since their encounter, Runa averted her gaze from the Soterian. Striking Sarra was possibly one of the greatest moments of shame she ever experienced. It was a moment of weakness that allowed her emotions to override her better judgment ¡ª all those years of learning how to control her feelings, wasted in that single moment.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    "...I did..." Runa sadly admitted. There was no hiding it. If Sarra ran away because of her, then she''d own up to her mistake.

    "How could you, Runa? I thought you and Sarra were close!" Kyros stood to his feet and scowled at the dejected Huntress. He refused to show any mercy toward the woman. "I know Sarra held some resentment about how you treated her, but there can''t be a valid excuse to hit her!"

    "I know, I know..." Runa lowered her gaze to the floor and grabbed her wrist to help steady her trembling. She felt enough guilt after hitting the little girl. She didn''t need Kyros adding onto the pile. "There''s no excuse for my actions. If we find Sarra, I''ll apologize to her. And if she wishes to leave the guild and me behind, then I''ll respect her decision."

    Kyros blinked in surprise, having not expected Runa''s acceptance. If anything, he presumed the Huntress would put up more of a fight. She must''ve truly regretted her decision.

    "It''s going to take more than an apology, Runa," Kyros informed her. "The hit was the trigger, but it was more than that. Sarra felt unwanted and unworthy being around you and other members of Wild Hunt because you never treated her as an equal. She wanted a partnership, but you treated her like a child."

    "Because she IS a child!" Runa exclaimed. "She''s a weak little girl that always needs someone around to protect her! No matter how much she likes to think she can take care of herself, the harsh reality of it all is that she''ll die out here unless I''m around to protect her!"

    "You keep treating her like a little girl, then that''s how she''ll die out here," Kyros forewarned Runa. The Huntress raised her head and stared into the cold, harsh eyes of the Soterian. She''d never seen him make such a face before. "You claimed that you would help train Sarra if she unlocked her Praus, but that''s not the right way to go about it. You should''ve helped her immediately, Runa. If you had, you wouldn''t be so worried about her right now."

    Runa couldn''t refute the man''s words, knowing that he was correct. How different would things have been if she wasn''t so stubborn about not helping Sarra? Perhaps they''d be a better functioning team if the little girl had her Praus unlocked.

    "If Sarra encounters a Varvara, she won''t be able to do a damn thing to stop it from attacking her. She''s been your partner for over a year, and you''ve done nothing to help her. It''s because of your stubbornness that we find ourselves in this situation," Kyros continued to lay it on thick to Runa. He wouldn''t mince his words. Not for her.

    Runa had to learn the hard way about the consequences of her actions. Unfortunately, the woman knew all too well about the effects of her actions.

    "Enough! Enough! I get it!" Runa shook her head in a desperate attempt to shake away the guilt. "Cutting me down like this won''t help us find her! We need to do something!"

    "We can''t go anywhere."

    "We don''t have to go anywhere," Runa assured him. She approached Kyros and grabbed his wrist. "Use your powers and look into the future. Try and see if we find Sarra alive, at least."

    "I don''t know how to activate my powers," Kyros reluctantly admitted. He looked down at his hands and sighed. Throughout their travels, he tried to learn how to activate his precognition abilities at will, but he came up with nothing each time.

    Runa scowled and released the man, stepping back with pure disdain. Useless. He was worthless to her.

    "Are you seriously the First Exousia?" The Huntress complained, not understanding the thought process of the Goddess, Shura. "How could Shura handpick you first out of everyone else in Salome?"

    "I didn''t ask for these powers, Runa! I didn''t want to participate in this God selection! Hell, I didn''t even believe in Gods seven years ago!" Kyros raised his voice. "These powers make us something more than human. That¡¯s all I want to be¡ªhuman. If I regularly use my abilities, I fear I¡¯ll lose my humanity."

    "What? Do you think I asked for these powers too? For your information, I would''ve been fine not havin'' these powers," Runa looked down to the Exousia Brand on the palm of her hand. A cursed mark with a tragic destiny regardless if she won the God selection or not. "I despise this curse that Shura has placed upon me, but I''m not stupid enough not to use it to my advantage. If I don''t learn how to use my powers properly, then I''ll die. Plus, I don''t want to suffer from the rebound."

    "Rebound?" Kyros suddenly asked. That was a term that he''d never heard before from the Huntress.

    "Oh, come on, you don''t know about the rebound effect?" Runa brought her hand up to her forehead to fight off the incoming headache. Traveling with the Soterian proved far more challenging than anticipated. "It''s a strange phenomenon that occurs whenever an Exousia goes extended periods without using their powers. An intense pain surges through the body and forces the person''s powers to activate."

    A painful memory immediate flashed before Kyros'' eyes. He thought back to the moment he first encountered Runa at Soteria. It happened, as Runa explained. Pain surged through his body and forced his powers to activate without his permission.

    "That...that was the rebound effect?" Kyros asked.

    "Yes, I noticed the signs immediately," Runa answered. "You were fortunate; the effect wasn''t that severe. Next time, however, you might not be so lucky."

    Kyros frowned and stared at his hands. "I can''t ignore this any longer. I need to learn how to use my powers."

    "It''s not that hard. Here, I''ll help you." Runa stepped forward and set her hands on Kyros'' cheeks. "Close your eyes and focus on using your powers. I''ll use mine to amplify yours."

    "What?"

    "My powers involve amplifying things," Runa revealed. "Now close your eyes."

    Kyros closed his eyes and sighed. He didn''t know what to expect from Runa''s little experiment. But if it helped them to hunt down Sarra, then he''d try anything.

    "I need you to focus. You probably haven''t noticed it, but there''s another source of energy inside your body besides your Praus. Since we''re Exousia, we''re the only ones that have this energy," Runa explained. "You need to reach out and harness that energy to use your powers. The more you gather, the stronger the effects of your precognition."

    Kyros nodded his head and focused on finding the alternative source of energy in his body. It took a moment, but he felt it slumbering within him. When he began to harness that energy, Runa activated her powers to amplify Kyros'' precognition.

    Kyros'' eyes snapped open as he yelled in excruciating pain. Dozens of visions flashed before his very eyes. Runa ignored his cries and pressed on, as finding her partner was far more important than the life of the Soterian in her hands.

 Exousia V2 Chapter 13 - Regretful Past!

    Despite the warning about the intensity of Runa''s powers, Kyros hadn''t the slightest idea of how much pain he''d endure during the process. The moment the Huntress activated her augmentation ability, energy surged through his body at an alarming rate. He had no control over himself.

    Without warning, Kyros'' precognition powers activated. Dozens of visions raced through his mind without any restrictions. They moved too fast for him to process the information correctly. He couldn''t differentiate what events would happen when.

    While the velocious visions careened through his head, unimaginable pain coursed through his entire body. The poor man placed his hands on his head to keep it connected to his shoulders. No matter how much he screamed or wished for the agony to stop, Runa paid it no mind.

    She didn''t care for the torment her powers brought upon the Soterian''s body. Finding Sarra was far more important than the man''s physical condition. Over time, however, his unbearable screaming tried her patience.

    "That''s enough," Runa removed her hand from Kyros'' body. The Soterian collapsed immediately and took heavy breaths, sweating bullets as he tried to regain his composure. "You see anything?"

    "Yes, a lot, for that matter," Kyros struggled to answer. He immediately used his Praus to help soothe his head trauma. "I usually only see one vision at a time. But, I saw too many this time. Too many of them played at once. I couldn''t keep track of them all."

    "Who cares about that?! I wanna know about Sarra! Did you see anything about Sarra?!" Runa demanded.

    "I don''t know. Maybe, I couldn''t see properly," Kyros answered. He brought his hand to his head and sighed.

    "Goddess damn it!" Runa shot up to her feet and angrily paced around the campsite. Nothing went according to plan. Kyros, the First Exousia, the first one chosen by the Goddess herself, proved to be a useless asset. If he couldn''t help her find her partner, then what was the point in having brought him along? "We need to try again! Focus this time!"

    "Give me a minute to rest," Kyros pleaded. "I wasn''t prepared for any of that."

    "You''re pathetic! You''re a Captain in your military, and a headache is enough to keep you down?"

    "Give me some time to rest, and we can try again," Kyros suggested. He understood Runa''s desire to find Sarra as soon as possible, but her overeagerness wouldn''t help anyone. "Overexhausting ourselves won''t benefit anyone."

    Runa grinded her teeth and turned her back to Kyros. It was sound logic, but it didn''t mean that Runa was okay with it. If it were up to her, they would''ve been out on the road despite the darkness. She would cut through thousands of Varvara if it meant finding and saving Sarra.

    "We have to find her," Runa said.

    "That''s the plan," Kyros assured her.

    "If I lose another one..." Runa gripped her wrist as a desperate attempt to suppress her anxiety.

    "How did you and Sarra meet?" Kyros suddenly asked.

    "What?" Runa turned and faced the man.

    While the question was sudden, Kyros decided to use the topic as a self-motivator. Having Runa wallow away in her anxiety and self-pity would only draw unwanted attention toward them. Plus, perhaps it would bring back happy memories for her.

    "I was never told about how you two met," Kyros resumed. "I''d like to know if you wouldn''t mind."

    Runa heaved a sigh and answered, "Sarra and I met a little over a year ago. I was on my way back to the Guild when I encountered a pack of Varvara''s attacking two people. A man and a little girl."

    "Sarra, I presume?" Kyros asked.

    With a nod of her head, Runa resumed with the story, "The man was wounded, but he continued to protect Sarra. By the time I arrived to help defeat the Varvara, it was far too late to save him. Before he died, he made two requests. The first was for me to look after Sarra."

    "And the second?" Kyros inquired once Runa paused.

    "The second was for me to take his life before he could turn," Runa gripped her wrist again. It wasn''t a pleasant memory for her. The woman remembered how difficult Sarra made it for her to complete the requests. The little girl desperately cried and pleaded for Runa to spare her friend''s life, but nothing could''ve prevented the man''s death.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    One way or another, Sarra''s friend would''ve died. Either by Runa''s blade or the Varvara metamorphosis.

    "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have asked such an insensitive question," Kyros apologized for his ignorance. In his little mission to help brighten the mood, he only made it worse.

    "It''s fine, you would''ve found out one way or another," Runa dismissed the Soterian''s apology. "Sarra hated me once I brought her back to Anemone. She hardly ever spoke to me, let alone look in my direction for the first few months. But over time, she warmed up to me and joined Wild Hunt to become my partner. I''ve taken care of her ever since."

    Kyros smiled at the mention of their partnership. "And you''ve done a good job at that,"

    "Have I? Sarra''s wandering out there alone in the wilderness because I hit her," Runa reminded.

    "Yeah, you''re rough around the edges. But I can tell that you try your best to keep Sarra safe. You''ve gone to extreme lengths to ensure her safety over your own. You''re an excellent person for that,"

    Runa grimaced at Kyros'' words. He couldn''t have been any further from the truth. At that moment, she decided to shine some light on the Soterian''s naivety.

    "I didn''t wanna take care of Sarra at first. I planned to drop her off at the Guild and have them deal with her."

    "What made you change your mind?"

    Runa stared at the palm of her hands. The Exousia Brand, on her hand, brought a frown to her face. "I found out she was an Exousia. When I discovered her powers, I couldn''t leave her alone. She has the power to sense the presence of other Exousia. How could I not benefit from having someone like that with me?"

    The Huntress'' tone grew dangerously cold. Afterward, a quiet, hollow laugh leaked from her mouth.

    "Runa?" Kyros cautiously called out to her, having sensed that the woman was going down a dark path.

    "From the start, that was my goal--to keep Sarra around until we made it down to the final eight. Since she''d always know where the Exousia were, avoiding them wouldn''t be a problem. Now that she''s gone, I''m vulnerable." Runa''s body trembled uncontrollably. She clasped her hands together to keep herself steady. "How have I even managed to make it this far without her? I''m pathetic. I''ve grown reliant on her power. I never cared for her at all. It was her power I wanted to protect."

    "Runa! Stop that!" Kyros demanded. "Of course, you care about Sarra! You''re talking nonsense!"

    "Am I? How could you know? If she didn''t have her power, do you think I''d keep such a useless girl around?"

    "Probably not, but that doesn''t mean you don''t care for Sarra. You make sure she eats three meals a day, that she properly exercises, that she''s well-educated with subjects of the world," Kyros continued to list off several tasks that Runa assisted her partner in their free time. Runa may have fooled herself with her negative attitude, but she couldn''t fool Kyros. All those weren''t the actions of someone that didn''t care for a person.

    "What does any of that matter?"

    "It matters because you''re fooling yourself," Kyros stated. "I''m not saying you didn''t plan to use Sarra in the beginning. But over time, you grew to care for her, and truly wish to keep her safe so that she survives this God selection with you."

    "I don''t know..." Runa shook her head.

    "But you need to work on your stubbornness. Sarra left because she doesn''t feel validated being around you. All she wants is for you to accept and treat her like an equal."

    "How can I do that when she can''t even use her Praus? Those were the conditions we set. I''ll begin to accept her once she does that." Runa stated.

    "It''s a challenging task to accomplish alone, Runa. She wants you to help her, and you refuse to do so," Kyros pointed out.

    "Then what am I supposed to do?!" Runa shouted in a surprisingly brittle voice. The woman brought her hand up to her chest and stepped away from Kyros. "Before Sarra, I had another team. Nine other girls. I saw them as my daughters. Unlike Sarra, I wasn''t as overprotective of them. I trained them now and then, but I mainly left them alone."

    Kyros sat there in silence, watching the tough exterior of Runa crumble and break away. Tears streamed down the face of the seasoned Huntress.

    "Because of my arrogance and negligence as a caretaker...they died. All nine of my daughters, my sweet little girls, are dead. I can''t go through this pain again." Runa choked up. The painful memories flooded her brain. She thought she shed all her tears earlier in the day. But she proved that she was far from done. "I don''t want to lose Sarra. But, I don''t know what''s the right path to take with her."

    "You should try talking to her," Kyros calmly suggested. It was a rare moment to see Runa act so vulnerable. "When we find her, you two should sit down and talk. Come to a consensus, that way you two can grow together. Your current method isn''t working."

    Runa sniffled and wiped away her tears. She couldn''t believe she cried in front of the Soterian, let alone mention her past to him. Her former self would''ve laughed in her face, ridiculing her for showing such weakness and vulnerability.

    Nothing about the day went right for her.

    It pained Runa to accept advice from Kyros, let alone listen to him in the first place. His words carried some weight. Her current method didn''t work at all. She hoped that by her refusal to train Sarra, the little girl would become determined to get stronger a bit on her own.

    Thanks to Runa''s stubbornness and denial, Sarra abandoned her and the guild. If they never found the little girl, Runa wouldn''t know what to do with herself. If she were responsible for the deaths of ten children, she''d probably fall into madness.

    "If we find her--"

    "When we find her," Kyros corrected.

    Runa smiled and corrected herself, "When we find Sarra, I''ll sit down and have a talk with her."

    "Good." Kyros got up and put his hand on the woman''s shoulder. Since she didn''t slap it away immediately, he saw it as a step in the right direction. "It''s late. Go ahead and get some sleep. I''ll keep watch."

    "...Thank you..." Runa hesitantly said before she went off to sleep while Kyros stood guard. They had a big day ahead of them, and they needed all the rest they could get before they found Sarra.

 Exousia V2 Chapter 14 - Harbingers of Justice!

    Brilliant beams of light stretch across the vast lands of the Gardens of Eden. The light illuminated three figures that slept out in the wilderness. The first to awake from their pleasant sleep was a young woman. She slowly opened her eyes and stared up at the morning sky.

    The woman jumped to her feet and performed a few stretches to loosen herself up. It was a habit of hers¡ªlimbering up in case of emergencies. By the time she finished, she had expected her partners to be up by then.

    But to her immediate disappointment, both of her siblings slept like logs.

    ¡°Ana! Sol! Get up!¡± The woman called out with a cheery voice. ¡°Rise and shine, you two! It¡¯s morning! Get up!¡±

    The first one to respond was the woman¡¯s eldest sister, Anatoli¡ªAna, for short. The woman awoke with a groan and scolded her little sister, ¡°Neoma, you¡¯re too loud.¡±

    ¡°What do you expect me to do? You and Sol won¡¯t get up!¡± Neoma complained, crossing her arms and pouting like a child. Her gaze shifted to her little brother, who remained asleep despite the ongoing argument between the two sisters.

    ¡°He¡¯s so cute when he¡¯s sound asleep like that,¡± Ana commented.

    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for sleeping!¡± Neoma approached her brother, and vigorously shook him. It was a daily thing with them. She always woke up early while her slouch of her brother slept in late. It was her duty as her an older sister to properly teach her troublesome siblings. ¡°Wake up, Sol! Wake up! I¡¯ll draw on your face again if you don¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°I heard you the first time,¡± Sol said groggily. He opened his eyes¡ªdark circles were presented under them. He grimaced when the light hit his face.

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you get up?¡± Neoma stepped away from her brother and set her hands on her hips.

    ¡°Too sleepy¡­¡± Sol responded and closed his eyes again, readjusting his position to get more comfortable. It didn¡¯t matter what time of day it was¡ªif he needed to sleep, then the young man would do just that. ¡°Give me a few more minutes.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no time!¡± Neoma forced Sol to his feet and left him to wake up alone. That proved a mistake on her part, as her brother stumbled and nearly fell over if not for her intervention. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to reach the village by today!¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Sol gently pushed his sister aside and forced himself awake using his mental fortitude alone.

    Once all three siblings were wide awake, all three of them went through their routine of morning exercises. Afterward, they ate breakfast and then gathered their things to resume their journey. The group was on a top-secret mission of utmost importance.

    Innocent lives hung in the balance¡ªtherefore, failure was not an option for them. People counted on the siblings to get the job done, and that¡¯s what they sought to do.

    Neoma, the middle child of the family, never turned away from anyone that cried out for help. It was that admirable habit of hers that brought respect and reverence from those that heard her name. It didn¡¯t matter what the task, the young woman would give it one-hundred and ten percent to accomplish her goal.

    Sol, the youngest child of the family, refused to let her sister out of his sight. Wherever his sister went, he wouldn¡¯t be too far behind. They had encountered numerous life-threatening situations, somehow surviving through the skin of their teeth. Thanks to Neoma¡¯s desire for adventure, it was one problem after another.

    Case and point, when the trio ventured into the previous village, a desperate woman approached them¡ªcrying and begging for them to rescue her children that got abducted by bandits. Sol wanted nothing to do with them, but Neoma refused to ignore the problem at hand. Therefore, the siblings were on the hunt for the bandits and kidnapped children.

    They learned from a viable source that the latest sight of the bandits was Peony village.

    Adding to the luck of the family, they hunted after the notorious Bandit Guild, known as Rogue Roses. From what their source informed them, the bandits were infamous for their sudden rise in strength and power over the years. They raided villages and kidnapped children.

    Numerous Bounty Hunters chased them down, but none of them succeeded in capturing their leader. A mysterious, elusive boss of a criminal organization excited Neoma to no end. She couldn¡¯t wait to hunt them down and bring them to justice.

    Despite her excitement of confronting the evildoers, she couldn¡¯t fathom how several bounty hunters couldn¡¯t put an end to the bandits. If three people managed to take down an entire organization down themselves, then what good were they?

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Anatoli alerted her siblings. Neoma tapped Sol on the shoulder and pointed ahead to the village. The trio stopped and stared in horror at the sight of the settlement.

    The rural paradise Neoma imagined shattered when she spotted several destroyed buildings and fresh corpses spread across the road. Anatoli shielded her eyes and whimpered while Neoma and Sol investigated the disaster.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    The two called out for any survivors, leaving long, intentionally pauses in between their shouts.

    Only the sound of the wind blowing reached their ears.

    ¡°This is horrible,¡± Anatoli said with a brittle voice as she slowly followed behind Neoma. The young woman kept her hands close to her chest and her head on a swivel. Even if no one answered their calls, it didn¡¯t mean the place was empty.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a pretty good idea as to what happened here,¡± Sol overturned some of the bodies he came across. He inspected the corpses and took note of the wounds they suffered. Many showed cases of bludgeoning and stab wounds. Bloody footprints trailed across the dirt road. Some belonged to humans, and others to animals¡ªperhaps Varvara. ¡°Bandits attacked the village, which in turn attracted the Varvara here, leading its destruction.¡±

    ¡°Rotten bandits!¡± Neoma stomped her foot on the ground.

    She couldn¡¯t understand what was wrong with those bandits. What drove them to commit such heinous crimes? Why bring such destruction and despair across the land?

    What was their motivation? Greed? Hatred? Jealousy?

    Regardless of their reasons, it didn¡¯t matter to her. As a Harbinger of Justice, Neoma wouldn¡¯t allow such actions to go unpunished.

    Rogue Roses.

    She burned the name of the organization into her heart. No matter what, she¡¯d hunt down the bandits and ensure they pay for their crimes against humanity.

    ¡°Neoma, please calm down,¡± Anatoli pleaded.

    Neoma heeded her elder sister¡¯s words and took a few deep breaths, trying to find her serenity amidst the destruction around her. She had to control her emotions. Because if she didn¡¯t, then her enemies would do it for her. She couldn¡¯t allow herself to become a puppet in the hands of her enemies.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Neoma assured her family with a bright smile that could illuminate even the darkest of depths. ¡°We should hurry up and bury the bodies. We can¡¯t leave them like this.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for that,¡± asserted Sol. He squeezed his hand into a fist as he glanced at the corpses around him. ¡°Burning them is faster.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not right, Sol! These people deserve a proper burial!¡± Anatoli protested to the outrageous suggestion. Out of the trio, Sol was perhaps the most aggressive in how he handled most situations.

    ¡°Ana¡¯s right! We need to give these people the respect that they deserve!¡± Neoma came to the defense of her sister.

    Even if the others sided against him, Sol refused to back down. As the most pragmatic of the group, he wouldn¡¯t let small things hinder the goals of his family. ¡°You said so yourself that we don¡¯t have much time, Neoma. If we hurry, we can chase after the ones that did this.¡±

    Just when Neoma prepared to object, her eyes darted ahead to a lone figure that dragged themselves across the road. Upon further inspection, it turned out to be a man, weakly calling out for help.

    Neoma and Anatoli were the first ones to reach the man. With Sol¡¯s help, the group helped the man lean against a stable structure.

    The man wore nothing but rags, but Sol immediately pointed him out as a bandit. All the evidence he needed was the Rogue Roses tattoo displayed on the man¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Thank you, thank you so much!¡± The man expressed his gratitude. He was covered head to toe in wounds. It was a miracle that he even managed to survive for as long as he did.

    The most notable injury was the one in the bandit¡¯s stomach. Blood seeped through the cracks in his fingers and stained his clothes.

    Sol fiercely scowled at the bandit and slammed his fist into the structure close to the wounded man¡¯s face. The bandit shrieked in terror but couldn¡¯t escape. ¡°You¡¯re one of them, aren¡¯t you? One of the bandits that attacked his village?¡±

    The bandit showed great reluctance to answer but knew that resistance was futile. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Anatoli and Neoma gasped in shock and stepped away.

    ¡°The Boss ordered us to attack this village. But the people fought back. Then, the Varvara showed up and slaughtered everyone. I¡¯m lucky to be alive,¡± The bandit heaved a sigh of relief.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be alive much longer,¡± Sol gravelly said as he reached for the helpless man¡¯s face. It didn¡¯t matter to him if the bandit was wounded or not; he showed no qualms with trying to kill him. A hand reached out and foiled his murder attempt.

    He looked over and spotted that the hand belonged to Neoma. His sister shook her head at him and then turned her attention to the frightened bandit.

    ¡°Tell us who and where your boss is,¡± Neoma demanded. She and the others stood back as the bandit went into a coughing fit. Blood flew out from his mouth and dyed the ground red. His face grew paler as the minutes passed.

    Neoma stared anxiously as the man¡¯s condition only seemed to worsen. If she stood by and did nothing, then he¡¯d die without getting any answers to her questions. She reluctantly reached into her bag for medical supplies.

    That time around, Sol reached out and grabbed her wrist.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it,¡± He demanded. It was rare for the youngest brother to order his older sister around, but she didn¡¯t mind it when she considered the circumstances.

    ¡°Sol, he¡¯ll die,¡± Neoma said.

    ¡°Let him,¡± Sol callously suggested. What did it matter to them if they let the bastard die? There¡¯d be one less criminal in the world. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t waste our supplies on this piece of trash! He attacked this village!¡±

    ¡°Please! I don¡¯t want to die like this!¡± The bandit desperately pleaded.

    ¡°Sol, we can¡¯t leave him to die,¡± Anatoli said. While she didn¡¯t agree with the bandit¡¯s actions, it didn¡¯t mean that she wanted to stand by while the man died.

    ¡°He¡¯s going to die if we don¡¯t do something to help,¡± Neoma stated.

    ¡°The bastard doesn¡¯t deserve our help! He deserves a slow and painful death!¡± Sol faced Neoma with burning eyes of anger. ¡°Do you think these people wanted to die?! No, they didn¡¯t! But do you think these bandits cared?! They mercilessly attacked these people, destroyed their homes, and kidnapped their children!¡±

    ¡°We know that, Sol. But¡ª¡±

    ¡°But nothing! Why should we show them mercy when they didn¡¯t show any to the people they murdered?! They don¡¯t deserve it!¡± Sol yelled.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about what they deserve,¡± Neoma gently moved her brother aside and tended to the wounds of the bandit. She used the last of their medical supplies to help ease his pain. ¡°We¡¯re better than these bandits. We can¡¯t stoop to their level no matter what.¡±

    Neoma didn¡¯t know if their supplies would save his life, but it would at least keep him stable some time. She couldn¡¯t save the lives of the villagers, but she at least saved the life of someone.

    Regardless of the man¡¯s status¡ªhe was still a human being. He had a mind, a heart, a soul. Since he possessed those three things, then he could change¡ªturning over a new leaf. It was wishful thinking, that much Neoma knew. But it¡¯s what kept her going most of the time¡ªthe thought of changing people, helping the world for the better¡ªone small step at a time.

    Neoma knew her actions seemed foolish and na?ve in the eyes of her younger brother, but she believed in people. She believed in humanity. She didn¡¯t help the bandit because he deserved it. She did it out of mercy and pity. Perhaps her show of kindness would become rewarding for them in the future.

 Exousia V2 Chapter 15 - Heart to Heart!

    After a heated dispute between the Archon siblings, they made the call to stay in the ruins of Peony Village. Or, more like Anatoli and Neoma made that decision. Sol expressed his immediate displeasure in the idea, but the older sisters stayed united and outvoted him. They would stay the night in the village and look after the wounded bandit.

    Sol wouldn''t have argued so much if his sisters hadn''t wasted the last of their medical supplies on the bandit. The monster raided the village, murdered people, and brought Varvara along to join in on the massacre. He caused so much destruction, and yet his sisters ignored that and helped him. He couldn''t understand it.

    Now, if any of them suffered any injuries, they wouldn''t have anything left for them.

    Things only got worse for him when the bandit tried to tell the group his name. But thankfully, Neoma had the common sense to shut that down immediately. They couldn''t do it. Learning his name would''ve made them form a connection, no matter how small.

    Neoma understood her desire to help people was one of their greatest strengths, but it also was a significant weakness. It wasn''t in the girl''s nature to abandon or ignore people in pain. Even though the bandit was responsible for the destruction of the village, he was still a human being¡ªa person.

    People had to help people.

    That was the only way humanity would continue to thrive in times of crisis. Anatoli preached that to her adorable little siblings over and over, but only Neoma retained that information. Sol, on the other hand, wasn''t too keen on their ideals. His sole focus was on keeping the family alive through any means necessary.

    That''s what they loved about their little brother. He was ambitious and driven to keep them safe. However, that was also a fatal flaw of his.

    He only cared for his family.

    Others held no place in his heart. He was so detached and heartless about the beautiful world around him. The sisters tried to change his mind several times, but he was far too jaded and warped.

    "This is a waste of time," Sol complained as he sat around the campfire with Anatoli and Neoma. "How long as we going to stay here, waiting for that bastard to get better?"

    "With the severity of his wounds, he won''t be able to walk properly for at least a few months," Anatoli informed.

    "We won''t stay here long. We''ll leave first thing in the morning after we get what we need from him." Neoma announced. "He''s a member of Rogue Roses. So, he must know the location of their current hideout."

    "We could''ve gotten that information before you wasted our medical supplies on him," Sol proclaimed.

    "Just drop it already, Sol. It''s over now," Anatoli came to her sister''s defense.

    "I know you''re upset about my decision, but you''re just gonna hafta deal with it," Neoma spoke with great conviction. "I helped him because it''s the right thing to do. Maybe my act of kindness will get him to reveal everything he knows about Rogue Roses."

    Sol nodded his head, somewhat in agreement with his older sister. But his retort proved otherwise. "Yeah, or maybe it''ll get us all killed. If any of us get wounded from here on out, it''ll take more than our Praus to keep us alive."

    "I know." Neoma balled her hands into fists. She prepared herself to accept full responsibility for whatever happened to them in the future. She''d carry the burden and consequences on her back. It was her duty as an older sister.

    Sol clicked his tongue in annoyance and walked off to take the first watch for the night. Anatoli fell asleep shortly afterward, leaving Neoma alone to stare at the campfire in silence.

    As the embers danced above the flames, Neoma contemplated on the group''s next course of action. There was no guarantee that the bandit would give up any precious regarding Rogue Roses. But regardless of that fact, she took pity on him anyways. She took the chance that treating him with kindness would appeal to his better half. Her optimism was all she could rely on for a sense of comfort.

    Good things happen to those that do good.

    With that mantra in her mind, Neoma stood up and approached the bandit the trio kept tied up nearby. Even with the man patched up, they couldn''t risk the chance of him trying to escape in the middle of the night.

    "Hello!" Neoma cheerfully called out to the bandit. He looked over at the young woman for a second but quickly turned his head away.

    "You again? Come back to try and talk me into snitching on my comrades?"

    "Yup," Neoma felt no need to hide the intentions behind her confrontation with the bandit. She smiled and took a seat in front of him.

    "Well, you can forget it! You can go ahead and threaten me, torture me, or kill me! It doesn''t matter! I won''t give you anything!" The bandit raised his voice and glared at the girl before him.

    Neoma brought her index finger up to her lips. "Settle down and use your inside voice. Your anger could draw the Varvara here."

    Horror filled the poor bandit''s eyes upon the revelation. After his last encounter with the creatures of destruction, he''d do anything he could to avoid crossing them again.

    "So, what''s your plan? Threaten to use the Varvara to get me to talk?" The bandit assumed.

    Neoma shook her head in response, her smile never fading. "I have no intention of threatening or torturing you. I wouldn''t use all of our medical supplies to heal you just to waste it on getting you killed."Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    "...True..." The bandit reluctantly saw things from the girl''s point of view. But it still begged the question as to what his captors had planned for him.

    "Since we put our necks on the lines for you, the least you can do is tell us where your friends are," Neoma said.

    The bandit scoffed at the girl''s stupidity and ignorance. She expected too much out of her captives. "You don''t understand, girlie. If my friends find out that I ratted them out to a couple of brats, they''d have my head for sure."

    "Why are you protecting them? Aren''t they the ones that abandoned you here, leaving you for dead?" Neoma called the man out. "Some friends they turned out to be."

    Her words hit him like a ton of bricks. The bandit gritted his teeth and lowered his head in regret. "Leave me alone. Thank you for helping me. But, I can''t return your kindness."

    "Yes, you can." Neoma countered.

    "No, I can''t."

    "Yes, you can."

    "No, I can''t."

    "Yes--"

    The bandit raised his head and hollered, "I SAID I CAN''T!"

    The horror that once filled his eyes vanished, allowing nothing but a pure rage to replace it. The direction of the conversation distressed the bandit, but Neoma didn''t care. The man''s troubles weren''t any real concern of hers. She wasn''t going to let the man settle until she got what she wanted.

    "Why can''t you?" Neoma asked, not understanding the point in defending a bunch of cowards that would abandon their friends in a heartbeat. "Why go to great lengths to protect people that left you for dead?"

    "I''m not protecting them. I''m protecting myself," The bandit solemnly answered. The fires of rage in his eyes long extinguished at that point. He lowered his head once more in defeat as he continued, "Rogue Roses isn''t for the faint of heart. Especially not since our new leader took charge of the guild. If she finds out that I snitched, she''ll have my head on a pike for sure."

    "Your leader, is she that scary?" Neoma seemed dubious of the man''s comments about his leader.

    "Terrifying," The bandit trembled.

    "What if I promised you that you wouldn''t need to worry about her?" The girl asked.

    The bandit raised his head again. His eyebrows arched high above his eyes as he responded, "What do you mean by that?"

    "Tell us where your boss and friends are so that my siblings and I can take them down. We''re bounty hunters, after all. Hunting down criminals is what we do best," Neoma proudly boasted her status.

    The bandit stared at the girl in disbelief. He could see it, the utmost confidence shining in the eyes of the bounty hunter. He couldn''t believe that such a little girl could make such a daring declaration without a hint of fear.

    She was a fool.

    That''s how he saw her. No sane person would dare try and hunt down their leader unless they were stupid, or had a death wish.

    The bandit threw his head back and laughed at Neoma''s expense. "You? A couple of brats taking down our leader?"

    "We''re not brats! I''m sixteen years old! I''m an adult!" Neoma adamantly tried to shut down the bandit''s blatant show of mockery. "And for your information, my family is super powerful! We can handle anything!"

    "You won''t be able to handle our leader. You''d get wiped out before you know it," The bandit dismissed the girl''s obnoxious claim. How could he rely on the words of a little girl when compared to the amazing feats he witnessed his boss perform?

    "We won''t know until we try."

    "Good luck with that. Even some of the best bounty hunter guilds failed to track us down." The bandit took his turn to boast about his friends arrogantly.

    "It''s a good thing we aren''t associated with any guilds. They''re far too much trouble with all their rules." Neoma commented.

    "Whatever you say, girlie."

    "So, tell me, why''d you stoop so low as to become a bandit? Why are you making so much trouble for people that want to live nice, peaceful lives?" Neoma decided to ask the hard-hitting questions.

    "Because I want to live," The bandit answered without hesitation. There wasn''t any hint of joy or satisfaction behind his words. "Money, food, shelter, any necessity that I desire, Rogue Roses provides. If not for them, I''d be dead on the side of the road or in the belly of some monster."

    "Don''t you understand that your way of life isn''t right? You''re destroying the lives of others to preserve your own. How can you live with yourself?" Neoma continued to degrade and ridicule the man''s lifestyle.

    "I''m a bandit. What do you expect?" The bandit shrugged his shoulders, unfazed by the girl''s comments. "It''s every man for themselves out here. You have to do what you gotta do to survive. I may not like it, but that''s just the life I live."

    Neoma shook her head. "It doesn''t have to be that way. You''re capable of change."

    "It''s far too late for that. Not after everything that I''ve done."

    "It''s never too late to change!" Neoma brought her face close to the bandits. They were locked in a seemingly endless stare-down.

    Neoma saw it, albeit it was a deep down. But there was still a sliver of goodness left in the bandit. She just had to draw it out of him.

    "What are you doing?"

    Neoma reached out and poked the man''s nose with her index finger. She giggled and said, "You can turn over a new leaf and become something more than a bandit! Leave behind your life of crime and seek redemption!"

    "Are you stupid?" The bandit scoffed again. The girl never quite seemed to understand the severity of his situation.

    "No, I just believe in you, even if you don''t believe in yourself. There''s some good in you, somewhere deep down in your soul. I can see it. I wish you could see it too," Neoma sighed and backed away from her captive.

    "Your sweet talk won''t work on me," The bandit shook his head in dismissal of the girl''s words. He couldn''t let himself get suckered into her pace. It would take a lot more than words of encouragement to change him.

    "It''s not sweet talk. I''m speaking honestly here. As a member of the Archon Family, my word is everything to me." Neoma brought her hand to her chest and smiled.

    "Archon Family?!" The bandit exclaimed. "You''re from the Archon Family? That Archon Family?!"

    "Uh-huh," Neoma nodded her head.

    "If you...no, never mind. It''s stupid," The bandit avoided making eye contact with the girl.

    Neoma moved in closer and asked, "What? What is it that you wanted to say?"

    "Well, if you''re legit, then I''d be willing to take you to my boss."

    "Really?"

    "Definitely. My boss is terrifying, but if you''re truly an Archon, then perhaps you could take her down." The man enthusiastically said. Some light returned to his eyes as he looked at Neoma with hope.

    "Glad that you''ve come around," Neoma placed her hands on her hips and laughed triumphantly. Another day, another victory for the glorious Archon Family. She loved it when a plan came together. "Tomorrow morning, you''re going to lead us to your boss. Afterward, I''ll help you turn over a new leaf as a reward for your good deed."

    "You defeating my boss would be payment enough," The bandit assured the bounty hunter.

    "Okay, I''ll see you in the morning." Neoma turned on her heels and headed back to the campfire.

    "Hey! Mind sharing some of your food with me as well? I''m starving over here," The bandit complained. Right on cue, his stomach grumbled.

    "Sorry, but there''s only enough food for the three of us. You''ll have to wait until the morning when we go out hunting." Neoma said, not bothering to turn around and face her captive anymore.

    "Wait, how does that make any sense?!"

    "Good night, Mr. Bandit!" Neoma called out before she reached the campfire and joined her older sister in peaceful slumber.