ã€ŠMasks: Greedã€‹


 Prologue: Street Rats

    ¡°Come on, you can¡¯t catch me!¡± the little girl yelled behind her. She ran through the busy market of Yikensworth, avoiding the bustling crowds filling the streets. The stall owners were boasting their stocks, while the older women were haggling the merchants, yet both stopped their activities to yell at the girl as she ran between them.

    Suddenly, a mouth-watering smell slammed into the girl, stopping her in her tracks. Drawn by the scents, Mina looked up to where the young men were purchasing skewers of grilled meat which oozed with warm juices. She extended her hand to grab a piece, but it was promptly swatted away by a fat hand of the stall owners. She pulled back her bruised hand, spat in his grill and ran away before he could do anything. She would¡¯ve smiled at his shocked expression more if not for her belly reminded her that she hadn¡¯t eaten all day. But she was still in the game and the last one not caught, so she couldn¡¯t afford to lose focus now.

    She dodged the oncoming crowd of new shoppers by slipping into the alley between the tailors and the tavern, but not before sneaking a peek at her friends closing the distance behind her. As she approached the end of the dirty alleyway her feet began kicking up quite the dust storm. The plumes of dust entered her nose, and before she could do anything she found herself sneezing her lungs out. The snot swung out of her nose and she was forced to clean it with the hem of her already ragged tunic. All the while the little girl had not stopped running, she was so occupied with herself that she didn¡¯t see the passing patrol of guards until it was too late.

    *Thump* ¡°Ow¡± She shrieked as she collided with the armoured man among the group and fell back. She looked up to see the guard¡¯s face twist in disgust.

    ¡°You dirtied my new armour. Filthy rat!¡± The guard swung his backhand.

    ¡°Mina!¡± a voice called out from behind her. Led by the tallest, the group of kids of varying ages stepped out of the alleyway, whom the girl scrambled back to.

    ¡°Sorry Ollie,¡± Mina said as she hid behind the boy.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of your pickpocketing, you filthy beggars,¡± the guard snarled. ¡°Men, arrest them.¡±

    Simultaneously, they sprung into action. The children retreated back into the alleyway, running at full speed, while the guards gave chase. However, due to their larger bodies, they were slowed down while the children were able to run at full speed. Mina felt a surge of hope grow in her stomach as she and Ollie brought up the rear. She could see their escape-the end of the alley that led into the crowd, half of them were already out.

    That was when reality came crashing down, it was at that moment that some guards cut them off from the front and caught the other kids running out. She didn¡¯t dare slow down and tried climbing the wooden buildings instead. She was a few steps off the ground before her leg felt a powerful pull and she was ripped off the wall and grabbed with bruising hands. She struggled with all her might but her skinny arms were quickly caught behind her back and she was pushed to the ground.

    In a matter of minutes, they were caught and being led to the jailhouse. Mina kept her head low and only focused on keeping her feet from tripping over the other. She scratched her neck as it began to itch but quickly let go when she felt blood. She wiped her hand in her dirty clothes and cleared her throat in a vain attempt to appease her itch.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Ollie nudged her. She looked over and saw him smile reassuringly at her. ¡°At least some of us got away, they¡¯ll tell the old man and he¡¯ll get us out. It¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°Will he be quick?¡± she frowned. She couldn¡¯t understand why Ollie refused to call him that, it was disrespectful to call the man who¡¯d saved them with something like ¡®old man¡¯. He¡¯d saved them all, giving them a house, food and-her favourite-white sweets every night and morning. She could go for whole days on those sweet alone, all she had to do was smell them and she¡¯d feel energized for the rest of the day. But if she didn¡¯t get them for breakfast like today-

    ¡°¡­Is it starting to itch again?¡±

    -the stupid itch would always return. She¡¯d be up for hours at night, just getting rid of the itch, if she didn¡¯t get to eat it for dinner. The old man was nice to her so she didn¡¯t bother him with it, but Ollie knew and¡­Suddenly, Mina bunched up her ragged clothes and squeezed, digging her nails into the padding on her palms until they hurt. She released the pressure, took a deep breath, and upon feeling the itch return repeated the same motions. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to her, Ollie began muttering to the surrounding kids.

    ¡°Remember, when I give the signal you all run.¡± He whispered.

    ¡°What amount Mina?¡± a small 6-year-old boy whispered.

    ¡°She¡¯s very sick so she can¡¯t run with us, but don¡¯t worry: the old man said he¡¯d take care of it if anyone got captured.¡± He said uneasily.

    ¡°Grampa¡¯s the best.¡±

    ¡°¡­sure-¡±

    ¡°-Hey, keep it quiet you street rats!¡± The armoured guard yelled. ¡°Keep alert men, we are passing through the crowds now.¡±

    ¡°Got it, leftenant Guzmund.¡± They answered in unison. The crowds before them parted likea river splitting around a giant rockas they took a right for the jailhouse from the town square. It was then that a passerby suddenly threw up in front of them causing Guzmund to stumble.

    ¡°Hey you!¡± a guard yelled as he grabbed hold of the passerby''s shoulder and threw back the hood to reveal an old man.

    ¡°Now!¡± Ollie yelled. Due to their small statures, the children were able to suddenly jump from between their legs and run leaving Mina behind in a daze. She watched the last one disappear in the crowd before the came back to her senses and attempted to join them. However, a strong hand came down on her and held her in place. She looked up and swore she saw Guzmund looking at her with surprisingly soft eyes before they hardened behind a snarl as he barked orders at his men to give chase.

    When they were all gone the captain whispered something like; ¡®Despicable thief, he stole my coins, before pulling her away.

    ¡°Come on your pickpocket at least you¡¯ll get what you deserve.¡±

    ¡°Help! Help me!¡±

    Mina shouted for anyone who would listen, trying to hold their gaze so they would help.

    ¡°Hey, shut it you,¡± Guzmund shook her. He raised her hand to strike her, and she expected to feel the full brunt of the slap, but after a moment of hesitation brought it back down prompting her to continue shouting. The armoured guard continued onwards, ignoring the shouts, the fearful eyes of the citizens and the old man who¡¯d ruined his clothes. Unlike most of his co-workers, he didn¡¯t care much for the small inconveniences, as long as he got the job done, for harassing people would only delay his objective.

    Mina continued to shout for the next three blocks as she struggled with all her might, but as the itch got worse the coughs started to break out. That god awful feeling overtook her shouts and by the third or fourth block after that, by which time they¡¯d reached the black keep. Mina was continuously shaken every few steps so she couldn¡¯t even scratch.

    ¡°Open up Gale, I¡¯ve got a pickpocket to throw in,¡± the armoured man called out. A few seconds later she was led in through, what seemed like, a sliding door. There weren¡¯t many people out into the yard except a few running around with clothes and armour parts.

    ¡°Just the one?¡± someone said from their left, but she was so busy trying to get rid of the awful itch that she ignored him.

    ¡°No matter how small the task, if done enough times, it creates big changes,¡± Her shaker replied. Mina¡¯s hands had begun to tremble and she had to continuously swallow the saliva that threatened to slip out.

    While she struggled with her mouth Guzmund took her into one of the lower jail cells made of nothing but a simple wooden door and cobblestones. He carried her down the stairs and locked her into one of the cells at the end, before leaving to find his group of guards.

    Mina felt jumpy, she scratched the walls, attempted to climb them and even hung from the bars near the ceiling in vain attempts to get out. The fourth wall seemed to be closing in and suddenly the room appeared even narrower than before. Why was the door getting further away?

    ¡°She¡¯s in here?¡± someone called out from outside her cell. ¡°You can go now.¡±

    She immediately scurried back before realizing that her back was already touching the wall. The door clicked and a tall man looking like a butcher walked in. He looked at her warily and closed the door behind him, locking it after checking the hallway outside.

    ¡°So you¡¯re the successful child,¡± he said with a frown. He hesitated before crouching in front of her, pulling out a metal ball and wooden cup, and placing them before her. Then he pulled out a knife and Mina¡¯d had enough. She¡¯d seen the key hanging on his side, if she could get it she¡¯ll be able to escape, so she ran for that side. But she couldn¡¯t get past his large arm as he pushed her back.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°Stop, wait!¡± he said, but she couldn¡¯t hear him. Mina fought and cried at the top of her lungs, punching, kicking, and spiting, but he wouldn¡¯t budge. She knew he was gonna kill her. She would never get to taste grampa¡¯s sweets again never.

    ¡°This better work.¡± The man said, pulling something from inside his pockets. ¡°Look, sweets.¡±

    She was saved! This good man wasn¡¯t here to kill her, he wanted to cut her loose and give her sweets¡­but she wasn¡¯t carried so why did he have the knife?

    ¡°Knife?¡± she forced. The itch was getting worse and she couldn¡¯t fight it for much longer.

    ¡°I need to cut your hair, look it''s all dirty from all the running,¡± the man smiled, extending his hand with the sweets. She swiped at his hands, her mind made up and smelled the sweets deeply before swallowing them-tasting the sweet honey flavour at the same time as feeling the loveliness run through her head. It wasn¡¯t good the first few times but she¡¯d soon got used to it. Nowadays all she got was a wonderful feeling, not the bleeding noses.

    She smiled the man as he brought the knife out and swung down.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    ¡°Hey, have you seen a bunch of kids in rags running out of here?¡± one of the guards asked a tall armoured man. His black full metal armour would¡¯ve made him almost disappear into the shadow of the building he stood under if not for that large red cape that hung over his shoulders. Large pommels at the end of long grips, likely belonging to greatswords, protruded from behind him adding into his intimidating aura.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve seen them running across into that alleyway¡±, his deep voice carried over as he points at the alleyway opposite the street.

    ¡°Come on men, they couldn¡¯t have gotten far,¡± the guard said before leading the rest of his group into the alley. When they were all gone the man turned around and revealed a group of rags wearing kids trying to blend in with the walls. There was no way to see that person¡¯s face through the narrow slits of the closed helm but his glare could still be felt by the youngest of them all as they shivered. The oldest boy stepped forward and deposited some coins into the man''s extended hand.

    ¡°Now get out of here,¡± the man said before leaving for the market in front of them. A few minutes of walking into the crowds he suddenly looked back and saw the eldest boy staring back at him with clutched hands. ¡°What do you want a kid?¡±

    ¡°I-I need something else-¡±

    ¡°You got any more money?¡± he promptly asked.

    ¡°Y-yes,¡± the boy said, startled. ¡°Is this much enough?¡±

    The boy showed a small pouch of leather, jiggling it to show its worth. He nodded and gestured for the boy to lead.

    ¡°What do you want to be done?¡± he asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s a little girl taken to the jailhouse I need you to get her out,¡± seeing him hesitate the boy quickly continued, ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything but talk and show the guards this.¡± The scrawny kid pulled out a small copper metal plate and showed it to him. It held an insignia of a flame in blueish iron in its middle. ¡°Ask to see a girl called Mina and bring her to me.¡±

    ¡°What is that plate?¡± He inquired, bending down to get a closer look.

    ¡°The Release, the old man who I-¡±, the ragged child hesitated. He shook his head and retried; ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter; all you need to know is that it can get the one who possesses it out of any jail or problem with the guards in Yikensworth. With this¡­I¡¯ll rescue-I mean you¡¯ll rescue Mina,¡± the boy said, glancing up at him.

    ¡°Kid, you tell people stuff like that and one day one of them be stupid enough to believe it that will be the day you¡¯ll meet the sharp end of the blade,¡± he said.

    A look of realization dawned on him and he slowly retreated two steps back.

    ¡°Luckily, today will not be the day you¡¯ll meet such a fate. But if you have this release why no use it yourself?¡±

    ¡°L-look at me,¡± the boy gestured to himself. ¡°I look like I belong on the streets, at least with your armour they¡¯ll think it¡¯s someone important.¡±

    ¡°Regardless of what lies beneath¡­¡± he nodded.

    ¡°Yeah. Come on, it¡¯s this way.¡±

    He was led down the streets until he arrived at the main street. The kid suddenly hid behind the empty barrels outside a shop and told him to continue onwards towards the black building around the corner. He left the kid and began walking towards the jailhouse which imitated the castle¡¯s design it was within. Coming to the end of the street, where the cobblestone yard began, he squinted ahead to see the raised portcullis and a little girl that was making her way out in, what looked like, a drunken state.

    ¡°Mina?¡± he asked. The girl¡¯s eyes flickered towards him but she remained steadfast in the direction she was walking. He slowly reached out and grasped her hand expecting a reaction, but the girl continued onwards. Once again, he slowly moved her his way and found that she followed with no resistance. Clenching his jaw, the man led her back around the corner where he saw the boy¡¯s eyes almost pop out of his head. The boy quickly pulled her in a hug, and for a moment it seemed as if he was going to cry.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what happened in there, you¡¯re fine now. I¡¯ve got you now.¡±

    The girl slowly reached out and clenched his sleeve, pulling him closer, and soon enough they were both quietly sobbing in their own world. Meanwhile, the armoured man stood at a distance, with his arms crossed, quietly watching their exchange. Eventually, he nodded to himself and approached them when he noticed that they were finished.

    ¡°Ah, here you go,¡± the boy said, tossing you the bag of coins.

    ¡°You too,¡± he said, tossing the metal plate the boy had given him.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he smiled. The man nodded before turning his attention to the wide-eyed girl between them.

    ¡°Did she have those before?¡± he asked softly.

    ¡°Wha-Mina! What happened?¡± the boy shouted, pushing away the sleeves to expose more of the cuts.

    ¡°Nothing Ollie, I just tripped and fell over on some knives they had lying around when I was getting out.¡±

    ¡°They just let you go like that?¡± the boy, Ollie, asked.

    ¡°No silly, I had to cut some of my hair off. There was this nice man who even gave me sweetly after they cut it, or was it before?¡±

    ¡°No, no¡­what¡¯s going on? Mina, did you sniff the sweets?¡± Ollie asked with worry.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she giggled. ¡°How else would you eat them?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s poisoned,¡± Ollie exclaimed. ¡°They¡¯ll pay for this.¡±

    ¡°Whatever¡¯s happening here seems to involve more than just a couple of guards, it will not be¡­smart for you to pursue vengeance for just this, especially if you can¡¯t defend yourself. You need to worry about her poison before you can do anything.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re right, I¡¯m just being stupid right now.¡± After a moment of silence, the boy asked. ¡°Are you going to help us?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Please, she¡¯ll die if she isn¡¯t cured. Please, you¡¯ve got to save her.¡±

    ¡®Fate has a weird sense of humour,¡¯ he thought.

    ¡°What poison does she have?¡± he asked and watched Ollie¡¯s face light up.

    ¡®Maybe that¡¯s how I looked back then too.¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s a white powder stuck together by honey. It comes from a blood-like flower with a cross of tar in its middle,¡± Ollie looked up slightly embarrassed. ¡°Sorry, I know it¡¯s not much help but that¡¯s the best I can tell you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, does it look like this?¡± he asked pulling out a dried-up flower from one of his pouches. Ollie and Mina looked leaned closer before the former nodded vigorously.

    ¡°Yeah, yes that¡¯s the one.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± he stuffed the flower back into his pouch before moving past them. ¡°Follow me¡±

    ¡°What about her? Is she gonna be alright? Hey mister-¡±

    ¡°Shhhh.¡±

    Blinking in surprise, the scrawny boy followed his gesture towards a nearby tavern. So keeping a strong grip on Mina¡¯s arm Ollie followed him in silence. The armoured man immediately drew attention from everyone inside. With burning ears, Ollie sat beside Mina, closest to the door and silently watched the man ask for some stew. He waited until the wench was gone before asking again, but once again the man held a finger to his helmet, gesturing for their silence while he placed a few of his own pouches on the table and began shuffling through them. He took out a few dried herbs and set them aside until the stew arrived. By this time, beads of sweat had lodged them into all sorts of uncomfortable places all over his body. There were so many ways this could end badly.

    ¡°Stop shaking boy. Calm down and just eat your food,¡± the man gestured. Lightly slapping Mina¡¯s extended hand, as she tried going for her stew. ¡°Not you little one, you are sick right now and require something more to take care of you.¡±

    ¡°Uh, thanks¡­who are you?¡± Ollie asked.

    ¡°A traveller, now a mercenary,¡± he said, pulled out his necklace holding a metal plate with one slash on it from within his cape¡¯s folds.

    ¡°What are you going to do with us?¡±

    ¡°Ease your troubles, in exchange for some information.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°Wench, get me some water tankards, will you? Thank you. Not right now child, first you eat then we talk.¡±

    Ollie could feel his stomach respond to the delicious smell with small growls and lurches. He could feel his mouth salivate, so wiping it by his sleeve he dived into the warm lunch. Unfortunately, Mina wasn¡¯t able to follow suit as the man suddenly held out his hand, stopping her again.

    ¡°Not now child, first I prepare it then you will eat,¡± he said.

    ¡°What are you adding?¡± Ollie sat up straight, frowning at him as he crushed the leaves into her stew.

    ¡°Plants, this should help her regain some meat on her bones,¡± he said when he was done. ¡°Now you can eat.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to eat that?¡± Ollie asked, pointing at the other untouched bowl.

    ¡°No, this is for the girl.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± the child said before returning to his stew. It was very simple, some broth with vegetables, yet to him, who hadn¡¯t eaten for the whole day, it felt heavenly. Soon, they¡¯d loosened up and he¡¯d begun telling Mina of what¡¯d happened after they escaped which prompted her to ask;

    ¡°Um¡­mister?¡± she suddenly asked.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of the guards?¡± Upon her question, the other children perked up.

    ¡°Should I be?¡± the warrior asked.

    ¡°Yeah, you should,¡± Ollie spoke, pushing his bowl aside as Mina took her second bowl. ¡°They¡¯re...they did this to her just for bumping into them. There are rumours of how-¡±

    Even though he¡¯d said it only to the armoured man, the silence that fell onto the busy crowd told him he¡¯d been heard by all those present, promptly causing him to stop. All eyes seemed to focus on their little group at the mention of the guards.

    ¡°It seems they have quite the reputation,¡± he pointed out curiously.

    ¡°Yes. They have a very scary reputation,¡± the boy whispered, ¡°One of the reasons I wanted to get her today instead of waiting was because I¡¯d had heard that they sometimes capture the people who offend them and ra-¡±

    ¡°Shut up, boy,¡± a man stood up from the table next to theirs and scolded. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about shit that¡¯ll get us all in trouble if anyone of them happens to pass by. I won¡¯t pay for your stupidity.¡±

    Despite being fat and short, the man showed an impressive effect on Ollie as he sank down and focused on his stew, apologizing quitely.

    ¡°Hmmph, good.¡±

    The man sat down with a huff and gulped down his, rather large, mug of ale before carrying on with his companions. Understanding the matter dropped the crowd returned to their own conversations, forgetting about the boy as soon as they¡¯d gotten involved.

    The warrior nodded to himself as he leaned back and watched them transition with apparent ease. Time went by quickly, and once it seemed she¡¯d had her fill he gave the pouch of coins to the nearby wench and took his leave.

    ¡°A few parting words, children. The following days will be much worse for you two,¡± he warned the boy as the girl held onto him for support. ¡°I suggest going to one of the villages outside the city if you¡¯re able. Otherwise, find some quiet place to sleep for a few days with water closeby, you¡¯ll need lots of water. Well, this is goodbye for now children let¡¯s hope we meet again.¡±

    ¡°Where can we find you?¡± Ollie asked as the man turned to leave.

    The armoured warrior simply walked into the crowd without a word and disappeared into the alleyway opposite the street. They stood there for some time before the Ollie saw a patrol of guards coming their way. Acting quickly, he guided Mina into the crowd and disappeared in search for that quiet place.

 Chapter 1: Successive Annoyances on a Really Bad Day

    He was not having a good day and that had left him in a foul mood. His plans for the evening to finally attempt at ¡®moving on¡¯ were thwarted not because of the guards¡¯ stupidity to catch the kids, but because of the disappearance of that¡­sick girl from the cell. He¡¯d locked her in, he¡¯d done his job, yet he was somehow expected to answer for her escape like it was his fault.

    ¡®A¡¯ Yikensworth we hold ourselves to a better degree than the rest of our neighbours.¡¯

    Of course, he should¡¯ve seen where that conversation was going with the way the sadist began, but he stood there like a tree and took whatever was thrust upon him. Now, looking back at that, he regretted it sorely.

    ¡®I get it, you¡¯re a new transfer here, but since your arrival we haven¡¯t seen any promised changes that your superiors spoke of, in fact, you¡¯ve been more detrimental to the others if the reports I receive are meant to be believed, and in light of recent events I think they should be.¡¯

    He was so wrapped up in replaying that moment in his head that he didn¡¯t see that he was approaching a corner till it was too late. He collided with the armoured man and almost fell back from the shock. Had he not let his armour be taken he wouldn¡¯t have been rattled as he did now. Looking up he saw a tall¡­mercenary in black armour with a red cape wrapped around him.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± the man with a thick northern accent bowed slightly before brushing past him. This was just a coincidental encounter, but something in Guzmund¡¯s gut told him otherwise. His men, before they were assigned to another leftenant, spoke of a man matching that mercenary¡¯s appearance and their concerns that he was hiding those street rats.

    ¡®Unfortunately, I will have to demote you to grave duty until such a time when you can prove yourself to be a proper member of the Yikensworth guard.¡¯

    If Guzmund hadn¡¯t been in such a foul mood, and if he had not taken offence at how easily that mercenary brushed past him¡­he still would¡¯ve interrogated that man. He would always keep his emotions separate from his duty, but on rare occasions like this one they lined up he could finally let loose.

    ¡°Stop mercenary,¡± he called out as he turned. Walking up to him he began; ¡°I¡¯ve received some reports of a man, matching your description, who¡¯s interfered and even harboured a few criminals from the guards of Yikensworth. Declare and give up your arms, and come with me or else we are going to have a problem. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°§° §é§Ö§Þ §ä§í §Ô§à§Ó§à§â§Ú§ê§î, §Þ§Ñ§Ý§Ö§ß§î§Ü§Ú§Û §é§Ö§Ý§à§Ó§Ö§Ü? ¡­ Excuse me, my Ansdrovean not so good,¡± the merc responded.

    ¡°Wha-hmph, forget it. I arrest you for harbouring criminals!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t un¡­understand.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit, I¡¯ll show you,¡± Guzmund took out his sword in frustration and pointed at the man. ¡°Now do ya understand? You¡¯re under arrest in the name of the law.¡±

    ¡°What did I do wrong?¡± he asked, walking closer.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Guzmund shouted, his sword scratching the man¡¯s waist.

    ¡°You are arresting me? Okay, where is jail?¡± the man offered his gloved hands in surrender.

    ¡°G-good, now turn around and start walking,¡± Guzmund said thrusting his sword to give him some incentive to lead.

    ¡°Yes, guard.¡±

    It was getting dark and he still had to report in at the graveyard. The fastest way to the jailhouse was through the alleyways, but taking an armoured criminal through them could very well mean his death since they would be out of sight from any witnesses if he decided to retaliate. One the other hand, due to the mercenary¡¯s large size he couldn¡¯t do much in the narrow space between the buildings. Eventually, Guzmund took the risk and pushed him into the nearest alleyway.

    ¡°Keep going, and don¡¯t look back,¡± he ordered. Fortunately, the man was smart and obeyed without a struggle. Guzmund led him through alleyway-to-alleyway, scowling at the shadows as they quickly stretched to cover the streets.

    ¡¯30 days since I came here and I¡¯m still not used to this sudden darkness.¡¯ He thought as he led him through a, particularly dirty alleyway. It was littered with garbage like half-eaten fruits, and fluids which attached his nose with full force, but he pushed through. He had to get his suspect as quickly as possible and if it meant walking through filth to save up on time to avoid punishment from the warden than that¡¯s what he would do.

    ¡°Where is it!?¡± A sudden shout from beneath them froze him in his tracks. ¡°Where is it, you thieving kids?!¡±

    ¡®Thieving kids?¡¯ Guzmund wondered. ¡®Criminals? Wait, no that could just be a father being coarse with his children.¡¯

    ¡°I should¡¯ve never interfered. It must¡¯ve fallen at the Townsquare. Did the guards get it?¡± The speaker had begun speaking to himself but had failed to notice that he was still very loud.

    ¡®Or maybe he¡¯s closer to us? I was at the Townsquare and my team were the only guards I saw there, does mean us? Old man¡­is that the vomiter?¡¯ His scowl deepened.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t supposed to get caught! It was just that girl I¡¯ve been fattening up-¡±

    ¡®Girl? Getting caught? If he is truly what I think he is, then this is better than taking a suspect like him. That''ll be great, I bring back this many criminals the hour after they demoted me, I can even get my old position back¡­what to do?! Argh, they¡¯re both suspects until proven guilty but the prospects too good.¡¯ Guzmund knocked his skull a few times. ¡®How should I go about this? The old man seems to be surrounded by the other kids, all of them to be harder to catch unless¡­¡¯

    ¡°Hey, big guy?¡± He whispered. ¡°You¡¯re interested in earning some money?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± the addressee turned slightly.

    ¡°If you help me out here, I can pay you money.¡±

    ¡°No jail?¡± he asked, uncertainly.

    ¡°Yeah, no jail. Just help me get them to jail and you won¡¯t be arrested.¡±

    The next few seconds were the most heart-pounding. It shouldn¡¯t take that long to answer. It was a simple question, and the man seemed to understand it well enough¡­unless he planning to run.

    ¡®If he so much as twitches wrong I¡¯ll stab him.¡¯

    ¡°What¡¯s taking so long?¡± Guzmund growled.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    He had to be careful. The kids he¡¯d heard of below were likely to be the same ones he¡¯d helped. If Ollie¡¯s story was true then that old man below was the leader, and he had found his Release plate missing.

    If he tried running away, then that would likely lead to being attacked by that guard behind him which would mean he¡¯d be branded a criminal for resisting. Probably worse if the local¡¯s reaction was any indication. Since he¡¯d become a mercenary in this city, it meant he¡¯d be easier to find if they searched the mercenary guild, and that was a matter of when not if. They could make him a criminal in all places where a mercenary guild existed which that meant every kingdom except the Chimerean.

    If he followed the guard in he would have to make sure to knock out those kids before they could recognize him. It wasn¡¯t impossible, but if he failed then he would likely to locked up as a result of their previous dealings. At least the latter option meant he wouldn¡¯t have to kill anyone. Finding solace in this small detail, he nodded at the guard crouched next to a set of basement doors he¡¯d found amongst all the dirt and garbage.

    ¡°One, two, three-¡± he whispered. ¡°GO!¡±

    Barreling through the doors he broke and splintered the wood before crashing into what seemed an underground house. He didn¡¯t have much time to hesitate as the children, standing in a circle around the old man began to run away.

    As gently as he could, he delivered punches and kicks to their heads and stomachs, knocking them unconscious or out of breath. He heard a cry from behind him and deftly turned around to find the guard punch the old man across the jaw, knocking a few teeth loose which collided with his armour. Quickly scanning the area, he was relieved to find that all six kids that he¡¯d met before were accounted for.

    ¡°Alright criminal, you¡¯re coming with me. You got the kids mercenary?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered picking up the last of the kids on his left hand. ¡°Lead the way-¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯ll lead. I¡¯ll tell you when and where you have to go,¡± the guard smirked and pointed towards the stairs leading back out while he adjusted his grip into the old man.

    ¡°You think you can keep me in there?¡± the old man suddenly shouted. ¡°I¡¯ve got friends in high places, ya hear? You can¡¯t keep me locked up, I¡¯ll walk away, I tell you. I¡¯ll walk out as soon as you put me in there, and then I can watch the look on your face when you realize that this isn¡¯t your city, but mine! Hahaha-¡±

    ¡°Crazy filth,¡± the guard murmured, wiping the blood off his hand as he lugged the unconscious man around before spotting him looking his way. ¡°What¡¯re you starin¡¯ at? Get moving.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± he replied and quickly carried the children up into the street. ¡°Where to?¡±

    ¡°Go down that road, I¡¯ll tell you when you get there.¡±

    The mercenary obeyed without a word. He followed his instructions down half the road until they were met another group of guards coming around the corner. Their surprise in seeing them quickly morphed into smug happiness. They seemed eager to take the criminals off his hands but Guzmund stepped forth.

    ¡°Hey, get on with your patrols guys, I got this,¡± he motioned to them.

    ¡°Guzmund,¡± the man exclaimed as if he was just now seeing the short guard. ¡°Heard you got demoted to the graveyard shift, sorry about that man. How about we young¡¯uns help you out? We can send them off to the jailhouse, while you get on your way to relieving the guards there.¡±

    ¡°How dull can they be?¡± he murmured to himself, but loud enough so that everyone heard it.

    ¡°What¡¯d you call us?¡± another one of the guards stepped up.

    ¡°I said yer being dull,¡± he scowled. ¡°I caught them, I know where their hideout was, I know what happened when I captured them. Only I can make a proper report for the captain.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, everyone knows that it doesn¡¯t matter how they were caught, only what they¡¯re-¡±

    He was suddenly pulled back by his companions. Each took an ear and began to whisper in hushed voices, but the mercenary heard it all.

    ¡°Shh, he¡¯s not broken in yet. We¡¯re not supposed to tell them that stuff.¡±

    ¡°And what would that be!?¡± he growled.

    Apparently, so did Guzmund.

    He punched the old man a few times across his face before throwing him into the wall, freeing his hands. He quickly pulled out his sword and stalked forward.

    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°You young ones wanted to help your senior, right? Well then, help me understand what it is that I shouldn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve not been broken into the ongoings of this city,¡± the lead guard said with a sombre expression. ¡°Speak any of this to anyone and you¡¯ll end up dead, understand? I can now see that you need no help taking them to the jailhouse, so we¡¯ll be just on our way.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not done with you three yet!¡± he shouted. He tried blocking them but they suddenly turned around and ran away.

    ¡°Remember Guzmund, speak of this and you¡¯re dead,¡± the lead guard warned before he disappeared into an alley.

    Guzmund turned around and saw the mercenary - still holding onto his seven criminals, and the old man who was beginning to stir awake cursed in defeat. He sheathed his sword, before manhandling the old man to stand up.

    ¡°Honour-less curs,¡± he whispered. ¡°The heck was all that about?¡±

    He pointedly stared at the mercenary and motioned for him to continue walking. He took the lead while Guzmund grumbled and muttered to himself in the back. However, just when he thought he¡¯d be done with this episodic annoyance a small ball of limbs in brown clothes jumped in his way from the alleyway. The small man rolled over his feet, causing him to lose balance. While the midget ran away from the shouting Guzmund, the mercenary tried to steady himself until someone collided into him from behind. A woman¡¯s shriek was heard as the colliding body straightened him out.

    Turning around he saw a woman lying on the ground behind him, trying to catch her breath. Under the moonlight, the building¡¯s shadows extended far out onto the street, and they just so happened to cover her in their darkness preventing both mercenary and guard from properly seeing her. But that didn¡¯t stop Guzmund from acting out.

    ¡°Halt mercenary,¡± Guzmund said sternly, ¡°You are interfering in the arrest of eight criminals. This is a serious offence of the law, please leave before I arrest you for interfering.¡±

    ¡°My phyles!¡± ignoring the guard, the woman shouted. She was kneeling over what looked like broken mud pots spilling their contents on the floor. ¡°They cost me a fortune!¡±

    ¡°Rose?¡±

    At the mention of her name, the woman looked up in surprise. ¡°Guzmund? What¡¯re you doing here? You made me lose that midget thief!¡±

    ¡°What midget? You mean that was a person¡­I¡¯m sorry for that Rose, but this arrest is too important for me to deal with this right now-¡± he said.

    ¡°Deal with! These cost me a month¡¯s worth of a saving up on drinking. I haven¡¯t gone to the taverns for months ¡®cause of these pots!¡± she accentuated by kicking the remnants. ¡°You¡¯re paying me for this. Right now!¡±

    ¡°Come on mercenary, we¡¯ve wasted enough time as it is.¡±

    ¡°Hey, get back here,¡± the woman, Rose moved forward to grab his arm but the guard quickly dodged back and pulled out his sword while maintaining a grip on the knocked out elder.

    ¡°Really? After all we¡¯ve been through you¡¯re gonna pull out a sword?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± He said a matter-of-factly. When she wouldn¡¯t budge he begrudgingly explained; ¡°We¡¯ve only worked together a few times, and as it stands there is not much I know about you other than that you are a mercenary with courtship problems-¡±

    Unbeknownst to the men the woman¡¯s cheeks became tinted with a slight blush as she thanked God for the shadows hiding her features.

    ¡°-and mercenaries only move where the money flows.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you trying to say?¡±

    *Sigh*¡°Miss Rose, I simply don¡¯t trust you enough to keep you around arrested criminals. Especially ones of this calibre.¡±

    ¡°But you trust him!?¡± she shouted, pointing incredulously at the mercenary.

    ¡°He is a wuss, a son of a rich merchant playing mercenary. I can handle him, but not you.¡±

    ¡°Jeez Guzmund, is that how you treat someone who¡¯ve saved your life¡± she frowned.

    ¡°We fought together and helped one another, not owe a debt,¡± Guzmund tried keeping it even but his anger was beginning to seep into his voice. ¡°However, Miss Rose, I am very busy right now, and would appreciate if you could please¡­leave before you force me to use my sword.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I get it. You¡¯re busy,¡± she announced, slowly moving towards the alleyway the midget had run into. ¡°But this isn¡¯t over Guzmund. You owe me for this one. I¡¯ll come for my payment when you¡¯re done with your stupid arrest.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye, Miss Rose,¡± Guzmund said sternly. He kept watch as the woman sunk into the shadows, and only when he was certain that she was gone did he order the mercenary to move again.

    They finished the rest of their trip in silence.

    Once there, the mercenary unloaded the children piled atop him and let the guards take them into their cells. They were carried off in a line with a rope tying their hands in succession. Seeing this the mercenary quickly sought out Guzmund who was reporting to a bald man with a leather apron.

    ¡°What sort of punishment?¡± Guzmund asked softly.

    ¡°Well, the good news¡¯s that you¡¯ll get no more demotions. Its gonna be a quota ya havta fill, within the week.¡±

    ¡°But I got you the ringleader and all his beggars we¡¯d encountered in the morning. That¡¯s at least twice as much as what Gillard got.¡±

    ¡°Gillard wasn¡¯t late ta his post, he didn¡¯t let a prisoner escape.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Guzmund! Is this insubordination?!¡±

    ¡°A-I, no captain.¡±

    ¡°Good, now give this ¡®ringleader¡¯ to Gabe so he put him in his cell,¡± his eyes lingered on the old man¡¯s bruised face before leaving for the stairs leading up to the battlements.

    Guzmund handed the man over to an archer with long blond hair, who gave him an apologetic look which he brushed off. A few times the blond man opened his mouth to say something but each time he stopped short after a few nondescript sounds. Eventually, he gave up and left with the prisoner to the cells. The mercenary waited until this exchange ended before approaching the guard.

    ¡°What will¡­the boys?¡± he asked.

    ¡°What¡¯ll happen to the boys?¡± Guzmund frowned. ¡°Depends on them. Normally theft is punishable by cutting off a hand, but since they¡¯re children they may just be disciplined a little before they¡¯re sent to the orphanage where we get our recruits from.¡±

    ¡°Disciplined?¡±

    ¡°Just a few scares and slaps, nothin¡¯ major I¡¯m sure,¡± the guard sighed in frustration before rubbing his face tiredly.

    ¡°Reward?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh yeah, your reward. Yes, uh¡­wait here a moment,¡± he said before leaving for the far-side rooms. The mercenary took this time to look up at jailhouse properly. From outside the jailhouse looked like a complete stone structure, but seeing it from the inside revealed to him that it was an illusion. The bottom floor was small all stone but the upper ones were wooden from the inside. There was a set of stairs leading up to the balcony on the first and second floors, decorated with banners carrying a dot within a circle, probably the coat-of-arms of the nobility reigning over the fiefdom.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    The mercenary had just enough time to bring up his arm to catch a coin purse. It was heavy. He turned to see a less than pleased Guzmund glaring at him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve paid up, now leave,¡± He pointed towards the raised portcullis. The armoured man saw the guard¡¯s arms sag when he looked over to the gate. A woman with deep red hair was standing behind the bars as if waiting for someone.

    ¡°What a wonderful night this is turning out to be,¡± the guard murmured to himself as he set towards her.

    ¡°She is a good mercenary?¡±

    ¡°Huh, uh¡­yeah. She¡¯s a Two-Strike mercenary so she¡¯s got plenty of experience, and she¡¯s strong for women her age but carries a lot of emotional baggage ¨C something about her last man cheating on her. So isn¡¯t very popular for partnership. I mean you already have to risk your life on those silver ranked jobs but with her, you also have to hear her nag on and on about this man of hers. Why you askin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°I want quick job with lots of money. Yeekensworth is¡­unfamiliar to me, but she knows it and if is willing to split half I can¡­make night more wonderful, for you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, so you help me with her and what? There¡¯s gotta be a catch.¡±

    ¡°Please introduce us.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± he agreed, but then muttered. ¡°At least that¡¯s one problem solved.¡±

    Guzmund led the mercenary to meet with Rose who was now expectantly glaring at them.

    ¡°Rose,¡± he greeted with a stony face.

    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten your criminals in now. No excuses Guzmund,¡± she unfolding her arms.

    ¡°Yes, here he is.¡±

    ¡°This ain¡¯t funny Guzmund, I said I won¡¯t be taking a-¡±

    ¡°-¡¯No¡¯, yes I know. This mercenary is the payment.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that one before.¡± Rose crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes as she glared at the mercenary. After a minute she asked him to explain. ¡°I am not taking care of a foreigner, especially one that¡¯s the son of a rich merchant. I want payment. Get lost kid.¡±

    ¡°Not your junior. Not rich son of merchant or a useless mercenary also.¡±

    ¡°Well, your still just a one-strike mercenary so you¡¯ve got a lot to learn before you can butt in. This doesn¡¯t have anything to do with you.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the mercenary that knocked you down just by standing, your phyles got broken because you ran into him,¡± Guzmund said. The mercenary looked down at the guard in surpassed surprise.

    ¡®Is that how he¡¯s doing this?¡¯ He thought.

    ¡°Ha, so he¡¯s heavy enough to knock down a lady¡±

    ¡°So if anyone¡¯s to pay up for it, he is. I already paid him what I owed for his help so I don¡¯t have much to give anymore.¡±

    ¡®He is.¡¯

    ¡°Just hand over the coins then, greenhorn.¡±

    ¡°I want to work to pay.¡±

    ¡°Listen, greenhorn, you clearly haven¡¯t got no problem with a coin. I mean your armour must¡¯ve cost you a lot of money to make so just hand over 20 silver Ansdreks and things don¡¯t have to get messy-hey where you going?¡±

    Guzmund, who had begun walking away, turned around in surprise.

    ¡°This is between you and him now, I''ve a post I¡¯ve got to get to.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not leaving me here with¡­this!¡± She shouted, pointing at the mercenary.

    ¡°If I stay any longer I¡¯ll get punished for it so I gotta go. Look on the bright side, at least he¡¯s capable enough to take down a gang of criminals.¡±

    ¡°Children, Guzmund, you caught children. We¡¯ll be fighting beasts and giant animals, if we¡¯re lucky, you said he¡¯s a wuss.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re already thinking of the job? Good, so just give him a chance. If anything he can act as a meatshield for yer escape. Besides, you¡¯re acting like I haven¡¯t lied before.¡± Guzmund nodded before continuing to walk down the street. However, before he could leave Rose ran to block him, her sword drawn.

    ¡°Miss Rose!¡± He shouted angrily before she could even speak. ¡°You don¡¯t like this situation, I get it, but he is new here and needs a guide for the mercenary guild. You are here ¡®cause he broke your phyles. He¡¯s willing to split the money of his jobs if you accompany him so he can take higher ranked jobs. What is the problem?¡±

    ¡°Guzmund-ah,¡± It looked as if Rose wanted to argue further but couldn¡¯t come up with a response.

    ¡°Do you think you can get away with raising a sword at me? I may not be a leftenant anymore or well-liked in the barracks, but remember that if you attack me you will be hunted by every single guard in the city. At least of that, I¡¯m certain.¡± Guzmund huffed before pushing past her and disappearing down the street.

    Rose stood still, sporting an expression like she tasted something very better. Finally, she sighed in defeat and too huffed; ¡°F**k.¡±

    After a moment of silence, she quietly walked back to the mercenary and scrutinized him for another before asking; ¡°So what¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°¡­Drac¡±, he said after a moment of hesitation.

    ¡°Alright, Drac, where you stayin¡¯?¡±

 Chapter 2: Surprise Appearances

    It was early morning in the city of Yikensworth when Drac came out of the Oily Inn. When he let the door swing shut he was greeted by the frowning figure of one Brair Rose.

    ¡®That is her,¡¯ he confirmed. In the light of day, he found that ¨C except for her red hair ¨C she was quite different than what he¡¯d initially assumed in the darkness.

    Brair looked closer to her late twenties, wearing an iron breastplate over a padded tunic which accentuated her arms, green trousers which were neatly tucked into her clean boots, and metal-plated leather gloves. She wore a red thread loosely around her neck, and a black one so tight it looked like a collar displaying her identification as a mercenary ¨C a metal plate with two lines etched into it. The last thing he noticed was her scar which was almost hidden in the shadow of her nose, on the depression where her cheek and nose met.

    ¡°You ready?¡± she asked, taking a stride towards him.

    Drac simply nodded and led the way down the street with her following behind closely. They walked through the streets for some time silence, taking to the alleys for shortcuts until they reached the building they were looking for ¨C The Mercenary Guild.

    The guild was commonplace in all cities ¨C that could afford its services ¨C throughout the kingdoms. Despite being a city at the border, Yikensworth kept a strong force of mercenaries roaming its streets. Mercenaries or Mercs were used for various activities ranging from gathering unusual herbs for resident alchemists to slaying beasts or large animals because they threatened the safety of the locals. Instead of Ansdrovean guards dying over an unlucky encounter protecting curious alchemists gathering herbs, the mercenaries were used. They were more expendable.

    Fortunately, the guilds made sure to treat them well, else there wouldn¡¯t be as many as there were in the kingdoms to perform such tasks. They made sure each merc received his or her payment properly per their achievements. Additionally, they compensated the employers if the mercenaries broke their agreement and punished those contract breakers harshly. The jobs were usually very dangerous, in which failure to succeed was death.

    The first thing he saw as he entered the building was the counter at the front, where three of the guild¡¯s green garbed receptionists greeted the mercenaries with smiles - each representing a different time of life. Drac saw the eldest receptionist, to the left, lock eyes with him before whispering something to her juniors: a middle-aged brunette, and young blond.

    Brair had already left for the giant notice board to the right of the counter, beside the stairs leading to the first floor, while Drac stayed behind ¨C observing the various groups a moment longer.

    Mercs were scattered across the entire building; there were large warriors in full plate armour, nimble fellows in light armour bearing bows, people in turbans and robes adorned in all manner of symbols - likely the more adventuring sort of alchemists, and robed flow readers with their staves decorated in precious metal nuggets. It was rare to see so many figures of such variety in a city let alone a small room such as this, but then again, Ansdrovea was known for having the most diverse people as its residents.

    Brair was still combing through the different requests that each parchment presented when Drac joined her, but before she could grab one he was already taking his find for processing at the counter.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯cha find?¡± Brair asked boorishly as she walked over to catch up.

    ¡°Easy money¡±, he replied, giving his parchment to the receptionist in the middle.

    ¡°Oh yeah, me too?¡± she leaned over and slammed her parchment beside his.

    ¡°Ummm¡± the receptionist looked at him with a troubled face after reading his proposed contract. ¡°This is a rank 3 contract.¡±

    ¡°I know. That is why I took it.¡±

    ¡°*Sigh* You said it was easy money,¡± Brair said before lightly punching his pauldron. ¡°That¡¯s not something someone your rank can do. Heck, even I¡¯m not allowed to do that alone.¡±

    ¡°¡®A group of two with a two-strike mercenary can request for a rank 3 job¡¯, or so spoken by your senior,¡± he nodded to the older woman. She looked up from her work and replied sternly, ¡°Mina, please take care of this yourself, you know the rules¡±, before returning to her logbook.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir, I cannot allow you to do that. You two may be applicable for our rank 3 contracts but we also have to consider the risks that can come with allowing only a One-Strike and Two-Strike mercenary team.¡± The receptionist answered. ¡°Please find a more suitable assignment for you both?¡±

    ¡°You speak of rules, and happily enforce them when necessary but aren¡¯t willing to accept them when they are inconvenient for you? What a quaint sense of humour you people have.¡±

    ¡°Get over it greenhorn, that¡¯s life.¡± Brair pushed her contract atop his, shoving him to the side. ¡°We¡¯ll be accepting this one, Mina.¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh,¡± she cringed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Rose, but someone has already claimed that contract.¡±

    ¡°Then why was this up there?¡± Brair frowned.

    ¡°I-I must¡¯ve forgotten to pull them all down. I, um, I can make it a joint contract if you want - with the head receptionist¡¯s permission of course.¡± Mina glanced at the older woman sitting beside her. Drac keenly watched the wrinkles around her eyes multiply as she crinkled her skin and rubbed her eyes in exhaustion.

    ¡°It¡¯s still morning?¡± he heard her mutter before addressing Mina. ¡°Very well, if all mercenaries involved will accept it we will make the contract a joint one.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a joint contract again?¡± Brair asked.

    ¡°In such a contract,¡± Mina explained as she began filling out a form she¡¯d taken from under the desk. ¡°Both parties will receive the same amount of reward discussed in the contract, but to do so both parties will need to designate one person to claim it when it¡¯s completed and complete it in half the given time. All join contracts must be extermination or exfiltration and held within the country. Please sign here.¡±

    ¡°It''s contents?¡± He asked.

    "Does it really matter to you?" Brair asked as she signed.

    "Curious."

    ¡°Extermination of pests in the White Forest near a couple of villages south of here,¡± Brair explained. ¡°We gotta finish it in a week to get the reward so you better pack quick. Do you need to?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Gonna need more than what you got down there,¡± she remarked at his many pouches tried to his waist.

    ¡°This much is enough,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Brair? I need the signature of the other group leader before I can approve your contract.¡±

    "Alright, so I take it that the group that claimed it didn''t leave yet."

    ¡°Right you are,¡± someone said walking behind her. The man leaned against the table and took the quill and paper out of the receptionist¡¯s hand, snaking his arms around Brair before retreating. ¡°Like old times eh Rose?¡±

    ¡°No¡­,¡± Brair whispered. She didn¡¯t turn around immediately, allowing Drac to register the expressions of shock, sadness and anger which successively morphed into the other. She turned her back to him and faced the newcomer.

    ¡°It is nice to see you again,¡± the blond man revealed a bright smile. His green eyes travelled over to Drac and he asked. ¡°Who¡¯s your new friend?¡±

    Before any of them could respond to someone else interrupted from the doorway; ¡°Is that you, Brair?¡±

    From the corner of his helm, Drac saw a group of three - two men and a kid - approach them. Their Strike-Three metal plates glittered around their necks. Drac silently watched Brair¡¯s tense posture relax, and her hand that was creeping to a knife hidden between her leather armour and gambison withdraw.

    "Come on Drac, we¡¯ll find some other work,¡± she said.

    ¡°What is it, Rose? I just returned-¡±, the man tried but Brair raised her hand to interrupt.

    ¡°You don''t get to act like this. Like you haven''t done everything that you have the past year because you returned from the dead. I already said my goodbyes the week after the news. Don''t make it any harder to...¡±

    "Any harder to what? To attack me? If that''s what you want then go ahead," Peter took the hidden knife from Brair and pushed it in her hand before pulling her hand to his neck. "I didn''t just go through almost dyin'' at Chimeran hands ta return to this. Brair I wanna end this now, so ya either do this or ya forgive me."

    When she didn''t make a move Peter shouted: "Come on." and got punched across the jaw.

    "You don''t get to make this choice, not after you slept with another woman behind my back." Brair placed her knife back and cracked her knuckles. "I''ll make my own choices now."

    The blond man looked at a loss for words. Peter rubbed his jaw and looked over them both until his eyes fixed onto Drac''s visor. He felt the tension in the air shift towards him. He stood in place waited for the blond to attack.

    ¡°Peter!¡± Someone shouted from the side. He looked over and saw another blond, at the head of the group, smiling at the bruised man.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go help Fliss find us a table upstairs for Volvo? You know his knees aren¡¯t what they used to be.¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah sure,¡± Peter responded noncommittally. As he stalked up the stairs, following the older man and the younger boy the other blond replaced him and focused Brair with a rueful smile.

    ¡°Sorry about the fake news,¡± he asked.

    ¡°When I said I''d said my goodbyes, I meant it for you all. It was better when I thought you were all dead.¡±

    ¡°All of us? Or just Peter?¡± he cocked an eyebrow.

    ¡°Alright, maybe I was a little upset for Fliss,¡± she smirked.

    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t be, ''brain¡¯s'' the most likeable of us all,¡± the blond joked. He looked over to Drac before addressing Brair again, ¡°Do you mind if we talk in private? Your friend here can join the others in the meantime.¡±

    ¡°Sure, think you can do that big guy?¡± she asked without turning around.

    ¡°This must be the ¡®emotional baggage¡¯ everyone has been gossiping about,¡± he remarked before walking between them, pushing them aside, to climb the stairs. He stopped at the top step and looked down to see them walk out of the building. He spied on the first floor, above the receptionist area, at the waiting area fitted with a bar along the entire wall - the blond¡¯s friends were not there. Continuing straight from the stairs he walked down a corridor and quietly listened for the voices behind the doors that lined the hallway.

    Finding the familiar voice of the blond Drac lightly knocked on the door. Waiting a few seconds before allowing himself in where he was greeted with frowns from all of the room¡¯s occupants. The long table, where everyone was seated, was big enough to seat at least 6 people. The brunette kid and the blond man had occupied one end of the table while the elder had occupied a seat opposite them. The oldest man, with greying hair, asked; ¡°Did Luvrit send you?¡±

    Drac nodded before taking his place at the corner of the wall facing everyone. He folded his arms and leaned against the wall, but after the long scream of a creak the wooden wall gave out he decided to just stand. The atmosphere, instead of being lighthearted from his attempt to induce laughs as he¡¯d expected, was thick with tension. That is until the youngest spoke up.

    ¡°Have you known miss Rose long?¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°No,¡± he replied curtly. After a moment the boy tried again; ¡°How did you meet her?¡±

    ¡°She tackled me...chasing a midget thief,¡± Drac said, noticing the shift in Peter¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°You know something Peter?¡± the older man, Volvo, asked - noticing the shift as well.

    ¡°I uh, I think I might¡¯ve seen him around the city,¡± Peter said but kept his head lowered. His eyes, however, travelled over to Drac and he eagerly asked; ¡°That¡¯s a pretty good armour you got there, where¡¯d you buy that? It¡¯s not Ansdrovean design.¡±

    ¡°I found it during the Black Perevorot.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re Ruvskian?¡± Volvo asked, surprised.

    Drac nodded which caused worried looks to be cast amongst the younger men, only Volvo held his gaze before adopting a smile.

    ¡°Well, at least something good came from that horrible mess. I¡¯d like to hear about our silent neighbours up north after we¡¯re done here.¡±

    Just then the door opened and the blond walked in, closely followed by Brair. She acknowledged him with a nod and greeted the others similarly ¨C except the blond: Peter ¨C before sitting opposite Luvrit at the furthest end of the table.

    ¡°Well, before we start I think we should get the introductions out of the way,¡± Luvrit said. He turned towards Drac and asked; ¡°Care to begin?¡±

    He sighed: ¡°I¡¯m Drac, stay out of my way when we¡¯re fighting and we¡¯ll be good.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m Luvrit and since I¡¯ll be leading this team,¡± Luvrit sent a look to the old man who nodded in return causing a smile to form, ¡°I¡¯ll need you to follow my lead when the time comes. Can I count on you for that?¡±.

    Assessing Luvrit Drac noted that other than the blond hair he also had the typical blue eyes indigenous of the Ansdrovean Kingdom, and while there were no other distinguishing features on him, he looked quite handsome amongst the commoners, considering his profession. He wore leather armour riveted with metal plates ¡ª strips of metal plates were woven into a leather base ¡ª and carried two swords strapped to his sides. Luvrit seemed strong enough to hold his own in a fight but his mannerisms were too...sophisticated for his line of work to consider him trustworthy. Still, Drac hesitantly nodded, tucking that observation to the back of his mind.

    The other similarly armoured blond halfheartedly spoke next; ¡°I¡¯m Peter, and I can¡¯t wait to see what you¡¯ve got in store for us if we gotta ¡®stay out of your way¡¯.¡± He had green eyes and a cleft chin with a slight stubble growing there. He was slender and long-limbed but also as muscular as Luvrit, sporting a quiver strapped to his back and carrying two short-swords ¨C likely the scout of the group. He exuded an aura of confidence and smugness which most likely would prove dangerous when fighting someone who he couldn''t get a read on.

    ¡°I¡¯m Fliss, it¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± the young boy eagerly spoke up. Drac glanced over to him, not once moving his head, and saw Brair engaging the tyke in a hushed discussion which made him blush furiously. Fliss sported dark brown hair with green eyes, and unlike the tanned skin of the other members, his was pale. He wore a large cloak which hid his armour, there was no doubt of whether he wore armour - they all did in this profession, and held a wooden staff with metal nuggets embedded in the top end between his legs. His countenance suggested a meekness about him which made him seem trustworthy, but it could¡¯ve been the adolescent features he¡¯d retained which attracted him to care. He was, obviously, in touch with the flow which made it hard to gouge his strength. That made him unpredictable until he knew how far along the kid was.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to have you back Brair,¡± the boy whispered, shying away from the woman ruffling his hair.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t¡¯ve said it better myself,¡± Peter said, slapping Fliss on the back which earned him a girlish yelp. When the boy glared at him, the blond kissed the air and whispered something in his ears which caused him to turn red. Surprisingly, this irked Brair as she scooted the boy away and began to ignore the reproachful blond.

    *Cough*Cough* ¡°Stop it, Peter,¡± The oldest mercenary spoke. Turning to Drac he continued; ¡°I¡¯m Volvo Inkerton, my Ruvskian friend. Now Luvrit, why don¡¯t you tell us the plan. We gotta finish this in a week now, as you¡¯re aware.¡± The large man, with a large black beard and a balding head, enquired. He was the only person he¡¯d seen amongst the group that was completely equipped; he wore metal cestuses, grieves, a thick gambison, a metal helmet, and carried a black mace currently held in his right hand, conveniently displayed on the table. It was likely that he was the most seasoned warrior amongst their group which was why it was harder to get a read on him.

    ¡°Right, since a lot of beasts have been appearing near the outskirts of White Forest, a few villages ¨C well they¡¯re all hamlets but we¡¯re supposed to consider them as villages for political reasons. Anyways, those villages that have already been attacked or are closest to the forest have requested for our help. Since there is no way one village could pay for this I think they¡¯ve pooled all their money made from harvests past and offered it to exterminate the monsters nearest the outskirts of that forest.¡±

    ¡°So what¡¯s the plan?¡± Brair asked.

    ¡°The number of villages isn¡¯t specified, but depending on the money they¡¯re offering there can¡¯t be more than three of them,¡± he pointed out on the copy of the contract. ¡°If we go today we can reach the first one tonight, and leave for the second tomorrow evening.¡±

    ¡°We can have this done in four days,¡± Fliss said with a frown.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Peter smirked. ¡°If we leave today, that is. But I say that we take today for rest and leave it for tomorrow us. I¡¯m not really into the whole ¡®risking my life thing¡¯ when I just got back from doing exactly that and not even being paid for it.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t refuse a request from our benefactor, Peter,¡± Volvo responded warningly.

    ¡°And I¡¯d rather have it done as quickly as possible, we¡¯ll have time to rest later,¡± Luvrit said. He leaned towards his counterpart and explained: ¡°Everything¡¯s a risk Peter, but I¡¯m confident we can do this without a day¡¯s rest.¡±

    ¡°So how much¡¯s the payment again?¡±

    ¡°30 silver Andresks and 14 Aans, Peter,¡± Fliss spoke.

    ¡°Argh, why don¡¯t they just say 31 silver Andresks then¡± Peter wailed ¡°4 extra copper coins isn¡¯t even enough to polish armour and swords.¡±

    ¡°You mean 1 extra coin, right? it¡¯s split amongst us all remember,¡± Fliss reminded him.

    ¡°You better hope we aren¡¯t splitting up the reward,¡± Peter smirked at the boy as he leaned in. He caressed his face and spoke as if he was speaking to a baby. ¡° ''Cause then I wouldn''t share my blanket with you since we''re not supposed to share our resources, is that what you''re saying? And if you are then I won¡¯t have to ask the lord fer forgiveness for all the unholy thoughts you¡¯re bringing me...I''ll just act on ¡®em.¡±

    ¡°Wha-¡± Fliss practically squeaked in response.

    ¡°-Don¡¯t worry about it ''brains'', I was just joking,¡± Peter spoke jovially, leaning back. Suddenly he leaned in again and spoke huskily, ¡°or was I?¡±

    The poor boy was a sputtering mess, fortunately, he was pulled away from the blond by Brair who, try as she might, couldn¡¯t suppress her cheeks from blushing as well.

    ¡°What about horses?¡± Drac asked.

    Peter laughed, ¡°No horse is going to be able to carry your weight, so I guess you¡¯ll just have to stay behind. Well, nice meeting ya but...that''s fate.¡±

    ¡°No, no.¡± Luvrit interrupted. They cost a lot so by the time we¡¯re done with the job we¡¯ll only have half the money, and if they die on the way from a loose beast? We¡¯ll end up with triple the price for the trip than if we do this on foot.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Peter raised his head in defeat.

    ¡°Good,¡± Luvrit said, standing up. ¡°We¡¯re good to go on our side. How about you two?¡±

    After a quick exchange with the redhead, Drac found himself being led down the stairs to the guild lobby. A large group had formed around the receptionist area making it hard to pass down the stairs. The object of this incident, he assumed, was the teenager talking to the receptionist, in the middle of the cut-off circle.

    He couldn¡¯t get a good look at her because of the brown hooded cloak she wore, but the person was undoubtedly a girl ¨C if the male mercenary¡¯s gawking looks were anything to go by. As he got closer he could hear the blond receptionist sputter.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m s-sorry madam, but I cannot give personal information of one of the registered mercenaries without a letter of approval from the city¡¯s council. Even then I would only be allowed to divulge information about the mercenaries who¡¯re registered in this city.¡±

    *Sigh* ¡°How frustrating.¡±

    In one fluid motion, the girl took off her hood seizing motion of all those present. When he¡¯d recognized her a sense of pride swelled in his chest, knowing that everyone stood transfixed due to her beauty and nothing of lesser value. Not her dark-wood coloured skin, or her long black hair both of which were in stark contrast to their company¡¯s Ansdrovean appearance, instead it was the aura of authority the woman exuded through her mannerisms which held them in place.

    With the countenance fit for a duchess, she spoke fluent Ansdrovean.

    ¡°How can your organization boast such a great system of communication as advertised in this poster if you can¡¯t find a single person in this small city with as distinctive features as him?¡±

    Drac immediately frowned. The woman he¡¯d envisioned as the perfect nobility was already showing cracks. Noblewomen didn¡¯t snarl, nor did they seek out to so brazenly insult others. They, like most holding their rank, held a countenance which eased their partner off of any illnesses, plagues and hauntings of the world and into a conversation with them where they spoke their insults like borsch, hiding the venom like vegetables in the liquid of conversation.

    ¡®She¡¯s been neglecting¡¯ he thought.

    ¡°I shall repeat so you can try again: he is tall, wearing black armour, and carrying two large swords on his back.¡±

    ¡°There are many people like that in this room,¡± the oldest receptionist said curtly.

    ¡°Taller than these people, and his swords are much larger; almost as big as your waist.¡±

    ¡°Excuse my ignorance, my lady,¡± the senior receptionist responded with a bow of the head. ¡°I understand that finding this person must be very important to you but we cannot disclose this information without breaking guild rules. The consequences will be the removal of all staff in this building; we value our jobs and are bound by rules to not divulge anything personal relating to the staff or mercenaries. You must understand.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, I think I do now. I understand this place to be no better than the cities I¡¯ve searched in Chimera,¡± she said indignantly.

    ¡®Cities?! How long has she been searching-No, better to just let it run its course-she¡¯ll have to go back in the end.¡¯ Drac said.

    Unfortunately, it seemed that fate had other plans because as soon as he¡¯d finished his thought a riot had suddenly erupted. The mercenaries had split themselves into groups of supporters and protesters of the brown woman. Some were offended by the woman, and some were offended by the receptionists for giving them as bad a reputation as ''the Chimeran curr''.

    ¡®As unlikely a noble she is, at least she can control these ignorant people.¡¯

    ¡°STOP¡± the woman shouted. ¡°You people don¡¯t even know me yet you want to put their lives in danger to make me happy? Shame on you. I may not like my situation but at least I don¡¯t resort to violence to achieve it-¡±

    ¡®Or not.¡¯

    ¡°-You bitch!¡± And that was it.

    One mercenary¡¯s poor choice of words and the naivet¨¦ of a neglecting noble led to the start of a full-on brawl in the guild. A brawl to which he and his newfound companions had a fifth step seat to, on the stairs. Whatever sense of civility any of mercs on the groundfloor had ¨C vanished. Fists were raised and teeth were broken. Insults about their mothers, sisters, pricks and more were hurled across the lobby as if it was a whole other language. Chairs were being broken, tables were being thrown, and in some cases so were the men. All this occurred and it wasn¡¯t even evening yet.

    ¡°She¡¯s dangerous¡±, the boy-Fliss-spoke up.

    ¡°Argh, I can¡¯t decide whether to join the fight and beat up that arrogant bitch or leave get this done faster,¡± Brair ruffled her hair as she fidgeted on the last step.

    ¡°You fight here, you get left behind,¡± Volvo delivered the ultimatum as he and Luvrit led himself and Fliss out of the building, avoiding the fights the best they could.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Brair yelled from behind him. Drac could hear her stomping feet following them before they were muffled by the noise of the intensifying fighting.

    Drac turned around and saw two muscular men, each stuck wrestling the other between Brair and the door. It seemed as she was going to involve herself between them when Fliss shouted: "Zachery, stop!" The taller of the two seemed to stop when a table suddenly flew in from the side and crashed into the two, sending them sprawling over each other on the floor. A few seconds later Peter walked into view. He nodded at Brair and motioned for her to follow as he joined them. Unfortunately, before she could take a step she was shoved aside, replaced by the woman he¡¯d hoped would not recognize him.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Her eyes lit up as they landed on him and she began to slowly walk towards them. The others were shocked and with the building tension and hostility towards her, he feared he¡¯d have to interrupt. But then, a dishevelled Brair appeared in the doorway, and from her expression, he knew what she had in mind. She wasted no time and lunged forward, only for the cloaked woman to twirl out of the way sending Brair stumbling into Peter.

    The dark-tree coloured woman came up close, looked up - her head could only reach up till his chest - and spoke in Ruvskian;

    ¡°You didn¡¯t see that inside, did you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°How did I do?¡±

    ¡°¡­*Sigh* Poorly, you should have stayed home,¡± he spoke as sternly as he could.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have left us alone, whatever it was that was happening we could¡¯ve helped.¡±

    ¡°Should not, dear Natravi, ''Should not''. Why have you neglected your classes?¡±

    ¡°Because, that¡­lady,¡± Natravi spoke with a venom which did not match her cold and impassive expression, ¡°neglected us. Soon after you left she did too and came to this country. Vlad is already travelling there to look for her.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± he said sternly. ¡°I would need to speak to him again.¡±

    ¡°The fault lies with her!¡±

    ¡°A woman¡¯s fault lies not with her but her caretaker, her provider. Both of which he is, and both he has neglected.¡±

    ¡°And what of you?¡± she spoke snidely. ¡°Did you not neglect us, me?¡±

    ¡°I spoke of leaving once you were settled. Back home you were happy, you were safe; I was no longer needed.¡±

    ¡°No uncle,¡± Natravi grasped his hands, ¡°I still need you for many things yet to come. If it is the matter with the old man that worries you, be free of the burden. They¡¯ve agreed to forgive and forget, you can come back-¡±

    ¡°-My little zaichik,¡± he stroked a stray hair out of her wide eyes. ¡°You must understand, wherever I go something bad always happens. Last time you almost lost your life in that fire.¡± Taking a deep breath, he continued, ¡°I fear that the next time I will not be able to save you. Therefore, you must leave me be and go back. Back to your home and your new family.¡±

    ¡°You are my family uncle¡­and it is not true. You are not the cause of those¡­misfortunes, they are a part of life like Anna always said so.¡±

    ¡°Natravi-¡±

    ¡°Argggh,¡± *Cough* *Cough* ¡°help¡±, Peter interrupted. Turning around Drac noticed Peter clutching his neck as a Fliss punched him furiously in the gut. After the third or so punch he spat out a fly before smashing it with hate between his hands.

    ¡°Care ta explain Drac?¡± Brair glared with her arms crossed.

    ¡°¡­She¡­is my niece.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s your niece?¡± Peter said loudly.

    ¡°Uncle you need to come home,¡± Natravi spoke in Ansdrovean, ¡°The-¡±

    ¡°Drac,¡± Luvrit stepped forward, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to sound a-apathetic but we¡¯re on precious time. Could you finish whatever you are discussing quickly?¡±

    ¡°¡­Of course,¡± he replied. Turning to Natravi he said in Ruvskian, ¡°What will it take to convince you to go home?¡±

    ¡°Let me come with you,¡± she spoke in fluent Ansdrovean. ¡°If I survive this contract with you, then you are wrong, and you will come home with me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Drac, this seems like a family affair but if we don¡¯t go now we will have to cross the plains at night when the forest is even more dangerous so just accept it and come on,¡± Luvrit commanded.

    "It is always bad to rush things..." he muttered. "Very well, I accept."

    ¡°Alright, now that that¡¯s over we need to move, and quickly because the sun will set fast.¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon brains, you¡¯re staying beside me, I¡¯ll need your help in a minute or two,¡± Peter said. Drac didn''t miss the smirk that played on his lips as he stole glances at Natravi. Brair noticed it as well.

    ¡°Damn it,¡± she frowned, joining his side furthest from the blond and Natravi. ¡°I should¡¯ve never accepted yer offer ta help.¡±

    ¡°Apologies for my family, I do not control them."

 Chapter 3: The Monsters that Haunt the Countryside

    All creatures prefer familiarity, so when their dwellings are taken over, desecrated, and polluted by those stronger they resist till all hope is lost. Only then do they move further into the lands, and do unto others what had been done unto them. The cycle of conflict continues until the weakest of them are run out of their homes. The weak carry their losses with them and like the Mark of Cain lay waste sevenfold in a bloody battle against the originator of said conflict until there is no clear victor, only death and shame.

    This time, there was no physical enemy, but human nature, a sin ¨C greed. Eventually, they would learn to stop fighting, to stop ravaging others for gain, but for how long would those who fought and those who remember the fight sustain the peace. Many generations later when they are all dead and the cycle starts begins a new no one would look to their past for answers, and history would repeat itself.

    Broken out of his thoughts Drac looked down to Natravi, giving him a small nudge out of concern. Reassuring her with a shake of his head he reassessed their situation once again.

    The task was simple ¨C exterminate the monsters deep enough into the forest to ensure that the villages would be well protected when their contract was finished. From his assessment of everyone, everything should run smoothly, even with the surprise addition of his niece. Which meant there was a high chance of everything going wrong since he could not even trust his own judgements. His assessments never worked, no matter how much experience he had or how much he¡¯d planned something always went wrong and he would be forced to deal with the fallout. Always. He had thought that perhaps this time it would be different since Natravi wouldn¡¯t be with him, but the world seems set to make her suffer just as much as him.

    The two leading the group, Volvo and Luvrit, had opted to move away from the natural path ¨C to trek in a curve so that all the villages, near the white forest and the border with Alexandria, could be covered in one expedition. However, their pace was slow and the company¡¯s atmosphere dreary ¨C Drac suspected that it was likely due to Rose¡¯s misgivings on Peter¡¯s past courtship endeavours. Said blond didn¡¯t seem to much mind her glares but was conversing rather too cordially for his liking with Natravi. Thankfully, the girl had the sense to converse lightly and with restraint against someone like him. She¡¯d grown into a strong woman who was at the cusp of being proclaimed a proper noble but he still worried over her poor social prowess. He still had to look after her until she¡¯d settled down and completed her studies.

    The burden remained; the promise still unfulfilled.

    To clear his mind, Drac glanced over to the passing forest line: the thick tree trunks standing tall with their lush branches spreading wide settled a sense of unease inside him. The moonlight could not penetrate so deep into the forest, and there was a feeling that they would be swallowed up by the darkness at any show of weakness ¨C an old friend to the predators of the night.

    He heard something.

    If he wasn¡¯t focusing so hard on the forest, ignoring the chatter of his company, he would¡¯ve likely missed it like the rest of them. But what if all he had heard was a branch falling due to wind? He did not want to embarrass himself, he was better than that.

    ¡°We¡¯re being stalked,¡± Peter called out jovially, he pulled out a sword but did not break his stride.

    ¡°Any idea what it could be?¡± Luvrit asked, placing a hand over his pommel.

    ¡°No, but they¡¯re large enough to fit through there, one at a time,¡± Peter pointed at the gaps between a few disfigured trees which looked like the gaping maw of a beast waiting for its prey in the darkness. ¡°That¡¯s where they seem to be hiding.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s move further away, and tread carefully now,¡± the other blond nodded to them. ¡°We need to get to the first village before the moon reaches its zenith.¡±

    After a few minutes, Brair and Fliss moved to the back to walk alongside Drac and Natravi. The young boy was very talkative with the redhead and soon had joined the importance of the choir of crickets in Drac¡¯s mind, filling the silent night with melodious tales.

    ¡°And then I threw this giant rock at its feet-¡±

    ¡°-Tripping the bull walker over on itself, I get that,¡± Brair finished. ¡°But it still doesn¡¯t explain how you lost the horses we could be riding.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well after it fell the beast struggled a lot, while it was flailing it cut the ropes holding the horses nearby with its claws and horns. They ran away in fear.¡±

    ¡°You still kept the horses nearby? Freeing them would¡¯ve been the first thing I¡¯d do,¡± Brair frowned at the youth.

    ¡°It all happened so fast-¡±

    ¡°-We were very deep in near the border territory,¡± Luvrit interjected. ¡°I thought little of the horses¡¯ safety and more on how to deal with the Chimerean patrols and beasts roaming the Novermberg forest since we¡¯d destroyed our identification papers.¡±

    ¡°And how did you do that?¡± Brair asked with a smirk. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to mess up on so many steps, Luvrit.¡±

    ¡°Here,¡± Peter looked back with a smirk and threw a crumpled paper her way. She caught it with a displeased expression and frowned at him in question.

    ¡°Someone was a messy sleeper their first night,¡± he explained

    Suddenly, Fliss snatched the ball of papers out of Brair hands and hid them under his cloak.

    ¡°We all had to sleep beside our horses, so I didn¡¯t have it¡­my special blanket, with me that night. The nightmares returned, and I guess I ripped them a little in my sleep.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t just rip them a little, Fliss,¡± Volvo said with hidden anger. ¡°You tore off the hard wax stamp, not only is that hard to do but it also could¡¯ve been very bad for us had we not been ambushed when the enemy patrol found us.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Volvo,¡± Luvrit said with concern. He placed a hand over his shoulder and reasoned; ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s in the past now, it won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    ¡°And what have you done about it since then? We were lucky they were a bunch of simpletons but what if it happens again but with a more intelligent group?¡± Volvo huffed out. ¡°As a leader, you need to learn from those mistakes and act so that it doesn¡¯t happen again. Tell me: would there be a next time?¡±

    ¡°Volvo, there will not be a next time. Until his nightmares subside I¡¯ll have him sleep with Peter as they used to in the early days, that should, no that will keep the nightmares away.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been years since the incident-¡±, Volvo spoke up.

    ¡°- and the nightmares haven¡¯t always been there.¡±

    The two soon descended into a heated discussion which centred around an ¡®incident¡¯ with no explanation of what it was, thus offering Drac nothing but horse hay in knowledge.

    ¡°So what of the horses?¡± Brair asked.

    ¡°Oh, uh-the horses ran away, w-we tried chasing them but then we met the Chimeran patrol guards and¡­they never came back.¡± Fliss sniffled.

    ¡°Were you attached to yours?¡± she asked, comforting him.

    ¡°No, I mean I¡¯m sad that he ran away but I¡¯m happier that he¡¯s free now, I never wanted to share him anyway, t-the horse I mean. We always changed the horses between us for a time like this.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good, you shouldn¡¯t let it get to you. You can try taming an animal to be faithful, loyal but in the end, they¡¯ll fall to their nature and leave you when you need them most, its good that your learning this early unlike me.¡±

    ¡°¡­They were attacked, they were just trying to survive, it was instinct,¡± Fliss said angrily.

    Drac felt a tug on his hand and saw Natravi beckoning him away, taking away his attention from the conversing pair. To a bystander, her face would¡¯ve borne no emotions but he knew what the slight crease between her brows or the slight purse of her lips and tighter than necessary grip meant ¨C she was worried.

    ¡°What is wrong?¡± he slowly asked in Ruvskian.

    ¡°What if it happens to me?¡± Natravi asked.

    ¡°Natravi, when it is between us you have no excuse. I expect you to speak properly. Now, what is it?¡±

    ¡°What if her misfortune befalls me as well?¡± She replied, the crease increasing. ¡°What if my absence leaves him weak to the presence of others? What if he has already chosen to bed another.¡±

    ¡°Metaphors and euphemisms,¡± Drac sighed in exasperation. ¡°That is all they are, nothing more.¡±

    ¡°I also noticed her clenched hands and pointed glare at the blond when she spoke of loyalty and betrayal, and his aversion from her eyes confirms that he was guilty. A betrayal of courtship is the only act I can think of in which a woman of her profession would not immediately duel him to death and remain glaring like that,¡± she hurriedly supplied. ¡°She is hurt, what if it happens to me?¡±

    ¡°You should choose better books to read, Natravi.¡± Drac admonished. ¡°And it is ignorant on your part to consider their problems - if those problems are indeed true - similar to your own. Your lives are not the same. Do you heed?¡±

    ¡°Yes, uncle I understand,¡± she replied with a frown. ¡°Where did you gain such confidence in him? You did not trust him before.¡±

    ¡°Because he knows that if he commits adultery his punishment will be me.¡±

    ¡°¡­How can you say that if you ran away?¡± Natravi whispered.

    ¡°Natravi~,¡± Drac said with warning. He tried grabbing her arm but she manoeuvred out of the way and joined Fliss on the other side.

    ¡°Childish,¡± he murmured.

    His comment, however, did not go unheard by Brair who sent him a questioning glare which he promptly ignored, focusing instead on the path ahead.

    ¡°Hey Fliss, it looks like they need some time alone. Come on,¡± Brair said, giving Drac a nod which he returned and Natravi a smile to which she whispered:

    ¡°Ansdrovean-¡±

    ¡°Natravi, do not stoop to the such a level,¡± Drac interrupted, stepping closer to her. After a couple of minutes, he tried ¡°I do not run, Natravi. I bait.¡±

    ¡°¡­From who?¡± she hesitantly asked. ¡°Whom would want to hunt you? Us?¡±

    Drac slowed down, distancing himself from the others. He placed a gauntlet over her shoulder and gently rubbed. ¡°Natravi, it is perfectly within your right to have doubts over your partner, being so far from him. But the next time you have them, think about what you have done for him which he might find others to do better. He will not find another better than you, he chose you. You are an intelligent girl Natravi, so remember these words the next time you feel doubt and uncertainty. Everything else is unimportant. Come now, let''s join them before they get too far ahead.¡±

    Natravi didn¡¯t answer instantly as he¡¯d expected of her, instead, her answer came in the form of a hum and a nod.

    They continued walking for some time with the moon slowly reaching overhead ¨C shining its bright light until it was snuffed out by a large passing cloud. That¡¯s when he heard a quaint rustling sound before it was overwhelmed by the rustling in the trees.

    ¡°Stand!¡± Volvo hissed.

    Everyone already had their weapons out and were scanning the forest line for an incoming attack, except for him. Drac bowed his head away from the forest and focused on hearing the creatures rather than seeing them.

    ¡°Where in the forest?¡± Volvo whispered.

    ¡°There. Over between the two trees curved like a circle,¡± Peter responded. He pointed at a corner of the forest where no doubt the distraction was staring back at them.

    ¡°I think they¡¯re in the grass as well,¡± Peter said as sweat beads rolled down his nose.

    ¡°I hear that too,¡± Volvo confirmed, quickly rubbing an oily cloth on his armour before storing it in one of his pouches. ¡°Luvrit, I¡¯m assuming control.¡±

    ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°¡®But¡¯ nothing,¡± Volvo snapped.

    ¡°Mr. Volvo, I think it would be best to split up the forces on two sides,¡± proposed Drac. ¡°Natravi, Brair and I shall take care of the forces on that side while your group takes care of the forces on the other side. This would keep them from overwhelming us and keep them divided, would that suffice?¡±

    ¡°You a military man Drac?¡± Volvo asked suspiciously when the moment passed he relented. ¡°Alright, but remember to back away if the fight goes on longer than it should.¡±

    ¡°Fliss, support us from the back,¡± Luvrit commanded, glancing at the boy for affirmation and ignoring Volvo¡¯s glare.

    ¡°Here they come,¡± Peter warned.

    It wasn¡¯t immediate, but sure enough, the creatures of night began to make their way towards them. The heavy movements of such beasts shook trees and felled weaker branches. The winds picked up, flattening the grass and carrying the leaves at the mercenaries¡¯ direction.

    One after another, shadows of large bests began to appear out of the treeline. The moonlit visage of the forest creatures showed thick-as-log arms supporting large branches over their shoulders, a fat, vertical body which connected to a horizontal one propped up on four legs, and no head.

    ¡°What are those creatures?¡± Natravi asked, splitting away with him and Brair.

    ¡°Natravi~¡± he warned her not to stray too far.

    ¡°What are those creatures?¡± she asked in Ansdrovean.

    ¡°Those, little princess, are Riding Geckoes,¡± Brair replied, gripping her sword harder. ¡°Stay out of my way when they attack so we both don¡¯t die.¡±

    ¡°If I recall,¡± Natravi began. ¡°You surely humiliated yourself when you last tried attacking me.¡±

    ¡°Wow, look at you. You must be really smart to remember something so long ago.¡±

    ¡°¡­Zounderkite, your insults make no sense,¡± she frowned.

    ¡°Brair, Natravi. Focus on, that which is in front of you than each other,¡± Luvrit shouted.

    ¡°At your feet,¡± Drac warned. At the same time, from the other group Peter yelled over; ¡°Shit, they¡¯re already here.¡±

    The callouts set everything in motion. While the girls had been arguing amongst themselves he¡¯d been focusing on those sounds he¡¯d heard when they¡¯d first stopped. That small rustling sound of the grass before that of the tree branches overwhelmed it. The vsadniki-yashchery or ¡®riding geckos¡¯ as Brair called them were nothing but a distraction from the creatures that were sneaking towards them, protected by the swaying grass.

    He was standing behind both women and remained at the back when Brair attacked whatever had made its way at her feet. A squishing sound filled the air as both Brair¡¯s and Peter¡¯s swords pierced the creatures, sending fluids soaring in the air.

    ¡°Dammit, they¡¯re moss piglets!¡± they shouted as one.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stab them, they spray acid. Get away from each other,¡± Luvrit shouted. ¡°Here comes the rest.¡±

    Drac looked up and saw the riding geckos make their way down the slope. He contemplated pulling Natravi away: she¡¯d never been in a battle like this before, she didn¡¯t know what she was fighting, but he needed her to understand what she was following him into. He needed her scared so she would return to safety, so he folded his arms and stood his ground, watching the battle unfold on both fronts.

    Pride swelled in his chest as he saw her gracefully manoeuvre each step into the other, like a dancer on the blades of grass. She was efficient in her attacks and left little room for any unnecessary movement. She moved in a semi-circle around him, hacking and slashing with her sword at whatever ran up at them. Brair stayed beyond her to create the first line of defence, but he noticed that every few seconds she would retreat a meter. Looking over at the others it seemed they too were fighting in retreat, likely to create some more distance between the incoming beasts and the forest line for when they would clash.

    Whatever the moss piglets were they were either in large masses or very fast, considering how quickly everyone was jumping in the grass and slashing in the darkness. He looked up and saw the moon being slowly uncovered by the dark clouds. As moonlight shone down, he focused on the fighting just in time to see a green bulbous creature jump out of the grass. It had multiple folds of fat across its body and moved with unnatural agility for someone its size. The creature had six short stubby legs to walk on and two more on the back acting as a tail, likely to jump with. It had two long claws protruding out of each of its legs which shone black under the moonlight. Its face was round and smooth with two folds running on each side of where its cheeks should¡¯ve been. It was without a nose, eyes or ears, but had many small hairs poking out of its body at various lengths and angles. It also had a lipless hole for a mouth from which it whipped its tongue out to warp around Brair¡¯s sword arm. She tried shaking it off but to no avail.

    Soon she was screaming at the moon. The creature had begun sucking onto her arm, likely digging its small teeth into her. But before Drac could move in Natravi jumped at her and stabbed her sword through the moss piglet¡¯s face folds, separating the head from the body. The creature¡¯s body wiggled on the ground while its face remained stuck to her arm. However, during the time Natravi was focused on the head stuck to Brair¡¯s arm another moss piglet attacked from below.

    Fortunately, this time the redhead was ready ¨C she pushed Natravi away and stuck out her arm, shoving the moss piglet¡¯s head into the mouth of the other. Then she stabbed her sword in the ground and took a knife, from between her leather armour folds, to cut the tongue of the head still stuck to her arm in one swift motion. In the moonlight, Drac could see the red burnt skin encircling her arm from under the band of armour the creature had dissolved off.

    ¡°How many?¡± Brair yelled as she retreated, pulling off the sleeve of tunic hanging on her wrist.

    ¡°Probably 20 left, but here comes the cavalry,¡± Peter laughed. He switched his sword for a bow and took out 2 arrows from his quiver. Volvo thrust his mace towards the monsters and yelled;

    ¡°Come get some!¡±

    ¡°Kakakakakaka¡± ¡°Kaakuu, Kaakakakkakuuu¡± the sounds of geckoes filled the air and the moss piglets grew even more aggressive, forcing those facing them to fight harder than before. Drac looked up at the oncoming forces and frowned. He had hoped Natravi had given up fighting the vodyanym medvedem by the time the vsadniki-yashchery had arrived but she was too stubborn, just like him. Although she carried herself behind the mask of indifference and didn¡¯t have any bruises or cuts like the others, he could tell from her slightly shaking shoulders that she was too tired to fight the incoming attackers.

    Natravi was not like normal women ¨C she was weak-bodied. She physically couldn¡¯t handle any large form of stress over an extended period. Her bones broke easily, her body exhausted too quickly, which was why it was a blessing that she was so gifted in the flow. She knew her limits; they¡¯d discovered them together, so she should have known what would happen when she aimed her sword at those riding geckos. She was willing to follow through with it, he realized, he had underestimated her resolve.

    ¡°[¡­nubet ventus et unda meos interfice, fata ruinae-]-Ouch¡± Natravi yelped as he flicked her shoulder lightly. Rubbing it she looked at him towering over her, the moonlight glinting off those green eyes of hers.

    ¡°You did well, Naavi, leave the rest to me.¡±

    A small, almost indistinguishable smile crept onto her tired face, but he didn¡¯t have time to admire it. He noticed some movement off to the side and reacted quickly to bait his arm in front of her. When the vodyanym medvedem bit into his armour he barely felt its teeth touch his arm before he gripped into its fold and stroked it lightly. The creature immediately shrunk itself into a ball and released its grip on him. Its limbs disappeared into its folds just like its head and it fell to the ground, stiff. Drac quickly picked up the creature and threw it at the incoming geckos. It squished under their legs, its acidic blood bathing them under the moonlight, but it had no effect on them.

    ¡°Unfortunate,¡± he said. In large strides, he walked up to meet the giant geckoes. He passed by Brair, who frowned and looked up from her massacre. It looked like she was going to stop him when another moss piglet interrupted her, Drac was quick on his feet and swiftly dealt with it in seconds. After that, Brair retreated to Natravi and gave him the wide berth he¡¯d asked for this afternoon.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked Natravi when she joined.

    ¡°Resting,¡± Natravi answered, ¡°He decided to join. It will surely be fine now.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Brair asked.

    ¡°Form up!¡± Volvo suddenly shouted over the sounds of the geckos.

    ¡°Everyone, come together!¡± Luvrit reinforced. Drac continued his treatment of those little critters as he moved closer to the other group. It seemed the geckoes had taken a liking to attack them first.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Provide support while I act as bait,¡± he ordered.

    It was up to them to follow through, he¡¯d warned them before.

    Walking a small distance towards the monsters he reached around his red cape and dislodged the heaps of iron off his back. Slowly moving his hand out of the red cap he took a step back as he procured two large swords in each. Pair of intertwined serpents were carved into each blade. Their tips were pronged like a crab¡¯s claw but sharpened on the edges and wider than the rest of the sword.

    His swords were his arms, they weighed as much as him and were him. They¡¯d protected him and will continue doing so until the day he gave them up. With that he threw himself into the fray, kicking an incoming ¡®vodyanym medvedem¡¯ with a start.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­A few minutes ago¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Luvrit ran forward and skewered a piglet through its open mouth while kicking another with the point of his boot. Luckily the beast didn¡¯t blow like the rest so it didn¡¯t damage the boots any more than before. Thrusting his sword Luvrit threw the piglet off of it and swung it at the moss piglet¡¯s head for good measure.

    A spray of blood splashed against his chest as Volvo smashed a jumping piglet¡¯s head in with a mace. The riding lizards were getting closer by the second and they needed to cull the monsters enough to be able to handle both beasts, so he cared little for how much his armour eroded in the process and acted more recklessly than his pupils. On instinct he moved onto the next target, unaware that two of them had snuck up from behind. When they jumped to attack, two arrows came out of nowhere and lodged themselves to their folds, splattering the green grass with blue coloured blood which sizzled the grass to mush. Volvo looked up from his kill and saw Peter reload his bow, the two shared a nod and continued on fighting.

    Fliss had remained in the back and was providing the group with moments of respite in his [Sanitatem] chants, which alleviated muscle pain through ways he did not know, and moments of support in his [Sagitta] chants which increased the speed of the objects he threw to attack the monster as if he was shooting arrows, by continuously searching and reading off of the threads of flow that travelled across the night air around him. He kept away from getting involved in close counters unlike his other comrade in the flow, Natravi, who used her sword more than her gifted eyes.

    ¡°10,¡± Peter counted off. His legs were itching all over from the acid that¡¯d been splashed on him, but the fear of having their suckers digging into his body kept him from crouching down to scratch.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Fliss yelped. Peter whipped his head to the sound and saw the kid on the ground, with one of the remaining moss piglets pulling his leg into its mouth. The creature pulled Fliss¡¯s entire body with only a small grip on his boots. Immediately, Peter ran over and stepped on the two legs sticking out of its ass. He¡¯d hoped that the pain of its legs snapping off would force it to let go, giving him enough time to cut it through. Although the creature let go, Peter was not prepared for what it did next.

    The moss piglet used the force of his boots to jump off the ground, abandoning its legs and switching targets. It sent its tongue out, aimed for his eyes. Peter shut them just in time to feel the slimy tongue wrap around them in a band. A prayer was the last thing on his mind before the pain took over.

    His hair burned. His skin sizzled. His eyes struggled to remain closed against the ghost impression of the piglet¡¯s mouth slowly sinking between them. The weight of the creature pulled him down and he struggled not to follow, not there anyway. He jumped back, twisting in the air, and rolled away from the sounds of fighting, letting go of his sword in the process. Peter struggled around in the grass, resisting the temptation to pull it off out of the fear that it would only cause it to push in further. It wasn¡¯t until he felt a sword in his hand did he push past the pain and act. He gripped the sword with trembling hands. He dug his nails into his palms to strengthen it yet they still trembled. He tried to push the sword-tip in between its mouth and his nose-bridge but his trembling hands kept it from happening. Suddenly, the weight of the creature¡¯s body on him disappeared and a wiggling sensation began to dig into his side. He quickly rolled away but immediately stopped when he felt its head still attached to his face.

    Bearing the white-hot pain, he tried stabbing the piglet¡¯s head again. Maybe it was luck, or maybe it was fate, but the sword struck it at the perfect place between his nose bridge and its head to cut the slimy appendage in one stab. Peter punched the thing¡¯s head aside and pulled its tongue off his face before climbing up to his feet. He kept his eyes closed until he was sure he¡¯d wiped away all the acid on him throwing away his gloves when they felt wet as well. He cared for his prized senses, not his clothes or armour.

    ¡°Yah!¡± *curch*

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he shouted over the sound of his heart beating in his ears.

    ¡°Peter, come over to me,¡± Fliss¡¯s girlish voiced called out. Following his voice, Peter bumped into a hand which promptly gripped his tunic and pull him down to his knees. He tried opening his eyes but the same hands quickly covered them before he could.

    ¡°Keep them closed, j-just give me a moment,¡± Fliss told him before he went off into another one of his chanting sessions. He was reading the flow, but Peter doubted there was anything that could help him if his eyes had felt the acid¡¯s touch. The pain he was feeling was too much for him to tell permanent damage from temporary damage. Slowly, he felt the muscles around his eyes relax and tears spill down his face. When the boy was finally finished he panted; ¡°Open them.¡±

    Hesitantly, Peter obeyed. What greeted him were the green eyes of the boy who¡¯d saved his sight. A smile crept on both their faces and they clasped each other in a hug. The moment ended abruptly when he heard a rustle in the grass behind him. Acting on instinct and out of rage Peter pushed the boy away and turned just in time to see another piglet jump at him. He brought his sword up and slashed the creature aside before it could dart its tongue out. His sword didn¡¯t cut deep enough to cut it in half but he quickly took care of that by slashing again, taking its head off in the process.

    Peter helped Fliss up just in time to hear Volvo yell ¡°Form up!¡± and Luvrit follow it with: ¡°Everyone, come together!¡± The freaks had arrived. The skin around his eyes still stung but thankfully it didn¡¯t affect his ability to see those hilariously fat riders jiggle their way over. He prepped himself for the fight when the Drac¡¯s silhouette came into view. The man was slowly walking towards the incoming beasts, when he passed them by Peter heard him say; ¡°Provide support while I act as bait.¡±

    ¡°¡­Either he¡¯s got a brain the size of nuts or some massive jewels,¡± he smirked at Fliss. Looking over to where the giant came from, seeing Natravi and Brair looking exhausted from fighting all the monster all by themselves Peter felt anger swell in his chest. ¡°Arrogant sack seed of a bastard.¡±

    He looked over to the sight of his teacher saving ¡®the favourite¡¯ pupil from a blindsided attack in the grass and decided to finish off the rest of the flesh-eating piglets.

    ¡°C¡¯mon ¡®brains¡¯, let''s finish this on a high note,¡± he led the way. They joined the fray once more but were surprised to find even more critters than before. Curses and shouts were thrown left and right, and they all came from him, because as it turned out some of those creatures were female¡­and very pregnant. When they died under the deep cuts him and Luvrit served instead of bloody bludgeons Volvo dished out, live young began to pour out, and since there was food all around them they went into a frenzy. Needless to say, Peter was pissed.

    ¡°Oh hell, Luvrit!¡± he shouted. ¡°I had ta bend over ta cut ¡®em while they destroyed my boots. Thanks, fer making me give up trying ta save these!¡±

    Throwing caution to the wind he set to stomping them. The creatures were fast and full of energy, but none of them was strong enough nor big enough to jump to his eye level.

    While he was stomping his frustrations out Peter sneaked peeks at the armoured idiot¡¯s progress and almost doubled over to see him keeping the 10 riding lizards occupied. A pair of large swords were swung in circles, keeping the geckos from attacking with their tongues. He assumed, from the scene where some were keeping more a distance than others, that some geckos had been stupid enough to try attacking, and no doubt had lost the tips of their tongues as a result.

    While Drac was focused on weathering the clubs of the headless bodies, Peter focused on smashing as many of the little things as possible.

    ¡°You know,¡± Peter said to Fliss, ¡°it wouldn¡¯t make a difference if we kill all these critters ¡®cause they¡¯d just wiggle their way back to life. But you know what? I didn¡¯t really care as long as I-ugh, *Cough*Cough* we¡¯re far gone from here when they come back.¡±

    After a minute or so, when too many corpses lay littered at his feet to tell the dead ones apart from the living he relaxed. It was only a matter of finding those critters: hidden between the grass blades, inside the soil, inside corpses of their parents, and under the dim moonlight. These creatures almost blinded him if not for Fliss¡¯s quick thinking, so he was going to make a mush of everything beneath him if it meant that those suckers felt the same pain he did. Sparing another look at Drac, Peter almost laughed when he saw Drac freeze mid-stance after he¡¯d tried cutting the fat body on top of one daring gecko in half. The ¡®rider¡¯ had exploded, leaving the man shocked and covering him in all its contents of fat chunks, acid and blood.

    The dark armoured man quickly recovered, just in time to respond to an attack aimed for his head from another fat body. Drac dodged it - ducking underneath the swing while weathering a few more body shots, and spun his left arm in full swing, cutting halfway through the lizard¡¯s face and neck. Using the prong points of his left sword¡¯s end Drac vertically stabbed into its neck, cutting off the whole head before jumped out of the exploding fat body¡¯s way.

    He once again weathered the storm of log swings while he rid his sword of muck, fat, and more likely ¨C acid.

    ¡°That¡¯s some good armour,¡± Volvo commented. ¡°It¡¯s not even denting.¡±

    Peter was about to respond when the other lizard with its exploded ¡®rider¡¯ charged at the man from behind. ¡°Hey!¡± Luvrit yelled, interrupting Peter¡¯s focus. When he looked back again he saw Drac jump onto the creature¡¯s head and kick it into the ground. Everyone became frenzied and he struggled to fight off the attacks while kicking the gecko¡¯s head, before eventually stabbing its neck off.

    The rest of the riding geckos¡¯ tone immediately changed ¨C they began to shrink away, they shouted and hissed as they turned and scrambled back into the forest. Peter didn¡¯t move, he kept his eyes narrowed onto the backs of the geckos as they climbed atop the small hill and came to a stop at the tree line. They might¡¯ve turned back once more but with the moonlight blocked out once again by the rainclouds overhead it was too dark to tell.

    ¡°We need to get out of here,¡± Fliss suggested. No one disagreed.

    ¡°Everyone, we keep going,¡± Luvrit yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t stop here.¡±

    Volvo sighed in surrender and led them to meet up with the girls who were seemed to be in a silent fight. When they¡¯d stopped glaring at each other, Brair called out: ¡°You coming, big guy?¡±

    A few moments later Volvo was engaged in a mostly one-sided conversation with Drac in another of those accursed languages he hated so much. Finally, Peter couldn¡¯t take it anymore;

    ¡°Volvo, can ya please speak in something we all understand?¡± Peter stressed.

    ¡°We were talking about that last gecko he killed,¡± Volvo explained. ¡°It was interesting how they all retreated after it fell, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°A-assuredly, I take it he was their leader?¡± Luvrit asked, in that ridiculous accent he always adopted when he mimicked the ¡®noble tongue¡¯.

    ¡°The father actually,¡± Volvo replied. ¡°They were all same colour pattern on top, similar nostril structure, and the same feet size and finger lengths as well. If what Drac¡¯s told me is true, then they were a family of riding geckos out for some food.¡±

    ¡°How can you tell all that under just moonlight?¡±

    ¡°Jian Yi Ru Bu Wen Bai¡± Volvo spoke, to no one in particular.

    ¡°Hmph, indeed,¡± Volvo laughed lightly. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe it even if you¡¯d heard it a thousand times, only seeing it for yourself would make you understand, Peter. Anyway, you surprised me today Drac, I didn¡¯t expect you to know the western tongues so well. How did someone from Ruvskia learn a mountain language from the west so well?¡±

    ¡°When I was¡­travelling I met a ferryman taking refugees downriver, I picked up on the language from him. He was from the west and was looking for his son who he¡¯d lost when the revolution reached Baralava. He thought he¡¯d find him or learn anything of him from the people he¡¯d take on the trips if he took enough of them along.¡±

    ¡°This was a few weeks after the revolution?¡± Volvo asked. Peter was¡­disturbed to see Volvo¡¯s face loose colour so quickly. ¡°I-I see¡­.¡±

    He coughed and focused ahead but Peter had seen alarm pass across his face and that made him feel very uneasy. He was going to whisper of it to Luvrit when Brair spoke up;

    ¡°What about the uh-all the moss piglets that were running about out there? It''s not like they¡¯re known for travellin¡¯ with a bunch of riding geckos, right? How come there were so many of them there?¡±

    ¡°Not many go into the forest to look for those things so it isn¡¯t common knowledge but they¡¯re known for working together when food is scarce,¡± Volvo answered, his tone courser than before.

    ¡°What¡¯re you guys looking at each other for?¡± Peter, being in the middle of the two, could feel their gazes sweep over him and frowned.

    ¡°Well, remember how a few hours before we got to inn me and Luvrit went to that book shop? We¡¯d found a book on all the creatures living-¡±

    ¡°-inhabiting,¡± Luvrit had to give his two cents in.

    ¡°-right, inhabiting the white forest and I thought how good a combination of riding geckos and moss piglets would be. You know since they-uh¡±

    ¡°-They have complementing features,¡± Luvrit filled in.

    ¡°Complementing?¡± Peter asked.

    ¡°Oh, it means they¡¯re really good together. The moss piglets got the acid, speed, and agility, while the riding geckos have hard skin-¡±

    ¡°Acid resistant,¡± Luvrit and Natravi said together. Natravi looked back and they shared a look of acknowledgement before turning back.

    ¡°Acid resistant skin, an extension of fat where the piglets can lay eggs since its cold and no-nutritious, and mainly a diet which doesn¡¯t include the piglets since they¡¯ve less meat than skin and bones.¡±

    ¡°Clearly, they weren¡¯t a good match. They couldn¡¯t even kill a few hardy killers, thieves, and fall-adventurous nobles.¡± Peter smiled, giving the boy a nudge to bring him out his thoughts.

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t underestimate them, most of them were pregnant after all,¡± Fliss said.

    Another few minutes later, when the silence had washed over them again Peter hesitantly asked; ¡°¡­So~, anything about the L?we¡¯s living there?¡±

    Luvrit and Brair threw him a cautionary look which he ignored. He wanted to know for the kid and didn¡¯t have the patience to wait. He felt that the moment they reached the village they wouldn¡¯t have time to speak like this.

    ¡°No,¡± Fliss replied sadly, ¡°there was nothing there.¡±

    Peter wanted to comfort the poor kid, but he was out in the open and needed both his hands on his swords if anything happened.

    ¡°The rumour?¡± Natravi asked, surprising him. ¡°I heard the tale of a creature with eyes that burn with fire, whose heart is twisted with sinews, created by alchemists under anvils and from phyles. Is not the L?we a story of fear for the children?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t a rumour!¡± Fliss demanded. ¡°I-It attacked my home. While I was away, trading in the city, my village was attacked. When I returned to the ruins the people who were¡­cleaning up the bodies and burnt houses¡­ told me that the village had been attacked by a large creature with a huge mane and sun yellow body. It must have been the L?we because there were dead bodies of the guards ripped apart in shreds, nothing near us could do that. It''s true that our village was close to the forest but nothing had ever attacked us before because it was rumoured that the L?we lived nearby so it must¡¯ve been it. I¡¯d thought the same when I first heard the tales, but after that day I know that people or animals, even those moss piglets and geckos, couldn¡¯t have done what I saw that day.¡±

    ¡°I understand that I have brought up some unpleasant memories for you, you have my sincerest apologies for that,¡± Natravi said before moving over to Drac¡¯s side. Fliss moved ahead and replaced her beside Brair, much to the latter''s pleasure. Sometimes Peter wondered Fliss¡¯s intentions from how close those two acted with each other.

    They travelled ahead some more, but his eyes were burning too much ¨C the sweat was seeping into his wounds and he didn¡¯t want the wounds to fester into a fever so he called a stop. It seemed that everyone had the same thought as they quickly settled atop a hill and took turns getting treated by Fliss and Natravi ¨C the only ones who didn¡¯t get injured during the fight.

    Fliss wanted to wrap linen around his eyes but Peter talked him out of it. He¡¯d rather stay with a constant burning sensation than stop seeing for even a second.

    ¡°Volvo, I¡¯m sorry for acting like that¡± Luvrit apologized. ¡°But you promised to let me prove myself if you don¡¯t trust me to handle things like this then how can I prove to you?¡±

    ¡°You know how you can show me,¡± Volvo said tiredly. ¡°It''s only been a few months Luvrit, and after the border incident, you can imagine how that paints you. Prove yourself to the Duke and you prove to me that you¡¯re capable of leading this team.¡±

    Luvrit nodded solemnly, the atmosphere suddenly became too dreary for him. Looking over, he noticed Drac and Natravi were having a private conversation a few steps away and couldn¡¯t help but overhear:

    ¡°Nadeyus'' vy ponimayete chto vashi ispytaniya nachalis''-¡±

    ¡°Hey Volvo, you know some Ruvski?¡± Peter asked, hoping to distract the old man. Volvo nodded but before he could answer Peter began to whisper the words as he heard them.

    ¡°Ty khochesh'' vernut''sya? ... Eto byl moy test? ... YA pozvolyayu tebe razvlekat''sya, igraya v avantyuristka, no teper'' vse koncheno. That¡¯s all I got.¡±

    ¡°Well, your pronunciation''s horrid, but uh I think I understand,¡± Volvo said as he scratched his growing beard. ¡°What are you trying to do boy?¡±

    ¡°I hate it how they can get away with speaking in tongues around us, they got no respect for us and they¡¯re likely to be plotting something!¡± Peter whispered, ignoring the look Luvrit gave him. ¡°Also, I wanna know why he didn¡¯t help the girls during half the battle, didn¡¯t you notice?¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± Volvo nodded. ¡°Hmmm, Drac wants her to go home ¡¯cause he thinks this¡¯ll be too much for a wee little girl her. He purposefully didn¡¯t help her out ¡®cause¡­I think ¡®cause he wanted to scare her with how dangerous the fights¡¯re going to be.¡±

    ¡°That fucker,¡± Peter growled under his breath as he made to get up.

    ¡°Hey, hey, calm down,¡± Volvo held him down by the shoulder. ¡°They¡¯re Ruvskians, why do you care what they do amongst themselves?¡±

    ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t care what they do, but he risked that girl¡¯s life over nothing but a scare. I can¡¯t not care about that. Tell me you don¡¯t think that¡¯s wrong,¡± He whispered.

    *Sigh* ¡°Peter you¡¯re a thief, you¡¯ve killed both man and beast, are you really going to argue that you care for a Ruvskian¡¯s life just because you like the girl,¡± Volvo rubbed his temples in frustration.

    ¡°Volvo, I know I am many things and one of those things means that I care for every girl out there,¡± he motioned around him. ¡°No matter her race, beauty, or personality, as long as she¡¯s got the goods she is to be protected.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, now he¡¯s a fuckin¡¯ comedian,¡± Brair snidely commented.

    ¡°Listen, boy,¡± Volvo said. ¡°Getting involved in their problems would mean risking our lives. We¡¯re tired from the fight so imagine how we¡¯d fare if we get attacked again along the way to Asphil and Drac decides to betray us because we angered him over how he treats his family? When it''s between mercenaries the guild don¡¯t give a shit so don¡¯t do anything stupid boy, you¡¯ll get us all in trouble.¡±

    Peter didn¡¯t respond, instead, he whistled a tune and laid between his comrades. He looked at the stars but kept a deep frown as he travelled deep in thought. He may be a thief but even he had honour. He loved women and didn¡¯t want to see them hurt. He knew he couldn¡¯t protect all women but at least he could protect the ones that crossed his path¡­he couldn¡¯t let this go.

    It was after a few minutes when everyone was getting ready to leave when he called Drac over, a little way away from the rest.

    ¡°I wanted to say thanks, for keeping those geckos off of us,¡± Peter said as he shook Drac¡¯s hand. ¡°But also to warn you, if you endanger those women again like that and we¡¯ll have a problem. Ya, understand?¡±

    ¡°If you had a problem with that then why did you not come over to help?¡± Drac asked. ¡°You speak of problems but do nothing to stop them? Is it not you who is wrong?¡±

    Without warning, Peter punched Drac with all his might. But even his best strike was only able to dent the helmet an inch. He immediately jumped back and raised his sword to defend himself. But the expected strike never came, the warrior simply grunted in response and walked away. Heaving a sigh of relief Peter sheathed his sword and joined his comrades who stared at him in varying emotions between disbelief and anger.

    ¡°You better not have fucked us over,¡± Volvo hissed before going over to join Drac and Natravi.

    ¡°H-hey, what is he talking about?¡± Fliss asked. ¡°Why did you suddenly hit him like that?¡±

    Luvrit placed a hand over the boy¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Let it go, Fliss, you didn¡¯t see it but Drac had neglected to help for over half the fight. Brair and Natravi could¡¯ve gotten killed because of his action. Peter just loves the women too much to care about the nobility killing half his family or being backstabbed during a fight.¡±

    Fliss looked at Luvrit confused, ¡°He wouldn¡¯t do that, would he?¡±

    ¡°Forget about it,¡± Peter responded with a smile. Fliss was about to argue, but Peter interrupted by lifting his bleeding knuckles for him to heal.

    ¡°You all fought to protect each other,¡± Peter had a feeling that it was mostly for him that Drac was shouting his responses. ¡°I just did my part. In that sense, we are all indebted to each other. It is better to simply let it go.¡±

    ¡°Hmph¡± Peter huffed, ¡°There he goes with diplomacy.¡±

    He trailed off to mumbling words, not wanting Fliss to hear but it didn¡¯t stop the little tyke from speculating.

    ¡°Peter!¡± Fliss hissed. ¡°The skin around your eyes hasn¡¯t properly healed yet; you can¡¯t stretch them too much.¡±

    ¡°Is he alright?¡± Luvrit asked. Before Fliss could delay them any longer Peter spoke up; ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine Luvrit. We goin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Alright! Let¡¯s go, everyone,¡± Luvrit shouted, leading the way. Fortunately, the village was only a few hills over. Spread out nicely atop a large one was the quiet place; the houses were placed at random providing little hiding space between them, the fenced pens, goat houses and chicken coops surrounded the houses facing away from the forest.

    Some houses still had their lights on so once the group came closer, the residents came out to greet them. Most were young men around the age of 20 or so, except for the old man leading them. He wore a bright coloured tunic, in contrast to the beige and white coloured tunics of others, which stretched down to his knees, and Peter doubted he wore anything underneath. The old man introduced himself as Chief Tabutz.

    Luvrit and Volvo engaged the chief in their boring rounds of introduction so Peter let his eyes wander to the small crowd around him. A thousand times he¡¯d seen those eyes, on a thousand faces, and in a thousand places ¨C a look of hope being clouded with doubt. Many times he saw their stares travel over to Fliss and that cloud grow larger.

    In his early years, he would¡¯ve challenged them and proven himself, but it only hurt their reputation in the long run. Some idiot would complain about their behaviour and then their reputation would suffer. Now, he just let their doubt wash over him and pushed the thoughts at the back of his mind ¨C it was good rage material during battles.

    Eventually, they were led deeper into the village, towards a large house in the middle. He was the last one to enter and gave one last look at that gathered crowd before closing the door behind him. He followed Fliss into a waiting room on their right where they sat on a long table with only 5 chairs. Drac immediately leaned against the fireplace on the left wall of the room but when Natravi moved to join him Peter interfered.

    ¡°The lady should rest, I can stand,¡± Peter persuaded. After a nod from Drac, Natravi relented and took the place beside Luvrit.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I only thought there were going ta be four of you,¡± the chief said in a thick accent.

    ¡°No need fer sorries, just keep it moving,¡± Peter interrupted. He leaned on the opposite edge of the fireplace and waited for the old man to begin.

    A couple of candles were lit on the shelf above the fireplace, giving the room an eerie atmosphere. Everyone was tense in anticipation. For what? Peter had no idea, he himself enjoyed a few seconds stretching and hearing the cracks of his joints before he listened to what was going on.

    ¡°Uh, Asphil, sir,¡± the chief sat opposite the fireplace so his features, showing his old age, were greatly emphasized by the large dark wall behind him.

    Volvo took out a parchment and looked at it momentarily before asking for a quill and ink. While the Chief went to look for the requested items Volvo laid a parchment down. Peter could make out the village¡¯s name alongside others next to a long set of lines, one line for each village.

    Volvo took the offered quill and wrote down his name on the line next to Asphil¡¯s.

    ¡°There,¡± Volvo exclaimed, ¡°once we make a round of the forest you¡¯ll have to sign here as proof that we did the work promised for your village.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, of course, sir,¡± the chief was fidgeting in his chair. ¡°Where would you like to spend the night?¡±

    ¡°Whatever is available is good,¡± Drac spoke over Volvo. Volvo cast him a glare before he relented and nodded.

    ¡°Well,¡± the chief said nervously. ¡°I-I am sure I can offer a good lodging fer tonight. Please wait a moment while I check with the others,¡± he quickly left them.

    ¡°He seemed quite fidgety,¡± Brair commented as she leaned back and crossed her arms.

    ¡°The village is poor. They have only their livestock to support themselves, and living near the forest doesn¡¯t seem to help,¡± Luvrit explained. ¡°What I don¡¯t get is why don¡¯t they move?¡±

    ¡°Did you see the road leading up to here?¡± Volvo asked. ¡°Opposite to it is arid soil, you can¡¯t grow well there, but closer to the forest its easier to grow on humus soil.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°Fliss,¡± Peter exclaimed. The boy awoke with a small yelp and fell out of his seat. When he realized where he was he apologized and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before he struggled to get up.

    ¡°Easy there,¡± Peter said, helping Fliss in his chair.

    ¡°Oh, sorry about that Peter,¡± Fliss rubbed his eyes and yawned. When he stretched his chest rose greatly, oddly resembling breasts.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Brair suddenly slammed her fist on the table as she stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll take Fliss out for some air, that¡¯ll probably help.¡±

    ¡°Uh, okay,¡± Fliss nodded sleepily.

    ¡°Is ¡®he¡¯ a ¡®she¡¯?¡± Natravi asked when the two had left.

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Peter laughed. ¡°We would never accept a girl in our group. Fliss is just gonna hit his puberty late.¡±

    ¡°Bringing a girl in the group would ruin our teamwork. Peter for one, would be chasing after her instead of doing work-¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    Luvrit nodded tiredly, ¡°Fliss may look like a girl but he isn¡¯t one, we already went over this when we first met some years back.¡±

    After some time, the village Chief came in and escorted the group to a house not far away. It seemed to have been cleared just recently for them, evident by an angry couple waiting for them outside. The house was small with only 3 rooms in total, each room furnished with the bare minimum; a bed, a few sheets and blankets. The only thing notable was a large cupboard in one of the two bedrooms, to Peter it seemed like they had children, but a lack of them waiting with their parents outside meant either they¡¯d gone to live their relatives or they were dead. He hoped it was the former. Each room was connected by a large hallway which ended at a small storage like space. Fliss and Brair were already waiting for them inside, the former lying in bed with the latter sitting on its edge.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have ta share the rooms,¡± the husband said.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, thank you for the living space.¡± Volvo turned to the couple outside who nodded in return and went to argue with the chief.

    ¡°What''s going on?¡± Fliss asked from the bed.

    ¡°Seems like their children didn¡¯t survive the animal attacks,¡± Peter responded. He sat on the edge of the bed and nudged the boy back. ¡°Guess this''ll be our room.¡±

    ¡°Natravi, share the bedroom with Brair,¡± Drac ordered as he joined them from the hallway.

    Luvrit and Volvo had taken the makeshift beds in the last room and were quickly snoring up the house. Peter waited for some time, desperately fighting the sleep until he could hear everyone breathing steadily.

    ¡°It''s now or never,¡± he whispered to himself. Careful not to wake up Fliss he slowly stood up off the bed and sneaked out of the room. Even with his good eyesight, it was too dark to see anything in the hallway but he braced himself and walked confidently towards the middle bedroom.

    ¡°Guh¡± Peter suddenly felt a vice grip on his shoulder as he approached Natravi and Brair''s room. He was suddenly pulled back into his room before being slammed against the wall. Surprisingly no one had woken up. Gripping what seemed like a hand around his neck, his eyes adjusted to show a large black helmet staring back at him.

    ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± he choked out.

    ¡°You have a bad habit of sleepwalking into other people¡¯s bedrooms. I want to fix it,¡± Drac¡¯s voice came out in a growl and his left eye began to glow red.

    ¡°Hel-¡± Peter tried yelling but his vision began to blur and he blacked out.

    When he came to he was lying in bed, with Fliss on his side and the house still filled with snoring it seemed like it was all a dream. Looking over at the door he saw Drac¡¯s slumped form fast asleep under the moonlight. When he peered deeper into the darkness he felt it was staring back. That¡¯s when he knew he was not going to sleep well that night.

 Chapter 3.5: The Cat and The Masquerader

    While the mercenaries slept in the quiet village of Asphil, a few miles away, in the dead of night of the fortress town Yikensworth a hooded figure walked through an everlasting graveyard. It moved through the rows of graves, without as much as a sound escaping its footsteps as if it was revisiting its resting site.

    The figure walked deeper into the graveyard, past the railings and rusted fences until it reached a large mausoleum with a padded lock on its front. Walking up the steps it inspected the lock and chains around its gate before attempting to smash it with the pommel of its short-sword. After a few tries, the lock finally broke, and the figure stepped inside. Its sleeve had rolled back during the smashing and was revealing a thin and pale hand with long and sharp nails grasping the weapon¡¯s grip.

    Stepping deeper into the tomb the person took off the hood to shower her pretty face under the moonlight rays coming through a crack in the roof. Her face was small, pale, and round, almost like a cat¡¯s with matching orange-brown hair in a bob cut neatly ending where her chin started. She smirked to herself, admired herself before she began searching.

    All the slabs for corpses were empty. The grave goods hidden in a small box beneath some of the deceased had long been stolen. Perhaps it was the scent of all the incense absorbed by the stones but a fragrant smell tickled the girl¡¯s nose.

    She furrowed her brows and followed it deeper into the tomb.

    ¡°Hm hm hm ¡ª hm¡±

    The girl pressed on an unobtrusive carving as she hummed. As the carving moved, there was a clicking of wheels behind the walls; a moment later, the sound of stone grinding against each other filled the mausoleum slowly moving the large grave in the middle into a hidden place on the back-end wall. The moonlight allowed a stairway to be seen. It led below into the darkness and the woman smiled to herself again.

    She sheathed her short-sword and descended the staircase, steadily moving in the darkness on nothing but her senses and instinct. The path curved halfway, and led to a narrow hallway beneath the earth; its walls and floor were made of chipped and chiselled rock. The wind blew at her face, it was cold and damp and smelled much like the rest of the graveyard, which meant that the wind had been blown from outside.

    The stairway had led down to a lit, far-reaching hallway. Rushwicks were spread out in lines along the walls each one lighting itself on fire as she passed by, casting a large shadow of the woman on the worn red carpet.

    Tuning her humming to silence, the woman slowly reached for the door and stepped into what lay beyond.

    She was inside a large cavern. The area was illuminated by a green light coming from stalagmites on the ceiling and rocky pathways leading along the cave¡¯s walls towards the large cliff protruding out in the middle of the cavern. At the bottom of the cliff was a large well where a hooded figure stood hunched ¨C looking inside. The rest of the cave was a natural smooth slope leading to wide flat grounds

    She climbed down the steps leading to a slope, and as she approached the brown cloaked figure in silence the quivering curls at the end of her lips morphed into a smirk, and that smirk spread over her face and morphed into a smile which then widened till it showed her teeth, by which time she was standing right behind the figure without its awareness.

    Purple hues of smoke radiating from the well were directed towards the large orb with his right hand as he held it in his left. The shades of the orb kept increasing in intensity and darkness the more he repeated his movements and chants. The person was completely absorbed with what it was conducting in the well to notice her breathing down his neck.

    Only when she whistled a tune did it sense her. It quickly turned around and swung his arm to attack, but quickly stopped when he saw who she was. His already pale and sour face turned for the worse. His popped eyes returned to their normal sunken state, his face wrinkled more and he snarled at her while placing some distance between them with an audible sound of displeasure.

    ¡°Che! Why are you here?¡± the man asked as he made a small motion with his free hand, causing a metal staff to appear out of nowhere.

    ¡°Why~? You don¡¯t want me to be here~?¡± she said teasingly.

    ¡°You can see that I¡¯m infusing energy into this thing so why disturb me. If you¡¯re here to make trouble, I have ways to deal with that too,¡± the man narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on his staff.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had more than one opportunity to kill you Willy~,¡± she placed a hand on her hip. ¡°You always suck the fun out of everything!¡±

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Willy questioned sternly. The woman responded with a Cheshire smile, her hands stroking her swords. Tensions rose as the man assumed a fighting stance and the two held each other in a standoff. After a while, she dropped her smile and looked down in disappointment.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    *Sigh*¡°Fun-sucker, fine! I came to give you this,¡± she threw a large silver halo at the man¡¯s feet. He kneeled to pick it up, not once letting his eyes leave her, and held the object between them to observe.

    ¡°Is¡­¡± Willy raised the halo near his head, ¡°is this Jamal¡¯s Crown? You remembered our deal.¡±

    Willy¡¯s voice was trembling as he inspected the object for any markings of ownership. The object itself was very modest, a silver halo with no jewels, no intricate design except a small octagonal shape on the inside of the halo.

    ¡°I found it on a pretty boy¡¯s head, but he kept it locked up most times so I couldn¡¯t get it so easily,¡± she said proudly. ¡°Only after a few nights, a nice adventure...mmm~¡± she licked her lips and closed her eyes in remembrance, ¡°and a dozen pretty lies later did he reveal to me where and how I could get it.¡±

    ¡°Did you take care of him?¡± Willy said, ignoring her as best as could while admiring the halo.

    ¡°Of course,¡± the woman blushed as she recollected how she did it. ¡°I was on top of him~ and it was so nice~ oh, but then there was a knife and he was so~ terrified¡­Oh! His face when he found out where I¡¯d stabbed him, mmm~ it was the best! I don¡¯t who was in more bliss but it was wonderful¡± she softly giggled to herself until she saw the glare Willy was giving her. ¡°Ugh, Yes! I took great care of him. Happy now?¡±

    She returned Willy¡¯s disgusted and crossed her arms across herself.

    ¡°Disgusting vixen, you were there as a member of the Sunlight Circle! Did you leave a trail?¡±

    She smiled once more and continued on with ignoring him;

    ¡°Those people are too nice for my tastes, did you know they wouldn¡¯t even kill anyone unless there was a week-long enquiry? I mean I could¡¯ve killed someone in broad daylight and they still would¡¯ve spent at least 10 days investigating it before giving me the old rope or blade across the throat.¡±

    ¡°Because they were in Ark. The Ark has some of the strongest warriors in the seven kingdoms, that¡¯s why the Sunlight Circle, being the promoter of a false religion in all the nations, behaved so malevolently while you were there. Don¡¯t think those circle hypocrites haven¡¯t sent someone after you yet, what with you stealing the Circle¡¯s most valuable treasure I¡¯ll be surprised if that wasn¡¯t the first thing they did after finding out.¡± She didn¡¯t think it was possible but Willy¡¯s face turned even paler than before. ¡°Cleo, did you kill the prince perhaps?¡±

    ¡°Yeah~, he was such a cutie-,¡± she was suddenly interrupted.

    ¡°-Oh no, they¡¯re going to send those brutes here after you, after me. Dammit, Cleo couldn¡¯t you do it without killing that worthless prince?!¡±

    ¡°Why are you so afraid~? The fighters in the Ark are just a bunch of pacifists. I fought with one of them and was able to get rid of his eye before he stole my weapon, and he didn¡¯t even beat me for cutting his eye out.¡±

    ¡°You fought with one of the Rijal ''Aqwia and survived?¡± Willy¡¯s eyes seemed to almost pop out of his head.

    ¡°It was a practice round~,¡± she said in an innocent voice. ¡°Also, I had the prince around my fingers so it was all sorted out in the end.¡±

    ¡°Then you didn¡¯t truly feel the wrath of the Rijal ''Aqwia, they are direct descendants of one of the six Al-Majstayr fi Al-wahda, Jamal the Charming.¡± In a swiping motion he dissipated his staff and made to rub his eyes, but suddenly stopped. He peeked over to her direction and let his arms fall limb. ¡°Out of all the six ¡®Majstir¡¯ that settled over the seven kingdoms, he is the one who had the most prosperous life. He sired several children, many of whose descendants now make up the Rijal ¡®Aqwia. To have someone of their calibre coming after us means certain death.¡±

    ¡°Wait~¡± Cleo frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t Jamal bloodline end a couple of hundred years ago?¡±

    ¡°Ignorant mother-*Sigh* A couple of hundred years ago one of the advisors to his sons took over the kingdom, not by fighting but by persuading the son and all his siblings that under his rule they would be better off. You see they were all really strong and charming like their father but unlike him, they didn¡¯t have what it took to rule a kingdom. There was never any fight, only a peaceful succession.¡± Willy explained solemnly.

    ¡°Why did they agree so easily?¡± Cleo asked with a sarcastically interested expression. As if she was a child being taught the meaning of the world, but the man ignored her and continued;

    ¡°When you have the world as your oyster you don¡¯t think of making a pearl out of it. They had all they wanted, land, food, natural-born power to topple other nations, they didn¡¯t need to fight for more. So when Uthmal showed them the same lifestyle but without the burden of a kingdom, they all easily agreed. Since that day Uthmal¡¯s descendants have had complete control over Jamal¡¯s descendants. Those Rijal ''Aqwia, make up the elite guards to the king, they are stronger than any man or beast and loyal to a fault. And you just killed their prince, their future king¡­but you killed him while you were affiliated with the Sunlight Circle so hopefully, they wouldn¡¯t be chasing you so soon¡±

    ¡°Now maybe is a bad time to tell you that~, I was already being chased by the Circle.¡± Cleo scratched her head in embarrassment. ¡°I mean they already suspected me, so I thought why not go out with a bang.¡±

    *Bang*

    The place where Cleo had previously been standing was scorched in ash. The woman in question had cartwheeled away to avoid getting hit.

    ¡°Because of your stupidity,¡± Willy said with hate. ¡°Not only will we have a person from the sunlight circle hunting us down, but also a man from the Rijal ¡®Aqwia as well.¡±

    ¡°Hey, why not a woman-¡± *Bang*

    ¡°We will have to fake our deaths and go into hiding,¡± Willy smacked the staff on the ground. ¡°This is going much faster than I had anticipated.¡±

    After a few moments of pacing around he spoke once more; ¡°To power the crown, I need at least 20 pure souls. Can you do it before the end of this week?¡± Willy raised his eyebrow in challenge, making his wrinkly pale skin stretch most hideously.

    ¡°Killing more will make it more powerful right?¡± Cleo smiled creepily as she caught the halo Will had thrown her way.

    ¡°The more the better,¡± Willy returned to the well and turned his back to her. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to help me, I can carry out the Ritual of Resurrection and then we can go our separate ways.¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­But I have to ask; why the astral mask?¡±

    *Cough* ¡°Wh-What?¡± Willy almost lost the ball in the well from shock

    ¡°Hehehe, I¡¯ll see you in a week my lord~ship Wi~lliam?¡± Cleo sang sweetly as she walked up the stairs.

 Blade

    The little village of Asphil was covered by the golden light of the sun. It shone upon the ground from its zenith illuminating the busy village. A little girl ran through the village unperturbed by the heavy atmosphere plaguing the adults. They all wore grim faces and conflicted expressions yet she smiled and laughed, focusing on chasing one task running out of her grubby little hands. In front of her was a squawking chicken she had taken an interest in. She ran around the houses, between the people, she didn¡¯t even let up when the chicken ran through the pigs mud bath.

    Dirty and spoiled she continued to chase, ignoring the stern scolding of other villagers and enjoying the privileges of being young. The chicken ran for dear life as it navigated round corners, over small animals, and between the large armored legs coming out a house. Its chaser being too absorbed in grabbing its tail failed to notice the giant man before it was too late.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± escaped her pain. She fell down from the force and rubbed her bruised head as she looked up at what hit her. The tall man casted a large shadow over the gawking little girl when he bent over.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± The man offered a hand. His helmet was very close to her face, its slits absorbing any light shone upon and exposing the man¡¯s face.

    ¡°UUUWWWAAAA¡± the child cried. The loud scream attracted many onlookers while the man in dark armor flinched at her reaction.

    *Bonk*

    ¡°Seriously?¡± a red-haired woman hammered the back of his helmet. ¡°You¡¯re scaring the kid; look at how they¡¯re are looking at you. It looks bad on us, y¡¯know.¡±

    Pushing him away the ginger knelt in front of the child and spoke symathetically; ¡°Oooh sorry, did the scary man hurt you?¡±

    The child squeezed her eyes shut to force out some tears while nodding vigorously.

    ¡°Yes, he is a bad man isn¡¯t he,¡± Brair glared at her companion. ¡°But you know what? I got a surprise for you~¡±

    She reached back with both hands and brought out the chicken the girl was chasing.

    ¡°Ta-da¡± she presented.

    Having found her object of delight the child squealed and clapped her hands, taking the scared chicken in her chubby hands. She got up and smiling once more to the woman ran away, disappearing into the crowd.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯ll scare the children when you wear something like that?¡± Brair said angrily. ¡°Why not take it off for a while?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± the man said. ¡°I could be attacked at any moment, removing my helmet would give the enemy the opportunity they seek.¡±

    ¡°Which enemy?!¡±

    ¡°Hey, Hey, let it go you guys,¡± A blond haired man placed his hands on their shoulders. ¡°Drac I apologize on Brair¡¯s behalf, its just that she is very curious as to what you look like underneath.¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t,¡± Brair shook off Luvrit¡¯s hand. ¡°He just ate without opening that¡­that thing, why would you do that if you weren¡¯t hiding something terrible underneath? I don¡¯t want to see his ugly kisser.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s just being cautious,¡± Luvrit defended. ¡°What if I started wearing a helmet all the time?¡±

    ¡°Then I know your hiding something ugly,¡± Brair said smugly.

    ¡°We¡¯re wasting time,¡± Drac began walking away. ¡°The others are already waiting for us near the forest.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re coming.¡± Luvrit said.

    They walked together from the Chief¡¯s house and out of the village. The village occupied a small space, its streets merely a few houses long before the plowed land was reached, thus it took them only a few minutes to reach the edge and towards the forest far away. The three of them were late because their breakfast was heartier than the others, who had taken their leave to scout out the area. The rest were awaiting their arrival near the edge of the forest.

    Peter was, as usual, was trying to flirt with Natravi and like always she was a cold stone to approach. Fliss and Volvo were entertaining themselves over the antics of their comrade cruade to getting laid, until they noticed the others return.

    The cheerful atmosphere they had created suddenly vanished, everyone¡¯s expressions turnig grim over the thought of the task before them. Thus began discussions of forming the plan to infiltrate the forest. The White Forest was home to many monsters and the fighters from the previous night were only scavengers, taking whatever¡¯s left of the strong¡¯s meal or dominating aging beasts nearing death. There was also the L?we to worry about, as well as the light attribute monsters that might¡¯ve come near the edge of the forest.

    ¡°We¡¯ll split up in groups of two,¡± Volvo said, ¡°one will stay here and take care of the fleeing monsters, while the other takes a full sweep of the forest. The group that going to go in the forest will be; Luvrit, Natravi, Drac, and Fliss.¡±

    ¡°Wait up!¡± Brair shouted, ¡°Fliss is the youngest among us, and he isn¡¯t a good enough fighter. Shouldn¡¯t we let someone with more experience in fighting be in the group?¡±

    ¡°How do you think Fliss¡¯ll grow if he doesn¡¯t fight in dangerous situations,¡± Volvo glanced at Drac, ¡°Also, with Fliss next to Luvrit and Mr. Drac I think he will be safe enough, as long as they don¡¯t go too far in.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright Brair, I¡¯ll be fine¡± Fliss smiled at Brair.

    ¡°But¡­Argh,¡± Brair exasperatedly sighed and placed her hands on his shoulders in defeat. ¡±Alright, take care of yourself.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, do I see this as a possible couple? I didn¡¯t think you would be into that type, Brair.¡± Peter teased.

    ¡°Come here, you wax head,¡± Brair tried to grab Peter¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Hehe, ok, ok.¡± Peter held up his hands in surrender but Brair didn¡¯t care as she punched him in the gut, hunching him over.

    ¡°Enough!¡± Volvo shouted. Leaving Brair and Peter aside he addressed the others; ¡°Everyone, I hope for us to dine tonight so be careful out there.¡±

    ¡°We will see each other soon,¡± Drac said walked into the forest with Luvrit, Fliss and Natravi trailing along.

    Drac allowed Luvrit to take lead after entering thickening undergrowth of the forest. They walked for a few minutes through the dense leaves and thick bushes until they reached a small clearing, paved due to a few fallen trees. The golden rays highlighted the moisture in the air, along with the unsettled dust. Luvrit climbed atop it and took his bearings in the crescent view. They were surrounded by tall trees covered and surrounded by green moss but to their left was a small clearing between the tall pillars of nature. Hesitating for a minute, he walked towards the clear sign of recent disturbance.

    Soon they were met a group of monsters feasting on a pile of ripped guts and entrails of some unfortunate creatures. Those monsters were goblins, reflecting the sunlight from their bulbous lumps and drool down their lipless mouths. Luvrit, Natravi and Drac made a pincer attack on them eliminating the possibility of escape, while Fliss provided back up from far away.

    Luvrit adopted a basic style of sword, upward slash-block-side slash-block-repeat, while Natravi kept to her toes, jumping around and slicing throats with only the momentum of her body. While the two used swords to match their enemies Drac took it all with his armored fists. Punching flesh and bones, slapping away stone hammers and pikes, he didn¡¯t stop when the goblin died. He continued on till a bone broke or squelching sounds of mashed organs could be heard. By the time he was finished his arms were covered in blood, but the dirty yellow colour didn¡¯t stop there.

    Luvrit and Natravi had taken to the sides while Drac charged head on with only his arms to protect him from the bloodbath, so when the fighting starting he bore the bulk of the bloodshed from all sides. When the fighting finished Natravi and Luvrit only had a few streaks of blood trailing their threads, but Drac was different. His entire upper body was covered with blood, the yellow colour mixing in with the black armor like oil, glistening it in the sunlight. Some chunks of guts stuck to his hands and knees while an eye had found its way to his neck. It stuck there, staring at the others until he popped it off between his fingers, wiping some of the blood along with it as he threw it in the plants.

    Natravi showed to reaction to that but Fliss and Luvrit were clearly surprised. The blond whistled a tune as he looked at the results of their slaughter, smiling proudly. But Drac wasn¡¯t finished, he bent down to one knee at the dead monster¡¯s corpse the goblins were eating and cupped his hands in a prayer.

    ¡°O Bozhe, in janwaroe ko mir dae.¡± Drac quietly murmured.

    ¡°Interesting, never heard of that language, what was it?¡± Luvrit asked.

    ¡°Because I spoke not one but two tongues. A mix of my parent¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Huh, where are you from?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Drac stood up from his kneel and faced Luvrit.

    ¡°Alright, follow me.¡± Luvrit said as he led them back the way they came.

    ¡°Why would you pray for the monsters, Drac?¡± Luvrit asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any right to judge those creatures, they were enjoying a meal and we killed them for the threat the posed not the crimes they committed, the right to judge remains with the entity above.¡±

    ¡°You believe in a higher power?¡± Luvrit asked they walked deeper.

    Suddenly they were confronted with another group of monsters. This time they were quadrupedal creatures baring sharp fangs, fur clumped together into pointed spikes and a face resembling a wolf¡¯s. They were much larger than any normal dog and had split paws similar to the hooves on a camel.

    The monsters stalked the group and slowly began surrounding them. But the chance to surround was taken away when Luvrit decided to charge ahead. He took to the center while Drac and Natravi took to the sides, stopping the wave of wollfels on their tracks. Adopting previous maneuvers the group attacked with speed and precision, taking out as many shocked wollfels before the others realized what was happening.

    The remaining few jumped with vicious ferocity, aiming to knock down the blond. As the claws came close Luvrit suddenly kicked his legs up and fell down, narrowly missing the front paws. However the wollfels hind legs caught him across the face kicking him down. That was it; the frenzied animals chance was upon them. They twisted themselves around and took a lunge for the human¡¯s head ignoring the shadow casted upon them, till it was cleaving their bodies apart.

    Luvrit wasted no time in rolling away as the blood spurted everywhere. He jumped up at the ready, but hesitated to charge at the sight before him. The black sword was stuck into the ground where he lay only minutes before. Decapitated heads and their bodies gushing blood lay on either side of the sword, oiling it with blood. Drac forcefully pulled out the sword and wiped the blood on the ground, before placing it back on his back.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Luvrit gulped, rubbing his neck.

    Drac nodded in turn and waited for Luvrit to take the lead once more. After some silence he spoke once more.

    ¡°So, ya¡¯ think the¡¯-¡±, Luvrit suddenly stopped and coughed. ¡°Excuse me. So you believe in a higher power.¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± Drac wiped off some blood on a plant as they walked the long trek to the other side.

    ¡°So you¡¯re a practitioner of the Holy Scripture?¡± Fliss asked once they reached the fallen tree.

    ¡°I don¡¯t practice any religion from the Seinaru Kingdom to the tribes in the far west. I am knowledgeable on the teachings of the Holy Scripture however, due to my upbringing,¡± Drac responded.

    ¡°But you don¡¯t follow it?¡± Luvrit asked.

    ¡°No I don¡¯t,¡± Drac said.

    *SQUEAL*

    ¡°AHHH,¡± Fliss shrieked. Everyone quickly turned around to see a brown boar suddenly rush past Fliss. Natravi took out her sword to attack but the boar jumped out of the way and ran towards edge of the forest.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Natravi asked, slowly inching forward.

    ¡°Ye-yes,¡± Fliss said wiping the tears away. ¡°Just surprised. Haha.¡±

    ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought,¡± Luvrit laughed. ¡°It would be an animal that got the jump on us.¡±

    ¡°That is a cause for concern,¡± Natravi said grabbing Fliss closer, causing Luvrit to smile. ¡°You should walk closer.¡±

    Fliss nodded, still shaken up by what could be his dinner run past him.

    ¡°Interesting, that there were animals like that living in the forest,¡± Luvrit commented as he continuing leading. ¡°You good back there, Fliss?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Can we not talk about this anymore.¡±

    ¡°Alright, sure. So Drac, if you don¡¯t believe in any religion what do you pray to?¡±

    ¡°I speak to an unknown entity that I know is out there and thus¡­that¡¯s my version of god,¡± he spoke after some time. ¡°A religion itself is untrue if it¡¯s name changes along with time and languages.¡±

    ¡°I wise man once said the same thing to me once, false religions rely on the passages of time,¡± Luvrit smiled as he flicked sweat off his brow, the endeavor failing due to the mud caked on his gloves. He frowned and he tried wiping it off on his clothes before trying again only to fail once more. Eventually he gave up and decided to conserve his energy in the humidity.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°Hmmm, he could be someone I know. After all, there aren¡¯t many who share the same-¡± Drac was interrupted when a large brown creature with a dog-like appearance suddenly jumped out of the shrubs and attacked him. Drac brought up his arms to defend himself but inadvertently allowed it platforms to jump from, over him and towards Natravi. He turned around as soon as the dog¡¯s feet left his arms and caught its tail midflight. Pulling it back he redirected the monsters attention to himself and shot an uppercut to its flailing head.

    *Tssch*

    The sound of the brain contacting with the skull resounded in the quite forest. The force caused its head to pull back so hard that its neck broke and uproot the chain of bones running in the middle its back. The tear in its neck caused bile and blood to gush out and onto his armor, before he quickly threw the dead body into the bushes.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to overdo it.¡± Natravi said as she wiped a streak of red on her cheek.

    ¡°It was necessary for the others to see¡± Drac said as he gripped his hand tightly, pointing to the different similar creatures that had moved in the surrounding bushes. At the revelations Fliss let out a small yelp as the other two took up their stances to face off their enemies. The creatures encircled the four, careful to not stay out of bushes for too long.

    After sometime, a white wolf-like creature with large curved fangs and a thin tail came out. It stalked the tallest among ground as it waded closer towards corpse in fluids, nudging the broken head with its own. When the body made no movement the white creature howled to the sky, soon followed by the rest of the pack. Everyone flinched in their place, getting ready for an attack. Only Drac stood his ground and looked solely at the white creature, balling up his fist before relaxing it when the monster turned around and jumped back into the bushes, taking its pack with it.

    ¡°That was scary.¡± Fliss sighed and bent over.

    ¡°What do you think that was all about?¡± Luvrit asked.

    ¡°A warning,¡± Drac pointed around them. ¡°They probably warned the other monsters about us, about this. They should¡¯ve left at least.¡±

    ¡°Just to be sure, let¡¯s take another round.¡± Luvrit suggested.

    ¡°Uhhh, I don¡¯t feel too good.¡± Fliss said as he vomited over. Natravi knelt next to him and with a gasp slammed his chest, pushing him back up.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine, just exhausted his mana.¡±

    ¡°Well, if our magic man isn¡¯t feeling too good we should take a break for a while then,¡± Luvrit said leaning next to a tree.

    ¡°That would be good, but-but how about getting out of here first?¡± Fliss suggested, eyeing Natravi.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, if they wanted to attack us they would¡¯ve done it before. Besides, we¡¯ll be ready for an ambush if it comes our way.¡± Luvrit took out a dirty, greasy cloth and began wiping his sword with it.

    ¡°Rest would be nice,¡± Drac nodded at Fliss.

    ¡°What?¡± Luvrit laughed, ¡°You¡¯re tired? You¡¯re as big Volvo, perhaps bigger-¡±

    ¡°The bigger we are, the easier we tire.¡± Drac sat against the furthest tree looked at Luvrit on his right and Natravi and Fliss on his left.

    ¡°It¡¯s improper to check ones strength based off of his or her rank. The rank is nothing but a number given to contain one¡¯s brilliance in the natural society. That¡¯s why I was so hesitant in becoming one of the mercenaries.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and why did you become a mercenary?¡± Luvrit asked resting his chin over his sword¡¯s handle.

    ¡°¡­It was better than being a freelancer.¡± Drac said. ¡°The pay was more stable and I would be properly compensated for, if something goes array. Also, there are other benefits to being a mercenary which I thrive to achieve.¡±

    ¡°Hmph¡± Luvrit smiled, ¡°Yes there are, but we don¡¯t talk about such things, not I public at least.¡±

    ¡°Stop it!¡± Fliss squealed like a girl as Natravi stumbled back. The two seemed to be in a heated discussion completely separate from Drac and Luvrit¡¯s.

    ¡°Something wrong, Natravi?¡± Drac asked.

    ¡°Yes, it would seem that Fliss-¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Fliss forcefully clamped Natravi¡¯s mouth with his hands and stumbled atop her. The two struggled for a moment but Natravi was eventually able to walk away freely.

    ¡°Fliss,¡± Drac addressed the blushing youth as he shakily stood. ¡°I understand that Natravi has found out some private matter about you. But please understand that she wouldn¡¯t reveal something to us as I am forbidding her from meddling in your matters. Alright, Navi?¡±

    ¡°¡­Very well uncle.¡± Natravi nodded as she leaned next to the tree where Fliss later sat.

    Silence ensued there on, only being broken when one consumed their rations once in a while. Eventually, Luvrit stood up and motioned for them to follow him. They made one final sweep across the area they had previously covered and finally reached back to the broken trees from where they slowly moved out to greet their friends waiting for them.

    When they came out of a forest a sight much like their first encounter with the goblins in the forest greeted them. There was blood and guts splattered in patches on the grass and bodies of orcs, goblins and a few wollfels creatures laid down. The others in the group were cutting off their evidence of personal kills to trade for a few coins when Brair noticed them approach.

    ¡°Took ya¡¯ long enough,¡± she smiled. The sun was just starting to fall illuminating the sky orange.

    ¡°Who sent the pig?¡± Volvo asked, pointing at its corps.

    ¡°Fliss,¡± Luvrit smiled. They soon exchanged stories and found that the howl from the white wollfel had caused a lot more monsters to run out the forest at once, straining their partners.

    ¡°If you had time to take a break,¡± Peter scolded. ¡°You should¡¯ve come out to help us instead! I was in danger over here.¡±

    ¡°Come on, who¡¯d believe that?¡±

    ¡°I would¡± Natravi chipped in as they walked back to the village. The villagers started to part for them and give them a clean route; straight to the Chief¡¯s house. ¡°He seems quite unreliable.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I can take care of myself quite well.¡±

    ¡°See, what did I tell you?¡± Luvrit laughed as Peter placed an arm around his shoulders and whispered something, causing him to laugh greatly.

    ¡°¡­Mr. Volvo.¡± Drac asked.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the villagers?¡±

    ¡°Oh them? Don¡¯t mind ¡®em,¡± Volvo¡¯s dismissed, his calm voice juxtaposing the tense atmosphere. ¡°They hate us.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, we¡¯re risking our lives to protect them, not cause them harm.¡± Natravi made a disgusted face at the villagers.

    ¡°Oh, but we have Miss Natravi.¡± Volvo answered, ¡°Where do you think the guild gets its money to pay for our services? The villager put together a large sum to be able to acquire our services, many of them lost their farming lands and livestock to be able to live in safety, so their anger is understandable.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have such problems before. So why now?¡±

    ¡°Beauty isn¡¯t shown the ugliness of the world, lest it turns evil itself and become a greater threat.¡± Drac responded as he walked into the Chief¡¯s house.

    ¡°Weird,¡± Natravi frowned. Drac placed a reassuring hand over her shoulder before leading her into the house.

    ¡°Ahh Sirs, it is nice to see you all are well,¡± Chief smiled profusely. ¡°I hope our problem in the forest is taken care of?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the monsters near the forest have been taken care of,¡± Volvo took a seat in the guest room, ¡°I would appreciate it if you would sign here please.¡±

    Volvo took out the parchment and motioned for the seat opposite to him. The others filed in after the chief and stood on both sides as he sat down. The Chief gingerly took the quill and wrote down his first name under Volvo¡¯s, but not his last.

    ¡°Why did you stop?¡± Volvo frowned.

    ¡°¡­¡± The Chief licked his lips and stared at the mercs standing behind Volvo, ¡°I am greatly in your debt for what you did today¡­but since you¡¯ll be travelling back to Yikensworth through here¡­I would greatly appreciate it if you would do what you did today once more. Then I would sign my last name, please?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Volvo raised his eyebrow as he stood up, subsequently the Chief shrank back. ¡°I did my job and will have what you promised!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes of course,¡± The chief guiltily looked at his fidgeting hands. After some time he brought his head back up, clearly not giving up. ¡°B-bb-but if you come back you might receive more benefits than before; better lodging¡­maybe even some entertainment?¡±

    It seemed the chief was really pushing his bravery as he kept himself from trembling. However, nothing could be done about the sound of his heart pumping loudly.

    ¡°You little piece of-¡± Volvo shouted at him as he leaned forward to grab his throat. But an armored hand shot out and grabbed it before it could reach its target. Drac motioned for the window behind him as Volvo raised his eyebrow in question, the others standing behind Volvo also turned to look. Dark figures stood in the night on the other side of the window looking solely at their Chief. For some, their eyes betrayed their expectations of an execution.

    Volvo¡¯s face turned sour and he dejectedly sat down, everyone returned to their previous positions as if the scene didn¡¯t happen. It was clear the a harsh response to the provocations would lead to a complaint being sent to the guild, leading to an investigation. This would destroy their reputations as mercenaries and they would be wanted as criminals.

    ¡°This may make things difficult.¡± Natravi sighed as she leaned against the shelf on the fireplace.

    ¡°No shit!¡± Volvo¡¯s mood reflected on his change in idiolect. ¡°Listen here old man, how about you offer us some more silvers or more goods than was originally promised if we do agree to do the round-about trip? You get your extra protection and we get our share of money. Hmmm?¡±

    ¡°My good sir¡­we paid for your services from the last few patches of crops the monsters hadn¡¯t trampled¡­and the coppers¡± the old man quietly sobbed. Gasping for air he resumed; ¡°The coppers belong to those families who tried to do the guards¡¯ jobs and fought the monsters out three weeks ago. Their dead now. The money earned from selling their goods at the locals market was all we could offer because we ourselves couldn¡¯t afford to give anymore. We still have the taxes to pay.¡±

    Realizing the sympathy spreading in his group Volvo said;

    ¡°Alright, stop.¡±

    ¡°The only money we have is for the rations we can buy at your guild to keep us going through the oncoming winter.¡± The chief continued. ¡°It¡¯s too late to grow crops now, the pigs and chickens are all we have to keep us going through winter.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡±

    ¡°We only ask of this so that the young children don¡¯t have to starve through the winter. So we don¡¯t have to bury their lifeless bodies-¡±

    ¡°ALRIGHT!¡± Volvo yelled, slamming his arm on the table.

    ¡°Chief¡± Drac placed a hand on the old man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°If this was your attempt to gain favors, it is very convincing¡­but you must keep in mind that you¡¯re problems are not the worst we have seen. Each mercenary has been through hell to get to where they are now, they have seen and experienced as much, if not more than what you are going through. Even those who are new to the profession chose it because they have gone through something terrible. Your situation isn¡¯t special its pitiful.¡±

    ¡°Drac!¡± Brair and Fliss scolded. Everyone seemed shocked at him, only Natravi and Volvo remained undisturbed and silently nodded.

    ¡°That being said,¡± Drac removed his hand and sat down next to the Chief. The chair was positioned sideway to allow space for his swords. ¡°I am willing to help you out with your little problem.¡±

    ¡°Oh thank you sir,¡± Chief bowed.

    ¡°Volvo we should help as well,¡± Fliss pleaded.

    ¡°Fliss, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t want to help too but our situation isn¡¯t very favorable either.¡± Volvo said painfully. ¡°If we do this now then all other villages are going to ask for the same treatment, and we don¡¯t have enough rations nor do would we have the time to help them all out. The quest expires in a week and if we stay here to help them then it¡¯s going to take much longer, that would reduce the rewards¡­and we can¡¯t afford it.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Fliss tried but he couldn¡¯t make an argument form.

    ¡°Hmmm, how about only I make the rounds?¡± Drac offered. ¡°Mr. Volvo I understand that you have to get the rewards as quickly as possible, so why don¡¯t we make a deal?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±

    ¡°I can make the rounds back with one from your group and in return you keep hold of my share for me. This way the villages will get what they want and you can get the signature you need.¡±

    ¡°How-how would I know you¡¯re going to keeping your promise?¡± Chief said crossing his arms.

    ¡°I thought so¡± *Sigh* Drac slowly reached at his back and procured a large sword, as wide as a man¡¯s thigh, and slowly laid it out on the table turning it towards the trembling man. ¡°This is a sword made from Inconel; a form a steel metal mixed with aluminum, nickel and various other metals, I am giving it in your possession as my word that I shall return to you to perform my duties. All I ask in is that you finish your signature to let us receive our rewards properly.¡±

    ¡°What if-¡±

    ¡°You can also try to sell this sword too,¡± Drac said, ¡°it is made from the same metal used in mountain carving machines that the Dinn use, so I am confident it will fetch a high price. But please wait until I come to retrieve it¡­¡±

    Drac leaned closer to the chief.

    ¡°¡­otherwise I would be very upset,¡± He spoke in a low voice, sending chills down the ancient spine of the man.

    ¡°¡­¡± The old man said nothing. He licked his lips and slowly finished his signature. Volvo took the parchment and thanked the man for his assistance, rolling it up and tucking it away. The Chief tried to move Drac¡¯s large sword but failed to gain even an inch in displacement. Drac held the handle and moved it to a corner of the room, resting it gently against the wall¡­but hesitated to let go. After a few minutes he gingerly withdrew his hand and stormed out. A loud ¡®bang¡¯ of a door slamming shut followed by a few shouts of the frightened villagers could be heard.

    ¡°We shall be taking our leave then,¡± Volvo said as he tapped the table twice before leaving. They caught up to him a few hills away when he had slowed his pace and seemed to have calmed down. By this time the moon was directly over head, glinting off his black armor and showing the hilly dark green grass in their surroundings. The group had positioned themselves so that only Drac, and Natravi walked at the back, giving him some space. Brair walked ahead with Peter and Luvrit, holding a silent conversation with the two.

    ¡°Thank you for helping them,¡± Fliss was the first one to speak up. He smiled from ahead the man behind the helmet.

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Drac,¡± Volvo said ¡°Well handled.¡±

    ¡°I will be depriving of one of your members on your journey back.¡± Drac said with an edge in his voice told them he held the sword very close to his heart.

    ¡°Oh yeah, so you¡¯re taking Fliss?¡± Luvrit asked.

    ¡°No, Peter shall be accompanying me.¡± Drac said.

    ¡°Yess!¡± Peter punched the air. ¡°Thanks Drac.¡±

    ¡°Shanxx?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± Peter looked back at Drac.

    ¡°I will be keeping the night watch, so you can sleep peacefully.¡±

    Peter flinched at that comment and turned around disheartedly.

    ¡°Hey, Drac?¡± Brair spoke up, having finished her silent conversation with Luvrit.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t your share supposed to be my cut?¡± Brair pointed to herself, ¡°You broke my share after all.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is your share.¡± Drac said, ¡°But I should be the one to receive my share and give it to you. Who knows, you might take my part of the reward, buy your healing potion and claim it wasn¡¯t enough. I would keep owing you for an endless cycle wouldn¡¯t I.¡±

    ¡°I see, hahaha¡± Brair looked at the sky, ¡°I didn¡¯t even think of that.¡±

    The group traveled in such fashion; talking, laughing, and taking occasional breaks, at one point; Natravi and Drac had a private conversation away from the group. No one knew why but they didn¡¯t question it when she took out some food out of Drac¡¯s pouch to nibble on.

    Luckily, no creatures of the forest made an encounter with them that night. So when the sky turned slightly blue, the group was able to get a good night¡¯s rest with Drac as their watchman. He refused to get off the shift despite the pleads of Peter.

    They reached the next village on the second day in the afternoon, a quick visit to the wealthier village¡¯s Chief they quickly set to work; splitting up like before and hunting down creatures of the forest.

    ¡°Hey, uhh guys, I don¡¯t feel so good¡± Fliss said as he hit the ground. Natravi was the first one next to him and called it off as mana exhaustion.

    ¡°How about I take him back then? There isn¡¯t much more to-¡± Luvrit offered.

    ¡°I shall take him,¡± Natravi made the decision as she slumped Fliss over her shoulder, leaving the two to take care of the rest.

    ¡°Hmm, is there something going on that I am not aware of?¡± Luvrit asked Drac as they watched her take him away.

    ¡°Something is going on, but I don¡¯t know anything about it.¡± Drac explained ¡°She will reveal it in her own time, till then I trust you won¡¯t speak of it to anyone Luvrit.¡±

    Unlike previous requests, Drac¡¯s voice was filled with concern.

    ¡°Of course Drac, I¡¯ll keep it private. It seems Fliss doesn¡¯t want anyone knowing either.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. That we get back to it then.¡± Drac motioned to the gathering creatures behind them. Luvrit jumped around and faced the enemy with his large sword, just as Drac threw a rock at one of them; smashing its skull. They fought like this for the entire day while Natravi hurriedly carried Fliss to the village, staring at him with a complicated look.

    Once she reached the other group who were finishing off the remaining monsters on their side, she laid Fliss down for Volvo to have a look at him. Volvo had a proud smile on his face as he examined him.

    ¡°You¡¯re training him to increase his mana pool aren¡¯t you?¡± Natravi asked.

    ¡°Why yes I am.¡± Volvo took out some herbs from his pouch and force fed it to Fliss, having it gulped with water from his gourd.

    ¡°Then¡­You know?¡± Natravi eyed Volvo¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°Yes I do, but keep it a secret¡± Volvo paid little mind to Natravi¡¯s glare. ¡°Like the boys said before, you know?¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Hey Volvo, what¡¯s wrong with him.¡± Peter called from far away. He was being kept at a distance by a certain red head blocking his path.

    ¡°Nothing serious Peter, Natravi is just going to take him to the village to rest for some time.¡± Volvo responded.

    The sun was slowly setting down and evening had just arrived when the rest of the group joined Fliss and Natravi in their special guest house much like the previous chief¡¯s own house. Fliss was feeling much better and immediately apologized for not helping out till the end.

    ¡°Nonsense, brains¡± Luvrit sat on the chair next to Fliss, on the table; dinner was laid out for them, prepared by Natravi and Fliss while they waited for the other to come back.

    ¡°Well I¡¯ll get this thing signed,¡± Volvo took his leave as the rest of the group sat on the remaining 3 chairs to eat.

    ¡°You did well out there, killing off the monsters with continuous tier two spells isn¡¯t easy.¡± Luvrit praised.

    The 6 ate and conversed that night, recuperating from previous long journey. Once Volvo came back, they ate some more and returned to their separate rooms. This house only had 6 rooms so two people had to share it together. Drac didn¡¯t hesitate at all and immediately jumped at the opportunity to share a room with Peter which was easily accepted by everyone, much to the latter¡¯s protests. All went smoothly for the next 2 days, Fliss showed great improvements in his ¡®training¡¯ and Drac kept finding situations to keep Peter as a room buddy. However it all changed on the fifth day, when they reached their fifth and final village.

 Survivors

    They walked all night, encountering little during the time. Except for a few goblins who thought they could take on six mercenaries, their travel was quite peaceful. At dawn, Drac once again offered to stay guard leaving the sleeping to his companions. However this time a certain someone kept awake to enjoy the armored man¡¯s lone company.

    ¡°What will we do after this?¡± the woman smiled. She cuddled in her robes to warm up in the cold morning. She spoke in a different tongue; one the Ansdrovean lands had not heard since the age of the Al-Majstayr fi Al-wahda.

    ¡°How did you become a mercenary of two strikes so quickly?¡± Drac asked in similar tongues.

    ¡°Dodging the question won¡¯t help¡± the woman reminded. Drac did not answer her question and continued to gaze at the horizon. *Sigh*¡°Fine. It helps sometimes to have a strong backer with you. I accompanied him a few times to the local mercenary guild when I was starting out. After I accomplished the few tasks the guild set out and gained the managers attention he gave me a higher rank, probably trying to gain favors from him.¡±

    ¡°Does he know?¡±

    ¡°Hmph, he came up with the idea.¡±

    ¡°To willingly chose such a course for himself¡­¡± Drac nodded. ¡°You chose right, it seems.¡±

    ¡°Enough about that and stop ignoring the question. What¡¯s next?¡± she hissed.

    ¡°I shall be continuing on exploring this land, perhaps find a place to settle once I¡¯ve had enough adventure.¡± Drac turned to look at the women leaning on his pauldron. ¡°After this, you will go your own separate way and enjoy life with whomever you chose, Natravi.¡±

    ¡°Enough adventure? Place to settle?¡± Natravi laughed ruefully. ¡°Uncle Drac you may still think me the little girl you could easily fool, but I am neither and was never ignorant to your half-truths. You are far too set on finding it to settle anywhere. I¡¯ve had my doubts ever since I was a child but the way you acted in your time spent at his house showed me how much you yearned. You lie to yourself and to others but I could see that you yearned for the luxuries he had.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t yearn his luxuries for myself,¡± Drac whispered. ¡°I yearned them for you because I wanted you to leave this life. I left because it seemed you did not need my help anymore, you had your distractions and I saw a way out for you. Except¡­ you saw instead to follow me on this path.¡±

    ¡°You say this but the truth is you just want me out of your way,¡± Natravi narrowed her eyes as she hugged her knees. ¡°You¡¯re too set on revenge that you-¡±

    ¡°Natravi~¡± Drac stretched that last syllable as if issuing a warning. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt anymore, so when I say you need to go back I say it for your own good. There is still a chance for you to live a long and wealthy life with those nobles. I know you and her don¡¯t like each other but at least her brother is amicable, hmm? Put up with her and in due time she will separate from her brother to live out her own life, giving you two space. You can grow old, mother a few children, and live a peaceful life.¡±

    ¡°And forget the past?¡± Natravi looked at the warrior¡¯s helmet. ¡°Leave everything that¡¯s happened and go away? I am sorry uncle, but I can¡¯t just forget what happened all those years ago. I have a burden to carry.¡±

    ¡°No Navi, I carry the burden of that incident for the both of us,¡± Drac placed his gloved hand over her shoulder and brought her closer. ¡°You cannot be asked to carry out revenge for something you don¡¯t remember.¡±

    ¡°But I know what happened,¡± Natravi pushed away slightly. ¡°I have an obligation to my family who¡¯ve been murdered by some¡­thing you won¡¯t even tell me about.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your family; alive and here with you. You have an obligation to me before you have one to them and I ask you to leave this to me.¡± Drac balled up his fist before slowly uncurling and resting it on her shoulder. ¡°You are the only family I have left and I cannot let you throw away your life in pursuit of revenge. This path I walk is dangerous and I would rather chose to walk it alone if it means the alternative is you placing your life at risk.¡±

    ¡°I have the right to live whichever way my heart tells me to and right now it¡¯s telling me to follow you.¡± Natravi pulled away from Drac to stand up. The two quietly observed as the sun shone on the dark grasslands in front of them, illuminating and bringing to life the still shoots of the grass. ¡°Forgive me uncle, but I shall be travelling with you and I won¡¯t let you out of my sight.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± Drac bowed his head. ¡°You are your mother¡¯s child¡­very well.¡±

    Natravi smiled at the warrior as the two shared a moment of silence.

    ¡°If that is what you want,¡± Drac sighed. He looked up at Natravi and spoke; ¡°I guess we¡¯ll do it like the old times.¡±

    ¡°Reconnaissance?¡±

    ¡°Subtly.¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t leave like last time, deal?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡±

    The two continued staring at the horizon in silence, visibly more relaxed than before. After failing to share some heat with Drac due to his cold exterior, Natravi slowly turned back to where the other mercenaries were sleeping and joined them in their slumber. Drac kept still like a statue when she left and only when he could hear the snores of her slumber did he move to slump his shoulders.

    ¡°Every time,¡± he said tiredly.

    Time passed by and when sky had turned a perfect shade of blue the others woke up one by one. Soon they had resumed their march to their destination. Natravi had returned back to her previous cold demeanor, showing no signs of her previous familiarity with Drac. They walked over the hill and fortunately met no surprises along their way till they reached the village over a hill.

    ¡°What the....¡± Luvrit spoke in disbelief.

    ¡°No¡± Volvo rubbed his eyes as if he was suddenly tired.

    The group had arrived at a scene of devastation. They were a little far away but the destruction was visible; wooden and clay houses were reduced to just rubble and wooden shards, chunks of human parts were strayed around in different places pooled up in their blood. Smoke was wafting into the sky, its source hidden by the piled up remnants of once large houses.

    Suddenly Brair took off running at the destroyed village, the others following in suit. They quickly reached the destroyed village and began looking for any sign of survivors.

    ¡°Hello, is anyone there?¡± Brair yelled loudly. ¡°HELLO!¡±

    ¡°Hey, anyone alive?¡±

    Everyone began looking, searching, shouting, but to all their efforts they received a silent reply. They had spread out, looking through the rubble, inside remnant houses and around the perimeter of the smoking village. Until they heard a loud scream emanating from behind the large pile of rubble from where the smoke was originating. As if attracted like ants to their queen they followed the scream around the rubble to where a campfire was lit.

    ¡°AHHHH¡± Drac held up a man from the back of his neck who was desperately trying to get out of his vice grip. The man was wearing a simple long red colored shirt with chainmail coming out of its scruff. He had a pair of pointy silver solerets and brown pants coming out of his greaves. Similar faced people were surrounding the large man, swords in hand they exuded hate in their expressions to the large man. Except for the man held by Drac; his expressions were more fearful than angry.

    ¡°STOP!¡± Volvo¡¯s voice boomed to the skies as he made his way forward, mace in hand. The rest started to encircle the unknown men as Volvo made his way forwards.

    ¡°Stay back,¡± one of the soldiers barked turning his sword to Volvo.

    ¡°Who are you people?¡± Brair asked.

    ¡°We are Yikensworth guards. We were sent here to investigate this incident,¡± the soldier Drac was holding shouted. ¡°And if this meathead doesn¡¯t let me down this instant and show some respect we will have you hung.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry sir¡± Drac said in an obedient voice unbefitting his threatening pose.

    Drac slowly lowered the knight on the ground; ¡°Very good.¡± the soldier said.

    ¡°Argh¡± Drac¡¯s grip on the guard¡¯s neck tightened.

    The man chocked as he was raised high before Drac threw him over hand to knockdown one of the less agile soldier standing in front of him. The other dodged his attack and began making his way towards the small Fliss.

    The young mercenary thrust his staff and began murmuring. Taking this as his opportunity; the soldier sprinted without restraint, aiming the tip of his sword to end the young man¡¯s life in one quick thrust. When the sword was merely a foot away the winds suddenly picked up and pushed the soldier back. Upon closer inspection the air infront of Fliss¡¯s staff was being jetted forwards. It carried pebbles and other small objects to pummel his body till the soldier tripped over on of his fallen comrades.

    ¡°What the heck are you people doing?¡± the soldier that Drac had held a moment before yelled. ¡°We are guards from Yikensworth, this will get you all killed.¡±

    ¡°You wear the appearance of the Yikensworth guard very well,¡± Drac slowly walked up to the man. ¡°But there is something wrong in this situation¡± Drac bent his waist and stared at the guard from under his helmet. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have arrived so early.¡±

    ¡°The damage here looks very recent,¡± Peter stated. ¡°The dust hasn¡¯t even settled yet, and there is no scent of goblins or orcs from the forest here.¡±

    ¡°Who are you people and what happened here?¡± Volvo grabbed the bleeding guard who had attacked Fliss and pulled him up.

    ¡°I told you this was going to happen, Jerry, but you just had to light a fire.¡± said the man thrown by Drac. The man in question, Jerry, struggled to get out of Volvo¡¯s grip till he saw the raised mace.

    ¡°Shut up Herald.¡± Jerry scolded. Volvo punched the man back to the ground as he wiped the spit off his face.

    ¡°Both of you shut up,¡± Brair shouted. ¡°You, Jerry-¡±

    Brair pointed her sword at Jerry as she worked something out in her mind.

    ¡°-You¡¯re Alexandrian.¡± she stated, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°How do you know what I am?¡±

    Brair took three large strides and punched Jerry on the other cheek, sword in hand.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t until you told me, idiot!¡± Blare was fuming. A rosy colour beneath the tan began eminating on her face, blending the brown and red. She pulled the knight up by his neck, imitating Drac as best as she could and brought his face close. ¡°Tell me; what happened here? Where are all the villagers?¡±

    ¡°The..Uh..we were sent here to look for an escaped beast. It broke out of its cage and escaped from Mildrow, we, ummm, think it may have come across here.¡±

    ¡°Liar¡± Drac sighed as he rolled his neck.

    ¡°What...Uh¡­no, miss I¡¯m not lying!¡± Jerry bent down to hug Brair¡¯s feet. He never hit his mark as Brair quickly jumped up and landed on his head, knocking him out. She walked away to the other two after kicking Jerry a few more times. She approached the man called Henry and kicked him across the face.

    ¡°What in the name of Roth were you doing here?¡± with red eyes Brair pulled on the man¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Ow OW,¡± after receiving a few slaps across the face, Herald eventually spoke. ¡°We were sent here to destroy this village, us and another group.¡±

    *Clank* Her sword fell from her grip and clattered on a stone as a shocked expression overcame her face. Using both her free hands she set to rework Herald¡¯s face, bringing out the black and red colors by cushioning her blows on his fair skin.

    ¡°Ha, Ha, Ha,¡± after finishing her artwork she slowly stood up and picked up her sword to move to the next person. He hadn¡¯t talked the whole time but appeared no less scared as he tried groveling back.

    ¡°Okay board,¡± Brair huffed, trying to control her breathing. ¡°Where are the survivors?¡±

    The situation did not appeal to the question but it was never her intention to begin with. Brair asked in terms of issueing a warning, that if the man did not have anything for her he would be the next canvas which she would paint.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°A few kids¡­a few kids ran away,¡± the man said, ¡°they went in the forest.¡±

    ¡°HARGH!¡± Brair yelled as she punched the man in the face, knocking him out. ¡°¡±

    ¡°This has gotten troublesome,¡± Volvo frowned, deep in thought. ¡°The forest has recently had an increase in monster activity, let alone lycan and riding geckoes even dirt goblins are able to kill the children, or worse. This has gotten very trouble-. ¡±

    ¡°We are going after those kids¡± Brair declared. ¡°Yes, even if it¡¯s useless to try, Volvo.¡±

    Brair huffed as she crossed her arms at Volvo, while the latter stroked his beard in thought.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough Brair,¡± Luvrit stepped in, ¡°you are crossing the line.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, then tell me why aren¡¯t we already on the run¡± Brair bit back, ¡°going after those kids whose whole village paid a price to hire us to protect them.¡±

    ¡°SHUT UP.¡± Volvo shouted. His sudden outburst of great amplitude caused the hardened mercenaries to flinch with shock. Even Drac leaned forwards in expectations of having to prevent Volvo from attacking Brair in anger.

    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know?¡± Volvo pointed at Brair, ¡°I am well aware that we were supposed to protect them, save their children. They are gone in the forest...and I couldn¡¯t call myself human if I didn¡¯t feel like going after them even if they could be dead right now! Don¡¯t think for a second that I care about money more than the lives of people. What happened to them wasn¡¯t my-¡±

    Volvo was losing himself in rage as his voice started to crack. Luvrit quickly intervened by placing a hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°VOLVO!¡± Luvrit shouted as he shook the man, bringing him back to his sense. Continuing in a softer voice, he said ¡°Come on buddy, not now, not here.¡±

    ¡°You are losing yourself in the weariness of your travels,¡± Drac commented.

    ¡°¡­Thanks Luvrit,¡± Volvo shook his friends hand off. ¡°Even if my gut is telling me to go after them right now, I can¡¯t. We have the evildoers for this incident in our possession right now, and they didn¡¯t do it alone. They said another group was with them. There is no telling when their comrades are going to come back for them and the city council needs to be notified as quickly as possible. I have to think of all these things before doing something else we will do it rashly like what you¡¯re trying to do. Do you understand now?.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we split up,¡± Brair suggested, ignoring the jab at the end.

    ¡°We don¡¯t even have horses to travel the distance and our food supply is going to diminish much faster now that we have to keep them alive. It will take at least 3 days-without overnight stays or rest-to take the prisoners back to the city and notify the council of this incident. By that time the evidence of this town could be disturbed by the blowing dust and the venturing monsters of the forest.¡± Volvo explained.

    ¡°We can¡¯t just leave them!¡± Brair waved at the forest helplessly.

    ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m thinking?!¡±

    ¡°Alright everyone calm down,¡± Peter said. ¡°It will do us no good just standing here arguing. Drac, I take it you and Natravi have a plan about this.¡±

    Drac and Natravi suddenly became the center of attention as they finished sharing a hushed conversation between themselves. Natravi broke off the stare and reached in her robes as she sighed.

    ¡°Here,¡± she said, taking out a scroll. It was made of papyrus and was tied by an old bark in a nice bow. ¡°This will probably help.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Peter asked.

    ¡°A scroll¡± Natravi looked at Peter as if he was crazy.

    *Cough* ¡°And how will a scroll help us.¡± Drac urged.

    ¡°It has the [Satis ventis] spell inscribed on it, give it some mana and it will activate; carrying you at the speed of the winds to wherever the castor wants to go.¡± Natravi frowned, ¡°It cost me quite a lot so I was saving it for a dire situation, I guess this count¡¯s as one.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Volvo bowed his head slightly, Peter and Luvrit immediately followed suit but Fliss hesitated before following suite. ¡°With this we will be able to notify the city of this incident and lose no time in doing so.¡±

    ¡°Your welcome,¡± Natravi said with a sour face.

    Unease began to rise amongst Volvo¡¯s group at the convoluted response, before their leader spoke up; ¡°Then Brair and you two can try finding the children in the forest while we deliver those three to the dungeons.¡±

    Volvo pointed at the group heap of soldiers beaten unconscious.

    ¡°Mmmm,¡± Drac spoke out. ¡°It would be better if Natravi used the scroll to take you to Yikensworth. It is her property, after all.¡±

    ¡°Yes I think it would be best.¡± Natravi silenced the conversation of the group and gazed at them icily.

    ¡°While, she is helping you take the prisoners back,¡± Drac pointed at Brair and himself. ¡°We can go after the children and hopefully return in a matter of 3 days time.¡±

    ¡°...Yes, yes that would work out just fine.¡± Volvo confirmed.

    ¡°Please place your hands on the scroll,¡± Natravi said as she raised the scroll over the unconscious soldiers, ¡°and hold onto your belongings.¡±

    Natravi quited chanted [Satis Ventis] as the others placed their hands on top of hers. Winds began to pick up around the spot where the scroll was, creating a cyclone upon which they were raised to sky along with the soldiers unconscious bodies. After reaching a certain height the winds suddenly stopped and shed their dusty exterior to reveal the group floating. A quick flash of green shining light pushed the group across the air and sent them flying into the horizon back where they had journeyed from. Back where the cyclone was born, a small piece of papyrus slowly fell to the ground; its edges burning blue and leaving behind black ash.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Drac¡¯s attention was diverted from the scene by the loud voice belonging to Brair who was already running off into the forest.

    Looking off into her direction one last time Drac muttered something under his breath before falling in pace beside Brair as they made their way into the forest.

    ¡°Some of the soldiers were following them¡± Drac said.

    ¡°The larger footprints, huh,¡± Brair agreed.

    The large spread out coniferous trees made it easy for the two to track in the sunlight. There was little leaf litter to get in the way of the small humanoid foot marks Brair had locked onto. They jumped over fallen trees and mimicked the movements of the children from the shadows of their feet imprinted on the ground.

    ¡°It seems that other creatures also took an interest in the kids.¡± Brair stated as she knelt to observe the footprints.

    ¡°Then we must hurry.¡± Drac stated monotonously.

    Little discussion transpired between the two as they set themselves to following and tracking the children¡¯s shadows deep in the forest. Claw and scratch marks accompanied by sword strikes etched in the trees the deeper they went.

    ¡°Their last stand was probably here,¡± Brair noted as they came upon a small clearing. Corpses of soldiers similar to those encountered earlier were thrown around, some were stuck to the trees from the sheer force they were clawed into it and others were mangled so badly that their bodies no longer looked human. This scene was like a piece of twisted dark art from which Brair was obviously displeased.

    ¡°Poor bastards¡± Brair frowned, ¡°treats them right.¡±

    ¡°The tracks are disturbed from here on.¡± Drac told Brair as he walked over the pools of blood on the ploughed, muddy ground.

    Soon sounds of wild beasts could be heard coming in the direction of the tracks causing the duo to pick up pace. The closer they got to the voices the more signs of a battle they noticed. Most of the damage was on the trees; fresh claw marks were evident and some of them were broken in half, the stomp marks and the ploughed out dirk showed that this was a battle between large beasts.

    ¡°This is going to be hard,¡± Drac said ¡°from the marks it seems the beasts are quite large.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t chicken out now,¡± Brair huffed. ¡°We just need to get those children out of here and leave those beasts to themselves.¡±

    They slowed down to a crouch when they could see the colours of the beasts between the trees. They edged closer and hid behind the trees to get a better look at the situation. Two beasts twice the size of Drac stood squaring each other off, taking a short break from their recent exchange.

    The larger of the two had long brown wool draped over its entire body. It had a wolf-like face with long horns coming out from the sides, right above its ears. Its body however resembled a Yaks except instead of only four legs it had six and instead of a wooly brown tail it was long, sharp with black spikes coming out of its end as if it was a leaf. Its opponent was a lot more simplistic in design; it had a wolf-like body as large as 10 feet and a reptiles feet as fat as the riding gecko.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Brair whispered as she admired the smaller beast. Both were large and strong but what set it off from the other was that it had pure white fur, uncommon to see so near the edge of the forest.

    ¡°We need to find the kids.¡± Drac set to scanning the area around the beasts.

    ¡°Behind the white one,¡± Brair said pointing at the base of the tree behind the white wolf. The ground at the trees base had caved in and its roots could be seen jutting out, behind them two pairs of eyes glinting in the darkness could be made out.

    Drac and Brair waited for the beasts to make a move, but even after the sun had completely set and darkness had befallen, neither beast moved. The darker it got the more the fur of the white wolf glowed till it was the only source of light. Brair was getting slightly agitated as her hand kept twitching near her swords grip.

    ¡°We should just attack; take the kids away while we have the chance.¡± Drac said. ¡°Whoever wins, we will have to deal with it later, so let''s get going.¡±

    ¡°No, wait¡± Brair whispered, placing a hand on his breastplate. ¡°The wolf is trying to help.¡±

    Drac turned around to stare at her, her eyes pleaded him for belief and trust.

    ¡°They are both monsters,¡± Drac said, ¡°and they were chasing those children.¡±

    ¡°The wolf is a light attribute monster,¡± Brair stared at the ground, ¡°they¡¯re friendly.¡±

    ¡°...It¡¯s not¡± Drac whispered so softly that Brair didn¡¯t hear. However he stood his ground and let the situation play out, he just stared at the two unmoving beasts staring each other off.

    It was the brown beast that struck first. It ran on its six legs and tried to ram the wolf with its horns, but the wolf was faster; it jumped in the air to avoid being impaled. The brown beast bowed his head and raised its behind; sending its spiky tail towards the white wolf suspended mid-air. The wolf wiggled its body and somehow avoided a fatal attack to its body, escaping with a long gash on its ribs. The white monster landed on the ground and quickly jumped to the side and attacked the beasts exposed side. The brown monster whipped its tail across its side to protect itself, however the endeavor was unsuccessful as the wolf, upon noticing the tail, dove down and bit the monsters legs.

    A loud howl of pain reverberated through the forest.

    The wolf¡¯s white fur glowed intensely as it tried to pull on the leg unbalancing the brown monster on its back as it ripped the leg off. The brown creature howled and screeched as its tail went wild, swinging all around it trying to push back the white one. The wolf dodged the initial attack and clamped down on its exposed belly. This caused the creature to start wiggling, desperately trying to get out of its opponents jaws. The brown wolf¡¯s tail shot straight for the others belly in an attempt to inflict similar damage, however the wolf glowed once more and jumped away, riping a large part of the belly off.

    The yak-wolf hybrid suddenly went limp and stopped spasming, its tail twitched slightly but eventually that too fell. The wolf spit the meat on the ground and licked its bloody lips. The fight was over in a only a few minutes. The victor slowly turned and walked over the dead beast barking at the roots under which the children were hiding.

    ¡°We should get over there to help them.¡± Drac said as he walked along the trees to get closer. Brair didn¡¯t argue but instead of following Drac she walked straight out into the clearing, towards the children. When Brair walked past the wolf it raised its head and the light stopped glowing. Under the dark sky, with only the stars and moon to provide light the while wolf¡¯s eyes glowed yellow.  Despite the menacing look Brair still walked past it and towards the children staring at her from the darkness under the tree.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Brair said as she knelt slightly to offer her hand. ¡°He is harmless.¡±

    A hand slowly reached out to grasp hers and Brair slowly pulled out the person.

    ¡°Thank you¡± the boy weakly said. His features resembled the normal citizen of the Ansdrovean Kingdom; blond hair and blue eyes. He wore a blacksmith¡¯s apron and a sleeveless white shirt underneath, showing off his developed arms.

    ¡°Achoo¡± he sneezed and shivered as he rubbed his arms.

    ¡°Here you go,¡± Brair said nicely as she helped him up.

    ¡°WOOOOOOOO¡± the wolf howled as he ran towards the two.

    Brair was occupied with the boy so she didn¡¯t have enough time to react to the incoming beast except fall back from shock. The boy soon followed, shivering greatly as the wolf opened its jaws to bite them.

    Suddenly a dark shadow jumped out from behind the trees and and tackled the beast ramming it into a tree. The moon¡¯s light reflected on his red cape as Drac struggled with the wolf, it twisted its neck and bit on his right gauntlet but Drac didn¡¯t let up. He raised his arm high up, to distance the monsters jaws from his helmet. The monster was standing on his lower legs while the upper two pushed Drac back with the full weight of its body behind them. Blood began trickling onto his helmet as the beast¡¯s jaw pearced the gauntlet it was biting. Without a word, Drac swung his free hand back, twisting slighting to his left to slip the monsters paw off his pauldron, punched the monster¡¯s belly.

    The wolf yelped, letting go of his arm before dodging back to the tree. Drac slowly walked backwards in Brair direction, still facing the monsters. The wolf glowed once more and started to stalk the man, walking back and forth as it growled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Brair said as she crawled back, ¡°why is it attacking us?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a monster,¡± Drac replied calmly. Exhaling deeply he reached back and took out his sword, as large as himself the sword glinted menacingly in the moonlight.

    ¡°Light attribute or not,¡± Drac gripped his sword with both hands and prepared himself. ¡°It intends to eat us. YAH!¡±

    The monster responded to Drac¡¯s provocation and jumped towards the man, sailing through the air it landed just out of the blades reach. The rest of the distance was covered by Drac as he tried to swing downwards at the monster¡¯s head. It never connected. The monster dodged and attacked his exposed left side. Matching the monster¡¯s speed Drac swung his left hand, catching the wolf¡¯s side with the flat of his sword. It yelped and retreated once more, meanwhile Drac moved to shield the boy and Brair better. Brair shakily stood up and also took out her sword mimicking Drac¡¯s two handed grip.

    ¡°My fight,¡± Drac said as he jumped on the offensive. The white wolf dodged the attacked and ran around the warrior aiming his attack at the boy and Brair. She raised her sword against approaching beast, but in comparison to its massive size the sword didn¡¯t look threatening at all.

    ¡°Ahhhh¡± she shrieked as she moved forward to intercept. Her sword strike came down at the beast but she was much slower than Drac or the beast. It knocked the sword out of her hand and with another strike sent her flying. She skidded across the clearing until she was stopped by a tree, knocking her unconscious.

    Drac lightly cursed and jumped back, arching his back in a curve with his sword held out over his head. The beasts jumped at the trembling youth, unaware of the descending sword above it. The sword came down on the beasts skull and pieced through its head, stabbing it to the ground. However the momentum of the body carried forward, stopping only a foot infront of the boy. Drac¡¯s body slowly rocked forward before returning to its handstand as he gripped his sword for support. He straightened himself back down on the wolf¡¯s back before pulling out his sword and getting rid of the blood with one strong swing. Stepping off its body Drac glanced at the boy before turning his attention to Brair.

    ¡°Go get your friends kid,¡± Drac said as he walked over her. He knelt down and checked on her body. Meanwhile the boy walked towards the tree, shaking off his trembles and pulled out two girls from grotto under the tree. The light of the moon caught the tear markings on their face which they quickly rubbed off. The younger of the two hung to the older one¡¯s skirt as she looked out at Drac checking on Brair. Finishing his check up Drac stood up and turned to towards the approaching children.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Drac asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± the older girl spoke.

    ¡°Thank you for saving us.¡± The boy said.

    ¡°How old are you three?¡± Drac said curiously.

    ¡°Me and Rina are both 15 and Mina is 12.¡± The boy answered.

    ¡°I see¡­*Sigh* I am Drac and my companion is Brair, we are the mercenaries hired by your village a few weeks ago.¡± Drac sat Brair against the tree. ¡°Sorry for not being here early enough.¡±

    ¡°Umm, do you know what happened to our village?¡± The boy asked.

    ¡°It was attacked by Alexandria, the kingdom southwest from here.¡± Drac answered, ¡°You three seem to be the only survivors of your village.¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Rina said as if all the air was pulled out of her. Her younger sister had an extreme reaction and swayed into her sister, fainting in the process.

    ¡°Mina!¡± Rina yelled she checked on Mina. The boy tried to play it stoic and not say anything but he still trembled, beads of light rolling down his cheek.

    ¡°And we have 3 of the perpetrators with us.¡± Drac said. ¡°The rest of our group had taken them to the kingdom for interrogation.¡±

    Drac knelt on one knee in front of the three children, due to his large stature he was at eye level to the children even at that pose. ¡°Return with me to Yikensworth and I promise you will have your revenge.¡±

    It seemed as if the boy was composing himself to answer but someone else beat him to it. Mina, who was now awake, looked at him with puffed cheeks and a red face as tears rolled down it.

    ¡°Good,¡± Drac said with an even voice.

 Premonitions

    Natravi and the others arrived in front of the city gates at night. As expected the guards on duty were hostile and treated them with suspiscion of spies. However when one of them recognized Volvo, who had been leading the group, they quickly apologized and allowed them entrance.

    ¡°You¡¯re popular,¡± Natravi commented.

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s really close to the Duke,¡± Fliss said excitedly. Natravi did not miss the looks he got from the rest of the team at speaking sensitive information but decided to ignore it for now.

    After explaining what had happened a guard was dispatched to deliver this information to the duke while the mercenaries, in company of half-a-dozen soldiers, escorted the soldiers of Alexandria to the prisons. Natravi had her hood up so no one could see her face but that did not stop one of the curious guards from hindering their progress.

    ¡°Miss Natravi, your beauty can be a great pain sometimes¡±, Fliss joked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Natravi said loudly, ¡°so I would like to ask the gentlemen on the right to please keep in mind that four very dangerous enemies are in your vicinity and would not hesitate to harm you.¡±

    ¡°There are only three Alexandrians,¡± the guard observed. ¡°OW¡±

    A rock had suddenly flown out of nowhere and struck him on the nose causing a red bruise to form.

    ¡°Ahhhh,¡± the guard said as he tried to stop the bleeding. The guards around the group gripped their swords, waiting an incoming attack.

    ¡°Ha¡± Peter laughed. ¡°Beauty is your enemy, men.¡±

    A rock suddenly flew out and caught him on the side of his head.

    ¡°Ow,¡± Peter rubbed his head in pain, but kept his smile.

    ¡°Should I target lower,¡± Natravi said in a cold voice, causing everyone man to shiver. The group spent the rest of the walk in silence, every time a guard tried to peek around they were met with a rock to the nose or head out of nowhere. Eventually they reached the prison where they were greeted by a large man, presumably the warden. He had a great brown mustache and a bald head as oval as his belly, a true horror out of Tottenhiem¡¯s tales. He wore a black butcher¡¯s apron and white linen underneath sullied in some blood. The large coal colored building behind him casted a menacing look, doubled by the light from his torch illuminating his smile.

    ¡°I hear from that noble, ye¡¯ have more toys for me.¡± He said.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± the man wearing a helmet with a lion¡¯s design on it told Volvo. ¡°We will take it from here.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Volvo said as he handed over the rope with which they were tied to the soldier. ¡°Ah, did Lord William have something for me? A letter perhaps?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± The large fat man gave him a scroll with the symbol of the noble¡¯s house imprinted with wax on it. ¡°Here ye¡¯ go.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Volvo said as he led his group away.

    ¡°Are you okay miss Natravi?¡± Fliss asked, ¡°You don¡¯t look so well.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Natravi¡¯s voice was on edge. Despite a stoic face she was holding her robes very tightly, despite the night being very warm. ¡°When I was close to that building I could feel some negative energy coming from around it.¡±

    The others took a moment to understand the reason for her worry. That is, all except for Peter who said what first came to mind.

    ¡°It was a pretty scary place,¡± Peter said nodding.

    ¡°No, this wasn¡¯t fear I know when I am scared.¡± Natravi insisted.

    ¡°Okay, Okay.¡± Luvrit said. ¡°....Well, the cemetery is pretty close so maybe you felt all the hate and anger of the dead? I mean that¡¯s where most of the prisoners ashes are dumped and that¡¯s where the soldiers of war are buried.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, How about you take some rest while we take care of the rewards with the guild?¡± Volvo suggested.

    ¡°Sorry, I cannot do that.¡± Natravi replied coldly.

    ¡°Why is that?¡± Volvo asked curiously.

    ¡°Uncle Drac¡­,¡± Natravi began, before a person suddenly collided with her.

    ¡°Ow,¡± the person said. Both Natravi and her offender were on their bottoms and holding their head in pain.

    ¡°Natravi! Are you Okay?¡± Fliss asked worriedly.

    The mercenary group unconsciously circled the two preventing the person from running away with anything it might have stolen from Natravi during their collision. Natravi was the first one to gather her bearings, but she still needed Fliss¡¯s help to stand.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡± Natravi said. She leaned off of Fliss and started to look at the street from where the person had come, completely ignoring the presence of the culprit infront of her. She gazed deeply in the shadows of every corner of the alley, for a glimpse of something unknown to the rest. Everyone glanced at each other for an explanation they didn¡¯t have until Volvo spoke up.

    ¡°The culprit is right here.¡± Volvo said with concern.

    Natravi stared at Volvo for a moment changing her expression before settling on her default expression; emotionless.

    ¡°No, she isn¡¯t the culprit.¡± Natravi pointed at the little girl in rags. ¡°She¡¯s not the creator of all this¡­¡®bad¡¯ energy.¡±

    ¡°We are still very close to the cemetery,¡± Volvo reminded her, ¡°perhaps you are still feeling this negative-¡±

    ¡°¡¯Bad¡¯¡± Natravi responded with an edge. ¡°Mister Volvo I said ¡®bad¡¯ not negative.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Volvo gasped as he turned around, weapon in hand. ¡°Beware lads; someone thinks they can ambush us.¡±

    At his command the rest of the group became more alert and readied their weapons. Even so, they all didn¡¯t return their backs on the other person lying on the ground.

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s your ¡®bad¡¯ energy huh,¡± Volvo said to Natravi. ¡°We fighters call it blood lust, or killing intent.¡±

    ¡°Who was following you?¡± Luvrit asked the girl angrily.

    ¡°Help, please, you have to¡­you have to help me.¡± She said out of breath.

    ¡°We will help, but you have to tell us who was chasing you.¡± Natravi said staring down at her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the girl was beginning to tear up. She quickly cleaned the snot and tears with the dirty rags she wore as clothes. Taking a closer look, she looked very dirty indeed; her rags were torn and dirty with soot and dirt, her face was dirty and covered with markings of old dried up snot. But she also had a small spatter of blood soaking her clothes that set everyone of edge.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, It¡¯s okay.¡± Fliss kneeled and asked in a soothing friendly voice. ¡°Can you tell me what the person looked like? Who tried to hurt you?¡±

    ¡°She¡­She was a pretty lady. She came to us at night and asked us for directions to Dowager street, she promised us silver coin. But when we were taking her down an alley she suddenly pulled swords out of the dark and attacked us¡­.she killed Harrison!¡± The little girl could only say so much before grief took over and she sobbed. Fliss immediately set to comforting the poor girl while the others focused their attention towards the supposed killer in the alley.

    Natravi stared down the alleyway, observing shadows that lay over covering whatever was hidden in the darkness. Peter had a hand on his daggers while the other gripped a sword. He didn¡¯t doubt Volvo or Natravi but even his higher hearing and sight couldn¡¯t see nor hear the person in the alley.

    ¡°I can¡¯t sense her¡± Peter whispered.

    ¡°¡°I can.¡±¡± Natravi and Volvo said in synch.

    Natravi began whispering under her breath as her hand started to glow. Small discharges of electricity started to come out, earthing on the ground and illuminating the small area around her. The light from her hands began to cast a shadow over her face as she frowned towards the alley. Everyone began to give her some space in case she was going to cast projectile magic, but their focus remained on the unknown threat in the alley.

    ¡°Whoever you are, I know you are still there so come out now or else I will destroy everything in that alley.¡± Natravi warned.

    ¡°Ooooo, I~ like~ you~¡± someone sang as she came out of the shadows. She was young and pretty just like the little kid said. She wore a black cloak and a smile that resembled very much a cat. She walked towards the group and even though she was acting flirtatious something dangerous lingered behind her Cheshire smile, keeping them alert.

    ¡°Who are you?!¡± Volvo stepped forward, weapon in hand.

    ¡°Oh, no one important.¡± She giggled in a shy fashion. Immediately after which she struck a thinking pose, halting her strut. ¡°Hmmm, but you have seen me¡­and that is bad~¡±

    As her voice got lower the others started to inch back, creating space between them and her. Fliss was occupied between consoling the child and supporting her team, but one gesture from Volvo made it clear on where he stood in the battleground.

    ¡°So you have to die.¡±

    ¡°Prepare,¡± Volvo took the offensive strike and swung diagonally with his mace, ¡°YOURSELF.¡± Unlike before, his movements were fluid and quick but nonetheless deadly with force. The woman evaded with ease, ducking under the strike before moving forward.

    She was about to take out her concealed weapons when Luvrit interfered, swinging downwards from the side. The hooded woman didn¡¯t have enough time to take out her weapons so she sped forwards, and pressed herself to Volvo¡¯s body. She narrowly missed Luvrit¡¯s strike; it instead tore through her hood to reveal a dark grey armor underneath. Volvo didn¡¯t take her action kindly as he used his free hand to try grabbing the woman rubbing herself on him.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Luvrit had moved behind her to block off the alley she came out of. Just as Volvo moved to grab Luvrit thrust his sword to stab her in the back. Neither was expecting their opponent to out maneuver herself from this.

    ¡°Woops,¡± she said as quickly fell down, doing the splits in the process.

    ¡°Argh,¡± Volvo grunted as Luvrit¡¯s sword accidently stabbed his hand. Luvrit was expecting to pierce through armor, so he attacked with quite a bit of strength. But when his opponent suddenly fell doing the spits he couldn¡¯t stop the sword in time and pierced his elder through the hand meant to grab her.

    The woman giggled as she displayed great agility; bringin up her legs to her chest, cradling on her back and pushing them between Volvo¡¯s open legs. Volvo tried to fall on her but the threat of her concealed weapons forced him to hold his ground. The woman gave a annoyingly innocent smile as she pushed the back of his legs with her thighs sliding herself through the gap in his legs.

    ¡°Argh,¡± Volvo grunted in pain as he struggled to stand his ground. On her way through him she had scratched his legs with her long and sharp nails, leaving deep gashes and almost causing the man to stumble. Pushing herself with just her arms she stood up behind him, pressing her back to his. This too didn¡¯t move for too long as Volvo twisted around to attempt another grab while Luvrit¡¯s counterpart, Peter, swung at her.

    *Clang*

    At the sound of two swords striking together, Volvo jumped back and assumed a defensive stance. Peter¡¯s strike forced her to reveal her concealed short sword and parry it away. Their weapons met with another loud ¡®clang¡¯ and the two engaged in a series of parries and stabs. It seemed mostly onsided for the only one to concede ground was the blond haired man. He kept parry and dodging her strikes until Cheshire lady¡¯s short-sword went through his sword hand causing him to quickly retreat. But he didn¡¯t let up; Peter dropped his sword and exchanged it for a dagger from his belt. Cheshire lady was too absorbed into Peter to notice Volvo swinging his mace until it was too late to evade.

    ¡°Argh,¡± She grunted as she brought her sword to block the strike. The impact caused her to shudder on the spot. Her eyes suddenly went wide as Peter ran forward with a dagger in hand. She pushed against the mace and twisted her body to the right, narrowly missing Peter¡¯s stab before stretching her legs to knee him in the head. Despite her small figure she was nimble on her feet, along with being very springy.

    Peter fell to the side as soon as he got hit. The lady pushed away from Volvo and assumed a fighting stance as she lowered herself and took out another short sword, holding it in opposite grip to her other short sword. She ignored the incapacitated Peter and focused on the two in front of her.

    ¡°I¡¯m done playing.¡± She said angrily.

    Unlike before she moved with greater speed and carried her attacks more on the offensive. She dodged Volvo¡¯s first attack and grabbing the cloth on his shoulder she used the moment of her body to swing out her leg and kick Luvrit. Luvrit swung his sword to intercept her kick and met the steel armor she adorned legs with.

    Her first attempt failed so she went along with the flow and jumping up, wraped her legs around Volvo¡¯s throat. Volvo tried to get free by smashing her legs with the mace, but she was ready. She opened her legs as the mace came smashing in and Volvo accidently injured himself. He fell to one knee as blood began to spurt out of the wound on his collar bone.

    By this time Peter had recovered and was running towards her, she tried to dodge to the side and cause another accident as Luvrit was swinging his sword behind her. She jumped left, but Peter imitated her movements and tackled her to the floor, grabbing at whatever he could to restrain her movements. Luvrit came over and picked up Peter¡¯s dagger to stab her while his comrade held her down.

    But she wasn¡¯t going to be beaten so easily; the woman used her nails to dig into Peter¡¯s flesh and rip out whatever she could from his arms. Peter¡¯s grip slackened and she used that moment to wrestle with Luvrit after she kicked up to stand. Luvrit¡¯s attack came from both sides; a stab from the right and a punch from the left. She fell down into a split and attacked his unprotected legs from the side, to which Luvrit jumped back avoiding dismemberment.

    But Luvrit jumped too far and bumped into Natravi, who seemed to be murmering in a whisper. Luvrit turned to face Fliss and the dirty alley girl but the two had disappeared, he looked back at Natravi questioningly and received an angry frown.

    ¡°You rest,¡± Natravi said as blue light began to swirl around her, gathering in her hands. Electricity began to crackle between her fingers as she stepped forward, leaving a panting Luvrit behind.

    ¡°Oooo~, and here I thought you just a pretty girl playing mercenary.¡± The unknown woman stood up to greet her, unlike her opponents she was inafflicted with injuries.

    ¡°You are formidable, what¡¯s your name?¡± Natravi asked, the lightening in her hands illuminating the street.

    ¡°I¡¯m called Cleo,¡± Cleo spun her two swords, ¡°But I don¡¯t need your name, you¡¯ll be dead soon~.¡±

    Cleo took a long jump forward and tried to stab her with her right sword.

    *Crackle*

    Cleo was suddenly pushed back and slammed into the wall, as she fell back to the ground her eyes flew open. She was glaring at Natravi as the lightening in her hands crackled and flew out to attack her; Cleo barely had enough time to lift her sword. The lightening met the sword and was deflected all around Cleo¡¯s body, punching holes in her robes.

    Once the lightening stopped Cleo stood up and shed her ripped robes, revealing her silver and bronze colored armor. The silver armor only went as far up as her knees, revealing her snow white thighs and hips, uncommon in these hot lands. But from the waist up the armor wasn¡¯t even complete; the bronze armor only covered her front, knotted from the sides to bronze leather covering her back. Her forearms were protected by bronze armor but once more that was as high it went, from the elbow upwards her snow skin stood out in the darkness around her.

    ¡°Cool~¡± Cleo sang as she ran again. Natravi took a step back and the lightening in her hands struck again, but Cleo avoided it by dodging left. The gap between the two was quickly covered and with her right short-sword she attacked Natravi¡¯s legs. Natravi on the other hand gracefully jumped and grabbed onto Cleo left forearm as it came swinging her sword. The bronze sizzled under Natravi¡¯s touch and Cleo was forced to retreat backwards, but not before she back flipped and cut her opponents cheek.

    Natravi traced the wound and sourly looked at her opponent. Curling and uncurling her fingers Natravi narrowed her eyes at Cleo who responded with a delightful smile. The other could see burn marks on her hands under the bright moonlight.

    ¡°Natravi¡± Luvrit called, ¡°I¡¯ve recovered, let me help.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Luvrit, please do not interfere in my fight.¡±

    ¡°This is our fight,¡± Luvrit refuted, ¡°She is too dangerous to take on by yourself, what if she kills you? What would I tell Drac, huh?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Luvrit¡­I thank you for your concern, but it¡¯s unnecessary.¡± Natravi took out her own sword from its sheath, ¡°I specialize in lightening magic and the last spell was only a Tier 2.¡±

    ¡°¡­What Tier of magic can you do?¡± Cleo asked curiously.

    ¡°Tier 4,¡± Natravi stated.

    ¡°Wow~¡± Cleo said, ¡°If you¡¯re that strong, how about you join me?¡±

    ¡°Is that even possible after what we did to each other?¡± Natravi responded.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to like each other to be comrades. You could make a lot of money and be around people your skill level, not wasting your time with those who are clearly weaker than you¡­Unless you like one of those weaklings.¡± Cleo posed as if she was a child thinking. ¡°Well~¡­That¡¯s fine as well; we can just take them with us. So~ how about it, I¡¯ll treat you nicely~¡±

    *Sigh*¡°He wouldn¡¯t like it.¡± Natravi sighed. ¡°So sorry I won¡¯t joint you.¡±

    ¡°He? Well, he doesn¡¯t have to know, y¡¯know.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear me; I said ¡®I won¡¯t join you¡¯, not ¡®I can¡¯t join you¡¯. I am not going to join you off my own free will.¡± Natravi slowly stepped forward, ¡°You cut me so you must pay.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s sad-Ack¡± Cleo quickly brought out her sword to block Natravi¡¯s attack. She had closed the distance so quickly that Cleo was unexpecting of the attack. So followed; a dance of blades between the two, their attacks barely missing each other by a hair¡¯s length. But from the start it was clear Natravi was not as great a swordswoman as her opponent. Although her movements were graceful, they lacked the push of her full weight when meeting her opponent¡¯s attacks. If one wasn¡¯t aware of how to execute a simple action it could to a hundred openings in their defense leading to their inevitable defeat. Because of this she was constantly being pushed back, to avoid leading Cleo to the injured, Natravi zigzagged to buy herself more time.

    ¡°I win¡± Cleo said as she knocked Natravi¡¯s sword out of her hand. It flew upwards and lodged itself on a cobblestone as it came down.

    ¡°What are saying?¡± Cleo noticed Natravi murmuring something, but couldn¡¯t make out what she was saying.

    ¡°-possessor est lutum placet egrediatur et decipula hoste¡­¡±

    ¡°Why you!¡± Cleo yelled as she swung her sword. At the same time Luvrit and Peter-who had recovered enough-ran to stop her.

    ¡°[Lignea Custodia]¡± Natravi whispered as she fell to her knees.

    *Rumble* ¡°Ahhh¡± Cleo screamed as a large, brown, wooden tentacle broke out of the ground and wrapped around her waist, pushing her back. Once she was lifted in the air the object changed its direction and began to wrap around her vertically.

    ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± Fliss¡¯s voice came from around the corner followed by the clanking sound of armor and a dozen feet being stomped on the ground. Everyone¡¯s attention was stolen by the armored guards being led by their youngest member.

    *Crack* A loud sound of wood being broken resounded in the street as the guards arrived. Natravi whipped her head to where Cleo had been and in her place was the large root Natrtavi had called upon shaped like a crooked hook.

    ¡°¡­¡± Natravi only frowned at the sight while the others did the outburst of disbeliefs for her.

    ¡°Hey guys¡± Fliss greeted as he came over, the dirty girl clinging next to him.

    ¡°Fliss, where did you two go?¡± Luvrit asked.

    ¡°Miss Natravi helped me get out of here undetected and told me to warn the guards.¡± Fliss pointed at the guards that had fanned out in the street and were checking the area of battle, particularly the wooden structure in the middle. Some were calling up on the residents of the building in that part of the street while others searched into the alleyways. ¡°As expected Volvo was still quite popular with the guards, they came to help.¡±

    Just then a guard came over to them and the little girl reacted violently, running to the other side and clinging to Fliss¡¯s robes even harder. Fliss smiled bitterly at the others while he took the girl away from the group, allowing the guard to gain their attention.

    ¡°Volvo,¡± He shook the man¡¯s hand and proceeded to ask the natural. ¡°What the hell happened here?¡±

    While Volvo and Luvrit explained what had happened Natravi went over to check over Fliss and the little girl.

    ¡°¡­Why do you look scared?¡± Natravi bluntly asked.

    ¡°She says that the guards are bad.¡± Fliss said after she whispered in his ear.

    ¡°What do we do with her now?¡± Peter asked.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t abandoning her.¡± Fliss said resolutely.

    ¡°No,¡± Peter explained. ¡°I¡¯m not saying to abandon her but we also can¡¯t really let her stay with us. It¡¯s too dangerous for her to travel with us.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡­ Then we¡­¡± Fliss couldn¡¯t think of anything.

    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss this tomorrow.¡± Natravi said as she stood up. ¡°For now she will stay with us.¡±

    Natravi made her way back where Volvo was, just finishing telling the story. She noticed the guard standing there-like many others tonight-sneakily gazing in her direction when he thought she wasn¡¯t looking. Like many others before Natravi made sure to let him understand the repercussions.

    ¡°Ah¡± he said as he rubbed his forehead, a small drop of blood rubbed on his fingers.

    ¡°Sorry about that sir,¡± Volvo said. ¡°Would you please relay my message to him after this.¡±

    ¡°Sure Volvo.¡± The guard said as he made his leave, making sure to not meet Natravi¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°They are surprisingly co-operative.¡± Natravi said.

    ¡°Heh, he wouldn¡¯t have done that if that didn¡¯t involve the duke of this region.¡± Volvo said. ¡°For these guards, in these peaceful times, it¡¯s the only way to get some recognition from him. Anyway, thanks for saving our lives.¡±

    ¡°No need to thank me¡± Natravi nodded. ¡°It would¡¯ve been troublesome dealing with the receptionist without you.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m glad I am of some value to you. I didn¡¯t know you were a 4<sup>th</sup> Teir, it¡¯s quite reassuring to have someone like you with us.¡± Volvo praised.

    ¡°So what do we do now?¡± Peter said as he stretched his arms in Natravi¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Ouch.¡± Peter cried. ¡°When do you pick up all o¡¯ these?¡±

    ¡°When will you learn,¡± Luvrit smirked at his friend rubbing his forehead in pain. A rock fell from it and joined the many others on the ground.

    ¡°I hate to say it but we were completely exhausted today.¡± Volvo shook his head. ¡°We will rest and heal up for tonight; tomorrow I will go speak with William so I will be leaving collecting the rewards to you, Luvrit.¡±

    ¡°Then I shall be taking Fliss and the little girl with me if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Natravi said.

    ¡°I can understand the little girl, but why Fliss?¡± Volvo asked suspiciously.

    ¡°Because I won¡¯t be able to handle the little girl by myself¡­she likes him,¡± Natravi pointed at the two. ¡°So I will be taking them with me.¡±

    ¡°Alright then, meet us at the guild in the morning.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.....

    Far away from the mercenaries group a small figure walked in the alley, having been rid of its hood the figure was creating a more feminine shadow under the moon light. Her shiny armor made it harder for her to accomplish blending in the shadows. Cleo had to use all her might to escape from the large wooden thing and she didn¡¯t feel any good about running away. It was unclear what would¡¯ve happened if their attention wasn¡¯t distracted by the guards and that made her angry. She was unable to kill all witnesses because of the other robed figure, she also hurt her pride. Her mood was fouled.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Cleo said angrily whispering to herself. She was infront of the tall bars of the cemetery walls. She jumped over the large black spikes and walked deeper in. ¡°They all will be dead soon anyway, gotta tell Willy to hurry it up.¡±

 Hypocrites

    The cold southern wind rolled over the grass hills near the infamous White Forest. It made its way from Alexandria and unrelentingly moved towards Ansdrovean Kingdom¡¯s first line of defence; the city of Yikensworth. To those that travelled in a similar direction, the wind provided shivers, remainding them of the nighttime suffering they must endure. Huddled together they sought out the fleeting warmth under the starry cold night.

    Despite the close proximity to danger they slept without reservation and with as much sound as the night would allow. Their companion, a large armored being sat atop the hill, wrapped in his cap to avoid the cold he scouted the lands before settling his gaze once more on his sleeping companions under the hills shadow. He repeated the process multiple times in that night until the sounds of one¡¯s awakening caught his gaze.

    ¡°Achoo,¡± the cold wind was unforgiving to the larger one of the huddled figures. Slowly sitting up the woman looked around and gatered her bearings before walking towards the only figure she recognized under the moonlight. Hiking up the hill with her blanket tightly wrapped around her she sat beside him, supporting her back to his as she gazed at the forest opposite his direction. For a while the remained silent, the woman draped the woolen blanket closer to herself when the next wave of winds made their way over the hill.

    ¡°Aaa-Aa-Achoo¡± The woman wiped the fluids from her nose on the outside of her blanket as she drew it even closer around herself.

    ¡°For now, you should sleep.¡± Drac said.

    ¡°Too cold for that,¡± she replied sickly. ¡°How long untill we reach the city?¡±

    ¡°A day,¡± Drac looked over at the three figures of the children nuzzling against eachother. ¡°If they are willing to walk for the whole day.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± Brair smiled as she buried her head deeper in her blanket. ¡°And if they can¡¯t, you¡¯ll just carry us all again, huh.¡±

    ¡°No, just them,¡± Drac turned his head to look at her. ¡°Even in your sleep you walked till here; you won¡¯t have any problems walking the whole day.¡±

    ¡°How did I know where to go? I don¡¯t remember that at all.¡± Brair said with a hint of anger. ¡°Or is it that you¡¯re lying about not carrying me here.¡±

    ¡°I just supported you here; you walked on your own,¡±

    ¡°Save it, alright¡± Brair said. ¡°Save it for some other damsel you meet. I¡¯m not so dumb nor as weak as you made me out to be.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry-¡±

    ¡°Why should you apologize?¡± Brair held up her hands, a tired smile plastered over her face. ¡°You saved my life and carried us all over here.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    *Sigh* ¡°Forget it, that¡¯s just my bruised pride talking.¡± Brair fiddled with her hands as she hugged her knees. ¡°Y¡¯know when I first met you I thought you were some sort of rich boy who ran away from home. I thought; ¡®He must be one of those runaway nobles son out to prove his worth. He must¡¯ve trained since young with all kinds of things that we can only dream of ever getting.¡¯ It explained your strength and that expensive armor.¡± Brair lightly banged at his Pauldron. Drac remained silent, waiting for her to finish her piece.

    ¡°Then I met your niece,¡± Brair lightly laughed but then continued in a solemn tone. ¡°Imagine my surprise, I was wrong about you¡­Then I thought you must be the loving uncle and she was a snobby stuck up noble or something, always relying on you to get things done. But then she showed off her powers, I couldn¡¯t even do something as simple as catching her¡­I was jealous to be honest. I shouldn¡¯t have y¡¯know, I didn¡¯t have the resources or the trainers that she must¡¯ve had¡­*sigh*Still¡­I could deal with all that, being wrong, being so, so weak. But then you had to play the chi¡­chivalrous man and carry me all through the night and day. I¡¯m not so useless that I have to burden you, slow you down like luggage. You should¡¯ve woken me.¡±

    ¡°¡­We were deep in the forest, in dangerous territory, so we had to get out quickly.¡± Drac said. ¡°You weren¡¯t luggage, I don¡¯t risk my life over something so small. I carried you because I owe you¡­a debt¡­.If I had awoken you then you would¡¯ve slowed me down¡­then you would¡¯ve been luggage and I would¡¯ve left you.¡±

    ¡°Glad to know you have my back.¡± Brair said. ¡°You¡¯ve saved my life, so consider the debt repayed big guy.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Drac said.

    ¡°What? I am removing your debt. What do you mean no?¡±

    Drac turned to her. ¡°Sins weigh heavier than good deeds.¡±

    ¡°You saved my life-¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s your injury?¡±

    *Sigh*

    Looking down under the blanket she examined the bandages around her torso and stomach, huddling in the blanket afterwards.

    ¡°Did you pray for the wolf too?¡± She huffed, smirking. ¡°I heard from Luvrit that you did that for the creatures in the forest.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°That was an insult to nature,¡± Drac said.

    ¡°Could you please say more than a few words?¡± Brair was exasperated.

    ¡°¡­From my knowledge the world is divided into two types of creatures, those affiliated with compassion and those with the lack of it¡­.Not good and evil¡­not light and dark.¡± Drac looked up once more. ¡°There are many people with the wrong idea of the meaning of that text thanks to the Seinaru Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°You can read the book?¡±

    ¡°Yes, after¡­¡± Drac suddenly stopped and coughed before continuing. ¡°I can read the text, it tells a different story than what the Seinars are taught and teaching.¡±

    ¡°So what does the text tell you?¡± Brair rested her head on her knees after scooting aside to get a better look at the man.

    ¡°Beasts who show compassion have a certain air about them, the way they walk or interact with others. Beasts born with light attribute are usually compassionate by nature, if they defy their own nature their appearances change, from light fur to black, fair skin to hard and scarred.¡±

    ¡°But that thing looked completely the same as any other light beast.¡± Brair pointed out confusedly.

    ¡°It was eating humans.¡± Drac slowly spoke. ¡°¡­The human blood prevented it from changing; drinking human blood sustained its appearance and allowed it to catch more humans off guard, easy prey. That¡¯s why it¡¯s an insult to nature, a hypocritical beast who defied nature. But that beasts was much weaker compared to other light attribute beasts¡­it was slowly dying. You defy nature and nature will find a way to repay you.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°After its attack I thought all light attribute creatures were evil, turns out only some of them are.¡± Briar sighed, and then asked in a slightly annoyed voice, ¡°How do you know this?¡±

    ¡°How did you know light attribute creatures help humans?¡±Drac ignored her.

    ¡°Mmmm, When I was a kid my village was attacked by some passingby bandits.¡± Brair said. ¡°I was out playing in the nearby quarry when I heard some of them coming my way. So I did what any kid would do and I ran into the large forest nearby. At that time I didn¡¯t know that monsters lived there, my village was pretty far away from the forest and since the monsters didn¡¯t come so far out to the village there weren¡¯t any stories warning us about them either. So I got lost pretty easily and accidently stumbled on some goblins, they were eating away at a dead deer or something, I can¡¯t remember. I tried to run away, deeper into the forest, can you believe it. Needless to say they soon cornered me, see I got a scar from that time.¡±

    Brair extended her arm to show a long scar running from her elbow to her wrist.

    ¡°But just when I thought I was about to die a white¡­horse came out. It had large horns that fanned out, like a stag except they were bigger.¡± Brair frowned. ¡°It drove off the goblins, I think they feared it and actually led me back out of the forest. I wanted it to come with me to fight off the bandits but when I turned around it was gone.¡±

    ¡°It must¡¯ve had other kids to save,¡± Drac said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brair nodded. ¡°Wait. Ha-Ha. Did you just joke?¡±

    ¡°Not my doing.¡±

    ¡°Sure, big guy, sure. Funny thing actually, is that when I got back to my village was practically unharmed, except of a broken wall that is. My old man was fuming that aunt¡¯s house got destroyed even though she wasn¡¯t. When I asked her she said that a passingby knight carrying a child scared away the bandits. Ha, can you imagine what sort of man would be stupid enough to carry around a child? Who would believe that, right? Sometimes I think that that was auntie¡¯s way of making like interesting. Hmmm Drac?¡±

    Drac ignored her and resumed his original position, which allowed him clear view of the sky. Brair silently thanked the beast that saved her life before standing up and stretching.

    ¡°I¡¯m awake now so go get some sleep too,¡± she said cheerfully.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Brair wrapped herself in her blanket once more and sat down. Drac didn¡¯t try to raise the previous topic again, understanding it as her way to deal with her hurt pride. The two sat in silence, back-to-back; observing their surroundings till the sun shone its first light. Drac slowly stood up and woke up the kids to continue on with their trip to Yikensworth. Drac and Brair took the lead while the children, still groggy from waking up so early, followed closely behind.

    Boredom soon caught up to the less able and they talked up a storm, asking the mercenaries about their life details to which the smaller merc answered with enthusiasm. Learning that a village girl like her could become a mercenary with hard work and passion made the girls very happy, incensing their curiosity. Drac acknowledged the restored youths they had rescued two nights prior, which caught the attention of Mina.

    ¡°Mr. Drac,¡± the little girl asked, ¡°how did you become a mercenary?¡±

    ¡°I asked and they gave it to me.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± the boy showed curiosity. ¡°Brair says you have to go through a small test before getting your¡­necklace.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a metal plate, Zach,¡±Brair sideways glanced at Drac. ¡°though an exchange of money is also required. Drac?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°How much did you pay as entrance fee?¡±

    ¡°A few gold coins¡±

    ¡°What!?¡± everyone yelled.

    ¡°Why did you even want to be a merc?¡± Brair asked waving her hands. ¡°Damn man, you got the money so why¡¯d you take up something like this?¡±

    ¡°Information,¡± Drac answered after observing the incredulous looks on the children, walking side-by-side with him now.

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what you want.¡± Brair smacked her hands in understanding.

    ¡°Umm, what is he talking about?¡± Rina asked

    ¡°It¡¯s uhhh,¡± Brair tried to form up some words. ¡°Well you see other than being a mercenary guild, it doubles as¡­like a large library¡­.It¡¯s a large place with books and-Anyway, the guild houses many records and books of monsters an adventurer might have seen or maybe fought. But that much is only available to a few types of nobles and all mercenary above five strike ranks, the Full strikers.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Rina said surprised.

    ¡°But that¡¯s almost impossible to achieve,¡± the boy dismissed. ¡°There are only two five strike mercenary groups in the whole kingdom and both of them have the backing of major noble houses.¡±

    ¡°We are here.¡± Drac said as they reached the top of a hill. Making their way down to slop to the other hill they passed by the cattle grazing and alerted the old farmer and his farmhand of their presence. The farmhand was sent to alert the chief of the little village while the shepherd waited for them. Of course none of these actions were initiated from verbal commands.

    Coming up to the top of the hill Drac found the chief of the village waiting to greet him and like before a small portion of the village Asphil stood beside him. Some of the younger onlookers were gazing the civilians in the company of the adventurers, their confusion mirrored on their leaders face. Nonetheless, like a professional leader he masked his emotions with a smile and ushered the mercenaries and the unknown kids to his home.

    It was d¨¦j¨¤ vu when they mercenaries took up positions in the meeting room. Only difference now was that instead of the other members of the group the young kids had taken up the seats. After sitting in uncomfortable silence the sound of the door creaking shut told of the chief¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°It is good to see you, sir and madam,¡± the Chief nodded at both of the mercenaries, but ignored the children sitting near them. ¡°I, uh, do not see the rest of your troupe¡­are they-¡±

    ¡°We came here on our own, no need to tax everyone, yeah?¡± Brair said, eyeing the mass of people supposedly strolling outside the window.

    ¡°Of course¡± the Chief smiled as he nodded.

    ¡°You have something of his.¡± Brair pointed at Drac standing behind her. ¡°We came back, so hold up your end of the bargain.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes¡± The Chief was startled by Brair¡¯s outburst but quickly recovered his fallen mask and bowed. ¡°But¡­isn¡¯t there something else that you must do first.¡±

    Unlike their previous conversation the man seemed much more courageous in his manner dangerously bordering on reckless. Briar, in another of her outbursts, stood up from her seat and demanded some unpleasant action from the old man. Whether she understood what was going on or not didn¡¯t seem to matter as she did as she pleased. Under the influence of anger she grabbed the chief by his shirt and lifted his up.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Drac warned. His loud voice made everyone flinch, except for the person it was intended for. Nevertheless she lowered the old man to the ground and in a fit of coughs he distanced himself to the other side of the room.

    ¡°I would at least like to see my sword.¡± Drac said.

    ¡°Yes, Yes. Please follow me.¡± The Chief motioned for Drac to follow. He exited the room with the old man and didn¡¯t miss the mean remarks Brair made of the little man. Looking down at the old man, who only reached half his height, Drac saw that even the old man¡¯s mask, made from years of experience, had slight cracks leaking out his true intentions.

    The man was living like any other in a world filled with hostilities, trying to take care of himself like everyone else. However, he had grown shoulders large enough to carry the worries and responsibilities of the other villagers under his leadership. His life was nearing its end, Drac could see it, but still he did what he could; groveling at mercenaries, the lowest of the fighters and behaving like the nobles, the lowest of the royalty.

    ¡°Admirable,¡± Drac said as they entered the room where his sword was placed against the wall.

    ¡°Yes, it was very had to move that large¡­uh-sword over here. Do not worry I had it scrubbed and chiseled yesterday so I should be just as new.¡±

    ¡°Not that. You,¡± Drac replaced his sword with the other one still caked in some blood.

    ¡°¡­You are most gracious.¡± The old bowed towards Drac. In turn he placed a hand on the old man¡¯s shoulder and moved him upright; a confused look replaced his mask of smiles.

    ¡°I apologize for my companion, on the bright side...this won''t anyworse than what you can imagine." Drac placed his other sword against the wall before leaving. "But i promise to pay you one more visit before leaving this region, If you can clean the other one as well."

    The old man followed the warrior and spoke at lenght of his gratefullness as he waited in the hallway while Drac collected the red haired woman. Easily surpassing the height of a normal villager the odd warrior looked out of place in the shining sunlight, as children ran past him playing their own games while the mothers ran after their young ones.

    The chief walked over to close the door and returned to look out the window from the meeting room. Except his lonsome company was disturbed by the three young children the warrior had brought along. Sitting like statues their dead stares amplified awkward situation he had found himself in.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± He asked roughly.

 The Flood

    It was early morning and as usual the council building was packed with nobles and powerful merchants, each pursuing their own goals. The building was made to copy the gothic structures in the capital, albeit it was much smaller than the original. Inside the building were many rooms; where meetings deciding upon the fate of some rising merchants and descinions upon the manner of sentences to be carried out upon offenders of the community took place. These rooms were considered to hold the most important discussions; with a single verdict the life of an individual could be decided. But these rooms weren¡¯t truly powerful, they were far from important.

    Rooms with no names, no affiliations to any one man, decorated in the same fashion as the others were like small bombs hiding under one¡¯s feet. In these rooms the most important discussions were held, deciding the fate of their city with foreign diplomats and opening trade routes for the country. Yikensworth was treated as a gem, not only was it the largest region of Ansdrovea with the city as its capital and the first defense of the country against their long time rival the Chimera Kingdom, but also home to most of the soldiers in Ansdrovea, ¡®The guard producing city¡¯ some called it.

    One such room was occupied by two rather large individuals. Volvo, the leader of Nature¡¯s Call and the Duke of the kingdom William von Solus.  The Duke was as big as Volvo, dressed in an elegant suite common to the prosperous few and wore a well trimmed beard as large as his head and as shiny as silver dug from the Dwarven homelands. His hair was short and as brown as a well plowed farm before seed planting. The two were sitting on sofas facing each other, and Volvo was currently finishing off reporting the details of the incident at the ruined village.

    ¡°¡­after that, we used that girl¡¯s ¡®Ventus¡¯ scroll to ride back here.¡± Volvo said. He took a sip from the cup of wine as he waited for his elder to speak.

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± The Duke of Yikensworth waited for a moment as he immersed into thinking. ¡°The guards you caught were quite useless.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± Volvo leaned forward, bumping his knee against the table.

    ¡°Well, the warden interrogated the two¡± He leaned to fill his empty cup, ¡°but all they revealed was that they were from Alexandria and were ordered to just destroy the villages dressed like our soldiers. They were trying to make it look like the military was killing off the villagers for control in the city. Their motive must have been to instigate the peasants so they would rise up and fight against the nobility here.¡±

    ¡°I would hardly call that ¡®useless¡¯¡± Volvo frowned.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing that I couldn¡¯t think of myself,¡± William sipped his wine.

    ¡°Anyway, this is troublesome,¡± Volvo sighed. ¡°With an uprising, the weakened troops would be hardpressed against the attacking Alexandria; we would not only have to fight from the south but also the east if the Chimereans decided to join in and reinforcements would take a whole day. Our whole operation could get jeopardized ¡­ Have you notified the king?¡±

    ¡°I have and,¡± Duke William reached inside his jacket and took out a brown pouch. ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Volvo asked, listening to the jingling the pouch.

    ¡°Reward for bringing this to my attention.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do,¡± Volvo latched the pouch on his belt. ¡°So, how¡¯s that little girl of yours?¡±

    ¡°Ha! She isn¡¯t so little now. It seems like just yesterday she was picking flowers in the garden, now she¡¯s beating my guards in duels.¡±

    ¡°I guess I had some influence on her since our first meeting.¡± Volvo smiled. ¡°Man, its hard getting money nowadays. That mage, Natravi, is smart. She isn¡¯t letting us go alone to get the rewards.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± William leaned back and smiled. ¡°Remember, all is allowed except killing people in the night.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know. Well speaking of that-,¡± Volvo tried to lead in.

    ¡°You did not-¡± William said with shock as he got up.

    ¡°No, no, sit down.¡± Volvo motioned for him to sit. ¡°I am talking about me.¡±

    ¡°What¡­do you mean?¡± William sat slowly.

    ¡°Last night, when we had just returned the prisoners we encountered a little street rat.¡± Volvo took a swing from the cup, as if to wash down the ill words that would follow.

    ¡°No one cares about those street rats, just hush over the matter with your group. Spin one of your tales,¡± William laughed as he indulged his own urges in wine.

    ¡°Lord William,¡± Volvo sighed. ¡°We weren¡¯t attacked by the street mongrel, instead by a woman. She was chasing the child and our paths crossed on the street. The girl took care of the beggar and noticed the woman chasing after her.¡±

    ¡°Is this supposed to be a matter for concern?¡± William leaned back and crossed his legs.

    ¡°This should be, she was able to defeat my team quite easily.¡± Volvo leaned in, catching the glint in the duke¡¯s eyes. ¡°Strong people like that don¡¯t just pass by; she must have a plan to carry out here.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, I do remember a guard said something of the sort¡­but I thought it babble¡± William scratched it.

    ¡°My lord, you¡¯re speaking in noble tongue again,¡± Volvo reminded.

    ¡°Oh yeah, well I do that sometimes, anyway,¡± He leaned forward and said; ¡°Tell me how your paths crossed, this time don¡¯t leave out anything.¡±

    Volvo began his long explanation of the events of last night. The duke listened with silence and focus, only interrupting the mercenary to verify his doubts. Once Volvo had said his piece, he asked to take his leave. The duke reminded him to not share these matters to anyone before dismissing him.

    Once Volvo was out of the room he strolled the council building some more, eavesdropping at locations where he knew important meetings would be held. When nothing caught his interest he made his way out of the building and into the town square.

    The townsquare was not amazingly magnificent as it had been 15 years ago he had first arrived in the town. There were the same banners hanging around the buildings, similar groups of men and womenfolk were scattered around and cartmen showed off their products away from the dominated markets before the guards showed up. Much had changed since then, but atleast some never do.

    He walked to the crowded fountain of Saint Mina; a statue of a woman kneeling at the sky with water coming out of its hands. He made quite a display of throwing some money in there, to successfully attract the attention of the clergymen standing nearby. Like most mercenaries, Volvo was not a follower of the Holy Scripture, so his act of charity was only to a display, nothing more. He had done small acts such as these over the past decade, just to gain the favor of the Sunlight Circle. If the Circle knew of his good acts towards their religion, when the time would come to cash in these favors, it would prove easier to receive their help.

    The town square had six roads leading to the fountain of Mina and to a foreigner it would be easy get lost in the maze. But for someone like Volvo, who had spent the last six years living in this town this was quite easy to get to his destination regardless of which direction he went. The sun was directly in the sky playing hide and seek behind the clouds. By the time he reached his destination, the Mercenary Guild, the sun was making its way down in the horizon, the sky had turned a beautiful shade of orange as Volvo walked into the noisy building.

    Loud men, snickering women, clashing weapons and clanking mugs filled with beer; these things were most welcoming to Volvo. He had spent the better part of his life in areas such as this and dominated the room with ease, not because of his large stature, but because of his clever remarks and inputs in others conversations that earned him looks of awe from everyone.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    He had spent much of his young life jumping from between mercenary groups, gaining allies and foes alike. To the public he was a man to be respected and regarded, for he not only had friends on the down low, but also because he had the favor of the Duke and his family.

    Walking up the stairs he responded to everyone¡¯s acknowledgement, a smile never left his face. This was his home, a place where he had spent 15 years setting up his influence to guarantee an easy life. This was why not many people travelled long distances, no one would know you and everyone would be wary of a foreigner in their midst. Only those with royal contacts could have a guaranteed life farther out of the country, except it meant choosing between the companies of lowly commoners or other obnoxious nobles. Both bad, for the former meant scornful looks from the latter and for the latter meant greater self-discipline. Fortunately, Volvo was a man of great discipline and had the ability to keep his grip in the area he had spread it over.

    ¡°Hey Volvo, over here. ¡± A youthful voice called as he reached the top of the stairs. It was Fliss leaning back on his chair, a sign of his excitement. Volvo walked over with a smile and sat down on the table, glancing over everyone excited from their score. Even the ¡®street rat¡¯ who sat between Natravi and Fliss was drunk on everyone¡¯s excitement and smiled with no reason.

    ¡°So this is the money, huh?¡± Volvo observed the bounty in the middle of the table. A large pouch surrounded by a few batches of herbs similarly in pouched surmised their score. ¡°What the split?¡±

    ¡°If I remember correctly it was 70 to 30,¡± Peter said with a wide grin. Volvo wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of their large loot or the fact that he was sitting next to Natravi that made his smile so much.

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± Volvo said frowning.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Fliss asked.

    ¡°Well you see Fliss, this agreement was made between Drac and Brair for their help,¡± Volvo looked at Natravi with remorse. ¡°But Natravi is here instead of them and I don¡¯t think it will be right to just give her Drac and Brair¡¯s share, right?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just wait for them then?¡± Fliss asked while Natravi maintained her cold gaze.

    ¡°I want to, but you see I have some work that needs to be done over at the capital.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we split up then Volvo,¡± Luvrit said. ¡°You can take care of your business along with me, leaving Peter and Fliss with her.¡±

    ¡°That will be okay but you see-uh, where are you going?¡± Volvo asked Natravi as she stood up and started to walk away.

    ¡°Downstairs, I¡¯ll be back.¡± Natravi walked away towards the stairs.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Volvo turned to Luvrit, ¡°It will take some time Luvrit and I can¡¯t properly trust her with Fliss.¡±

    ¡°She saved us last night-¡± Fliss began.

    ¡°Yes, but I can¡¯t just trust her like that. Also what do you think Peter will do in her company?¡± Volvo glared at the man in question, being joined in by Fliss and Luvrit.

    ¡°What?¡± Peter tried to smile.

    ¡°Remember what happened the last time I left a girl in your care.¡± Volvo said.

    ¡°Uhh, yeah.¡± Peter bowed his head in shame. ¡°But! But I didn¡¯t do anything to her. I was the victim there, she had me pinned to the ground.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you wouldn¡¯t stop trying to bed her, idiot. You¡¯re lucky the Duke¡¯s daughter knows how to defend herself, else it would have been your head pinned to the ground when William found out about that.¡±

    ¡°He, he. Don¡¯t worry I have learnt my lesson.¡± Peter scratched his head. ¡°So, how is she?¡±

    ¡°Stronger¡± Volvo said after giving him a long glare, ¡°So you best not try anything again, this time she might kill you.¡±

    ¡°Shhh,¡± Peter whispered as Natravi approached the table.

    ¡°Did you have to use the little ladies room?¡± Volvo smiled.

    ¡°No, I just solved our problem of the money.¡±

    ¡°How!?¡±

    ¡°A receptionist agreed for the guild to keep my uncle¡¯s and the gorilla woman¡¯s share. Since his share goes to that woman it should be alright for the guild to keep them here.¡± Natravi taped the wooden table. ¡°I seem to remember that we agreed to stay here until my uncle and that women returned, right?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Volvo cleared his throat. ¡°I have matters from the duke to handle now, you can¡¯t say no to a duke.¡±

    ¡°Yes you can.¡± Natravi said as a matter of fact-ly. ¡°He has other people who can do his things, so just say no.¡±

    ¡°Natravi, that is no way to act to aris¡­aristocratic people,¡± Luvrit frowned. ¡°But this is good right? We can just leave their share to the guild and have Natravi wait for them while we do our thing in the capital.¡±

    ¡°The guild might use it for their own good; I can¡¯t help but feel as if we are being cheated.¡± Volvo added.

    ¡°Funny, I can relate.¡± Natravi said with a serious face.

    The two argued for quite some time, forgetting to keep track of time. The sun had sunken and the city was washed with the nightly blue colors. Despite the time the city was as rowdy as the afternoon, if not more. All the underworld figures and the returning mercenaries joined up in the alleys and the street to mingle and trade. But far away from the rowdiness, in the quite corner of the city unbeknownst to anyone a sinister force was forming under their feet.

    ¡°Hey,¡± the guard on the tower spoke in a thick Irish accent. ¡°How ¡®bouts a wee game of trip jacks?¡±

    ¡°Nah man,¡± the other responded with a wave of his hand, ¡°How about we build a fire first?¡±

    ¡°Too dangerous man, w¡¯ll get a thrashin for disobeyin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Fuck that. It¡¯s freaking cold here man.¡± The man stood up rustling his cloak. ¡°We got guard duty FOR THE FUCKING DEAD.¡±

    ¡°Shhh, calm down Guzmund,¡± The other tried to coerce him. ¡°Fine,we¡¯ll build the fire, but keep it small. ¡®lright.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Alright.¡± Guzmund started to gather the few twigs on the tower. ¡°You get the rocks and make a foundation.¡±

    The two continued in silence while they made the fireplace; piling twigs and small leaves on the foundation of rocks. Once they were finished Guzmund took out his sword and banged a rock against it, sparks flew and lit a leaf from the side. The fire quickly spread and a small flame for their warmth was created.

    ¡°Good,¡± Guzmund sighed as he quickly set himself to getting warm in the cold.

    ¡°It ain¡¯t tha¡¯ cold. Got a fag?¡±

    ¡°I ain¡¯t from the north like you; we can¡¯t stand the cold weather.¡± Guzmund said. ¡°Also do I look rich enough to buy tobacco. I¡¯m on my last coins here.¡±

    *Rumble* ¡°Hey, ya feel tha¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, check what¡¯s going on.¡± Guzmund ordered.

    ¡°Hmph, arse¡¯ole.¡± The other guard went up to look over the cemetery for any sign of what caused the rumbling. It was so dark and foggy that even looking at the tombstones beneath was a struggle. He looked into the darkness like a sailor searching for land in the sea while Guzmund was beside himself, enjoying his small fire for as little time it may live before being swept by the wind.

    ¡°Oh, Lord.¡± *Shing* suddenly his friend yelled out and took out his sword.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Guzmund yelled as he stood up. ¡°Fuck.¡±

    In front of them had laid a quite cemetery, no longer was it quite now. Graves were being disturbed as bones began to unearth themselves. They stood up and started to move as one body, falling in line with their undead comrades. The long and bloody history of the city warranted it a large cemetery; those who had once given their lives for the city were now being raised to destroy it. The fog provided such cover that they hadn¡¯t noticed until they were already upon them. The mixture of dark fog and the dead bodies made it seem as if the undead were riding the tide of the fog out of the cemetery, like a flood.

    ¡°This is bad¡± Guzmund was the first to get out of the trance. ¡°We gotta get out of here, warn the others.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± his partner agreed as the two made their way down the tower. When they reached the outside they saw the undead pushing against the copper gate, its old rusty bars provided little resistance to the hate filled bones as they fell over and opened passage.

    ¡°Shit, c¡¯me on¡± The northerner shouted as they both began to run away. A dark shadow suddenly jumped out from within the ranks of the skeletons and chased after the two. It grabbed onto the two and slammed them to the ground. The two tried to struggle and push against the unknown assailant until an eye fell between their head freezing their bodies.

    Slowly looking behind them so as to not instigate any sudden action from their assailant Guzmund tried to glimpse at what held them down. A decomposed head with an exposed cranium and an open eye socket stared back at him. The few strands of hair left the decomposing part of its head fell over the rest of its decomposed face. Its remaining eye peeking from behind the black strands sent shivers down Guzmund¡¯s spine, cutting of his connection to his legs.

    The creature made slow cackling sounds as it grabbed their heads and rose them up as far as their back would allow. The northerner began mumbling, placing his faith on his god but Guzmund reacted differently. He kept silent, his mind wandered off to time long past. He reflected on his life up till now and small images began flashing before his eyes as the pain increased.

    ¡°Come away from there, son,¡± A blond woman said as she held out her hand. Darkness was growing at her feet and it quickly spread up enveloping her compeletly. She disappeared into the darkness as another scene took her place.

    ¡°Good job, boy¡± An old man with a decorated uniform spoke, ¡°You¡¯re being promoted, gather your things. Tomorrow we hold a celebration.¡±

    That too melted into the growing darkness.

    ¡°Congratulations to you both, Guzmund and Mathilda. May you live happy and whole.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, love. I-I can¡¯t let her feel the pain of this world. She isn¡¯t going to be harmed now, ha ha ha.¡±

    ¡°Guzmund Astron, gather your things, you are being transferred to Yikensworth. Widower.¡±

    *CRACK*

    They disappeared, just like all the rest of the images that came into view. A few seconds was all it took and those were replaced with the view of the cluster of buildings standing far away. He couldn¡¯t feel anything, even the pain had disappeared. So when the feet trampled him and he saw the decaying legs of the dead, he felt relief. He found relief in the idea that he would soon be at a better place, with his family.

    ¡®Finally, it¡¯s over¡¯, he thought as everything around him turned black. Then the pain started and the hunger began.

 Wings of the Undead Saint

    ¡°Alright, they¡¯re here, so get going now.¡± The chief smiled motioned for them to move. He could see Drac and Brair making their way back through the low bearing houses. The trio muffled their laughs as they made their way out of the guest room to greet the mercenaries mid way.

    ¡°Oh, wait a moment,¡± he called out. The trio stopped and turned to him as he whispered; ¡°I¡¯d like it if you keep what we discussed amongst us, eh?¡±

    ¡°Sure old man,¡± Mina smiled. The chief pinched her nose, earning a giggle from the other two. He led them outside, where they could better see the mercenaries making their way.

    ¡°You¡¯re in a good mood,¡± Brair commented, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. On multiple occasions since they left for the extermination Brair had expressed her concern for the children they¡¯d left behind. Leaning against the door frame the old man had his ¡®smiling¡¯ mask on as he greeted the approaching warrior.

    ¡°Welcome, sir.¡± He slightly bowed.

    ¡°Oye chief, we did what he promised, so give up that sword already so we can get going.¡± Brair complained. Despite her cheerful attitude towards the children she did not make any exceptions for the man of similar height.

    ¡°Of course ma¡¯am,¡± he said. The chief led Drac into the house before bowing her her direction.

    ¡°Crafty old man,¡± She huffed and folded her arms over her chest. This little act brought smiles to the young Mina.

    ¡°And why are you laughing?¡± Brair asked as Mina¡¯s contagious smile grew on her.

    ¡°You are pretty,¡± Mari said as she twirled around showing off her combed hair. When one looked at the little girl¡¯s antics the memories of the night prior seemed almost like a bad nightmare. But Brair knew that those things would come to haunt the little girl in the nights to come. From looks of it they were already haunting the other two¡­or was it that the little girl was hiding her¡¯s.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice of you to notice,¡± Brair struck a pose as the wind blew past her face blowing her messy hair over her ears. ¡°Of course it¡¯s not as pretty as your sister¡¯s.¡±

    Rina thanked the woman quitely as she blushed slightly. While the four made small talk Drac came back, this time with two sword hilts protruding from his back instead of one. The old man tried conversing but Brair¡¯s hostility caused him to pursue a better investment of his time.

    The group of five quietly exited the village and continued their journey to Yikensworth. At regular intervals some sort of small talk would be ensued, courtesy of Mina¡¯s restless nature and the cheerful mood of the others, which would usually be resolved by Brair. Drac spoke seldom and most of his answers were too short to provide any enjoyment to the little girl so her interest in the man quickly dissipated.

    Night quickly arrived and soon the kids couldn¡¯t take the long walk anymore. Instead of resting for a while, Drac offered for the girls to sit on his pauldrons for the rest of the way, which they reluctantly agreed and told the boy to suck it up. The cold of the metal seeped through the girl¡¯s clothes and shivers ran through their small bodies.

    Drac could tell they were uncomfortable so he pulled his cloak up and wrapped it around the two to preserve some heat, keeping only the slits of his helmet uncovered.  Soon Mina had her head resting against her sister¡¯s shoulder, over Drac¡¯s helmet, snoring like a drissler. Drac held up a hand against her side to prevent her from falling, but otherwise seemed unaffected by the new position.

    With Mina asleep the conversations died down, occasionally Rina or the boy, Zach, would want to know about Yikensworth and it would fall upon Brair to answer. They continued on like this in the cold night, until the outer walls of the city were within sight. It wasn¡¯t until they were 80 meters away that Drac noticed something amiss with their reception or rather, the lack of it.

    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Rina asked worriedly as Drac unloaded her and Mina.

    ¡°The guards aren¡¯t at their posts,¡± Brair said. ¡°We¡¯re just going to check out why; you guys hide behind that tree over there.¡±

    The trio ran to where she pointed and climbed into the dense greenery atop the wood, disappearing into it.

    ¡°Huh, well at least they¡¯re smart about it.¡± Brair dismissed her observations and adopted a stone face as she took a sword in each hand and walked beside Drac to investigate. They slowly made their way towards the gates, their worry increasing with every step closer. The absence of any guards at the gate had the readhead on high-alert, for no exit or entry in Yikensworth was ever left unguarded.

    They approached the iron bars and looked for anyone around with some explanation. The night was getting colder and the winds picked up to such speed that it could be heard whistling past them, Brair tried shouting but her voice fell under the roars of the wind that suddenly picked up.

    ¡°Something isn¡¯t right.¡± Drac stated. He reached back and took out his two swords, assuming a stance. Ignoring Brair¡¯s efforts to stop him he swung down at the iron bars causing the weaker metal to break under the others strength. Drac entered through the triangular passage he¡¯d opened and immediately experienced the serene quite once again.

    ¡°A barrier is being set up here,¡± he commented.

    ¡°Ugh, fine. I¡¯ll get the kids,¡± Brair said as she ran back. Meanwhile, Drac made quick work of examining the guardhouse near the gate for any clue. There was none. He waited the others to return before setting out deeper in.

    ¡°You three get in the middle.¡± Brair whispered. ¡°Drac¡¯ll lead the way.¡±

    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Rina asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I think so,¡± Brair answered, causing the children to exchange worried looks amongst themselves.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move,¡± Drac ordered.

    They made their way deeper into the city, their footsteps echoed in the eerie silence haunting the streets. The deeper they went into the city the whiter the fog became till it became an effort to see more than a few yards out. Similarly the screams were quite at first, but with each step they got louder until they suddenly dropped to a low grumble.

    ¡°Trouble,¡± Drac said.

    ¡°That sounded like the; ¡®I¡¯m-dying¡¯ screams,¡± Brair said.

    ¡°Should we help them?¡± Mina asked from behind her sister¡¯s long skirt.

    ¡°Keep close,¡± Brar answered. They began slowly jogging towards the screams, careful to keep the children between them. A few twists and turns round the corner shops landed them at the Town square. A large crowd had gathered around the gate of the council building and was banging ceaselessly at its large doors.

    From far away it looked like a group people trying to get inside, a riot from the common folk most likely. The dead bodies of both guards and commoners littered the tiled ground near the fountain of Saint Mina, the water pollution with human filth and blood went to show the casualties on both sides.

    ¡°Seems like a revolt by the civilians, explains the quite atmosphere and the dead bodies.¡± Brair commented.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t concern us.¡± Drac said, but didn¡¯t turn away yet.

    ¡°Does this happen regularly in the city,¡± Zach asked worriedly.

    ¡°Not really, to be honest this is the first time I¡¯ve seen a revolt in this city. Most of the time the poor guys die a brutal death, but this time it seems they were successful.¡±

    ¡°I was wrong. This does concern us; those are undead.¡± Drac nodded in their direction.

    Shivers were sent down the youngling¡¯s backs as they looked at Brair for confirmation. She waited to rebuttle him but upon greater observation she too noticed the unnatural way those with broken arms and missing legs kept pushing forth, as if in a trance. They had slow movements and their flesh looked like the color of the murky canals that carried piss and shit into the river Vardal, a dark grey.

    ¡°Stay close,¡± Brair said as she took out her other sword. Much to her satisfaction the children didn¡¯t act helpless despite her expectations; they quickly grabbed anything they could find to use as a weapon and stood their ground. Rina and Zach took a sword from the dead guards while Mina found a large rock to carry. Although brave this did not change the fact that it was their first time at combat with monsters, because when Brair looked down she could see their figeting feet, none too eager to engage.

    ¡°Ready?¡± Drac asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Brair stole one last look at the kids and prayed for their safety.

    ¡°Follow my movements.¡±

    The two mercenaries moved in unison as they approached the crowd at the gates. When they got near Drac slid to stop and bent low to a bow, raising his fists in anticipation. At the same time Brair jumped and used his wide back as a launching pad to land in the middle of the crowd. She swung one sword with her strongest arm and chopped off the head of the undead in a single strike. The strike proved deadly as the backlash of the force made her unstable and she almost fell.

    Thankfully, another undead was kind enough to donate its shoulder for support. The sword lodge itself into the bone as she descended, stabilizing her. Brair twisted her body, leaving her sword on the monsters neck and unsheated her short sword. Adopting a two handed stance she began hacking and cutting the necks of the stunned slow-pokes. Meanwhile, Drac had begun his genocide on the outskirts; with each scene of fist-meet-bone the metallic balls crushed.

    The two continued on in a similar fashion until it became too overwhelming for Brair to be in the pool of monsters she¡¯d chosen. The circle she had previously created was becoming smaller and smaller till such a time came when could no longer swing her arms without leaving herself open. She had accumulated a great number of small cuts and bruises all over her arms and was starting to run out of steam. Drac soon noticed her struggles and after giving the final punch to a poor corpse¡¯s face he made his way to her.

    Since he was protected with a full armor he was allowed more freedom in his assaults, he took a step back and used an approaching undead as a lauch pad to enter the closing circle around Brair. He slamed on top of an unfortunate corpse and broke its back on impact. He used the momentum to fall upon two approaching foes, giving each a punch as a parting gift as he rocked backwards. He spun mid-fall and proceeded to do the same to the other two undead.

    To his left he could see vaguely see Brair confronting three of the dead, seemingly unaware of two more approaching from her back. They were already only a few inches away from her when he made his move. He tried to tackle the oncoming enemies but accidently slipped and fell atop the monsters. Without much time to think he quickly set to choking their necks.

    ¡°AAAHHH!¡± He shouted as he squished their necks, the goop shot out between his fingers and dripped down to pool on the floor, adding to the growing pool at their feet. He gripped the bones connecting to the skulls and pulled with all his might, snaping a part of the spinal cord out of their bodies. The spine twisted and spasmed before it fell into the dark blue mush accumulating around his feet.

    Drac jumped up to his feet, headbutting a jawbone in the process. He spun around and gave a backhand to the nearest undead, twisting its head before punching it off its neck. Drac unleashed another barrage of punches creating some breathing room for Brair and himself. However, since Drac pushed into the center he had subsequently left the children unprotected from the monster on the outside. The undead on the outskirts of the group had split away and directed their attention to the other source of life they craved. Some other undead from the surrounding had also joined in and were all making their way towards the children.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    The undead were almost upon them when Mina began screaming for help, finally catching the mercenaries¡¯ attention. While Rina took her sister to run away, Zach held one of them off by swinging his sword at its head, lodging it inside. He tried to dislodge it, but didn¡¯t have the strength and only incensed the corpse to move with greater fervor. It kept pushing against the young boy, stretching its arms out to get a feel for its food but Zach held it back with the sword still stuck inside its head. While he kept off the undead the other corpses pincered onto his position forcing him to turn back and run after the girls, letting the corpses to stumble after.

    ¡°Go after them,¡± Drac told Brair as he punched over her head and pushed back a few of the undead. He offered his hands as a step to launch Brair out of the small circle. The crowd had been thinned out since the start so they had quite a bit of breathing space that allowed them to excecute such large movements. She whacked and hacked at the undead as she made her way towards the three near a corner shop at one of the routes leading to the council building. Zach had been trying to jump onto the slippery rooftop but his weight kept him from succeeding.

    ¡°Here,¡± she said as she dislodged her sword from the last undead. She pushed Zach up while the girls pulled from the roof.  Eventually, they were able to force him up before any other undead made it in their vicinity.

    ¡°Stay up there while I take care of these guys,¡± Brair said as she, once again, began hacking the undead to chopped liver while making her way towards Drac. Drac had taken care of rest at the door so only a few remained and those few were already making their way towards the smaller prey. It only took a few more seconds to the finish them off.

    When the threat was eliminated, rotting on the floor for good, Brair called the kids down and joined Drac at the gates of the large building. He stood in a small pool of blood and mushed bodies, too busy picking off the grime and guts off his gauntlet and gloves to notice her chuckle and sideways comment to the kids. He shook his hands to take out the rest of the blood however it only stained his armor once again. Giving up on the cleaning he made his way towards the doors and knocked roughly, denting the wood slightly.

    ¡°It¡¯s safe out here,¡± Brair yelled as she came up beside Drac. They waited for a while but aside from distant mumbling from inside no one responded. By this time the kids too had joined them and nervously waited for someone to speak up. As they waited Drac noticed Zach gathering his courage, so he stepped away and waited for the boy to speak.

    ¡°I thought all the city folks were brave and strong.¡± Zach stepped forward and shouted. His misplaced mockery-filled tone earned him a few shocked glances and a glare from the group. ¡°I guess that even village kids have more between their legs than you guys.¡± He continued.

    ¡°Where did you learn how to speak like that?¡± Brair chuckled. They shared a laugh before Rina punched Zach in the arm.

    ¡°Zach! Don¡¯t be rude,¡± She quietly scolded as she covered her sister¡¯s ears who found amusement from the whole situation.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± He hissed in pain as he rubbed his arms. Reverting his attention to the door once more he yelled; ¡°Oi, you helpless wrinkled old hags!  Open the door or else we¡¯ll leave you alone. Oh, and there are a lot dead around here so deal with ¡®em yourself.¡±

    Before Rina could hit him again, the doors to the building suddenly opened with a deafening creak. What greeted them was indeed a wrinkled old hag, but by no means did she look helpless. She was slightly taller than Zach and had armed herself with a wrathful expression, coupled with a sword at her hip. She scowled; showing off wrinkles reaching up to her crooked nose and moving the warts swarming her face. As she approached them wearing dirty of maid¡¯s clothing, she looked similar to the witches from the children¡¯s fables.

    ¡°Who¡¯s out here slanderin¡¯ old hags?¡± She challenged. Zach gulped slightly catching her attention. She covered the distance in two steps, completely ignoring the others. ¡°Ev¡¯n city kids ¡®ave more manners th¡¯n that.¡±

    ¡°I-I would never mean to slander you¡­ma¡¯am,¡± Zach said leaning away to clean his spit off his face. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t even look that old.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡±, Mina laughed. Her bright expression and cheerful attitude diffused the situation and allowed for some breathing space.

    ¡°Hey old lady,¡± Brair said stepping forward. ¡°Excuse the kid would ya¡¯, he¡¯s been through a lot over the few days.¡±

    ¡°That ain¡¯t no reason t¡¯ be losing yer manners an¡¯ dignity,¡± the old lady scolded. ¡°Slanderin¡¯ wrinkled old hags is sm¡¯th¡¯n I take ta heart.¡±

    ¡°Sorry ma¡¯am,¡± Zach painfully said as Rina elbowed him.

    ¡°Tha¡¯s bette¡¯,¡± She smiled, before turning her attention to Drac. ¡°Thank¡¯s for takin¡¯ care o¡¯ this, but I don¡¯t ¡®ave anythin¡¯ to pay you back with.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s alright, ma¡¯am,¡± Drac nodded in understanding.

    ¡°Actually old lady, we were wondering if you could tell us what happened here?¡± Brair asked.

    ¡°A¡¯ight¡­but come inside first. It¡¯s safer behind walls.¡±

    The old lady led the way into a large hallway. The walls and ground were marbled dressed with a long carpet in the middle and many torn banners to match the bloody scene before them. The stench was what hit them first; the stale air held moisture, preserving the smell of decaying bodies like good incense in a bottle. Blood was smeared over the walls and trailed off merging in with the carpet. Bodies of soldiers and commoners were sweeped to the side to allow for a clear pathway. The old lady led them deep into the building, across multiple rooms before finally stopping at the base of a large stairwell.

    ¡°It¡¯s safe,¡± The old lady announced, ¡°they¡¯re not gonna hurt us.¡±

    Nothing happened. The awkward seconds passed excrutiatingly slow. The children exchanged confused glances as they waited and after a few minutes some people started to come out of the rooms they had passed and joined them in the hall. Exhausted and dirty, they warily approached the mercenaries in their group, stopping a few feet away. Drac noted that they all had some sort of weapon in hand and blood stains on their belly.

    ¡°Is it true?¡± the man in the front asked. ¡°Did you really kill them?¡±

    ¡°Now how would they¡¯ve gotten in if they di¡¯n¡¯t, eh Marley?¡± The old women huffed as she placed her hands on her hips.

    ¡°Yeah, we took care of them,¡± Brair said ¡°so it¡¯s safe now.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said as relief washed over him. ¡°Thank you so much.¡±

    A wave of relief washed over the group of commoners as they thanked the strangers for their help. Some even fell to their knees and hugged one another, opening the flood gates as they delved in their sorrows. Brair frowned in conern before she directed her attention to the smiling elder.

    ¡°What did happen here?¡± Briar asked the old woman. The mixture of emotions suddenly disappeared from the group as they stood with expressions turned solemn and sober.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know how they came in,¡± The old woman said sadly. ¡°But they did¡­¡®n they killed everything. Ev¡¯n those kids culdn¡¯t ¡®andle ¡®em.¡±

    ¡°Most of them only knew how to throw their weight around, they couldn¡¯t protect themselves let alone our families,¡± Marley said angrily. This set off a chain of rude comments and dialogues of personal experiences amongst the group showing once again how the guards in the city were despised.

    ¡°Hey!¡± the old woman waited until she had once again their attention, ¡°they pu¡¯ up the most fight after they turned, my son¡¯s one of ¡®em I¡¯ll ya know¡­it¡¯s all that baldy¡¯s desciple¡¯s fault fer training em like tha¡¯.¡±

    ¡°You mean Strompf?¡± some people gasped with astonishment.

    ¡°Yeah, that sadistic manchild trained ¡¯em. They ¡®ere strong ¡®n smart, despite being ignorant and disrespectful and so dastardly rude¡­they were strong young kids who protected us till their death.¡± The old woman sighed and continued more quietly. ¡°The monsters came at night and swarmed the city, everyone they bit and killed either died on spot or turned like ¡®em.¡±

    Having said her piece she retreated to her silence as she waited for the others to finish theirs¡¯. However there was no backlash from the crowd as she expected. A sense of heaviness had descended upon the group, evident by all the sorrow filled eyes. It was clear they all had lost someone important in this crisis despite them being the guards or not. Drac kept his eyes on the old woman until she noticed his helm pointing her way.

    ¡°Sorry for your loss,¡± Drac said with a bow of his head.

    ¡°You know what losing a child does to ya? That bastard was always an annoyin¡¯ prick, but I still love him, ¡®cause he was family.¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°I do, my daughter...and you¡¯re wrong; even in family you can hate someone. They¡¯re just blood and bones without the bond.¡±

    ¡°Fucker,¡± She scowled, rubbing her eyes.

    ¡°There must have been some sort of resistance,¡± Brair shouted, ¡°I know that the mercenaries weren¡¯t weak enough to be defeated so easily. We just have to find them and think about it from there.¡±

    For a moment no one did anything but then one by one they came out of their melancholic state and looked to her for leadership, voicing them agreements with passion. Noticing that all eyes were one her Brair smiled reassuringly.

    ¡°We just have to find where they are and once our forces are greater we can push those dead back to their graves,¡± Brair smiled, forming a fist with her arm. ¡°This sort of thing won¡¯t go unnoticed, so they are bound to send some help sooner or later; we just have to hold out till then. Are you with me?¡±

    The small chorus of cheer reverberated and the people began their praises once more. Brair brought them closer and build trust amongst them as fast as she could, finding their strengths and giving them positions to hold up in their formation.

    ¡°Alright, Alright,¡± Brair tried calming down the few people cheering for her. ¡°Before we set out to do this we need to arm ourselves so that when we do get out we can protect ourselves if we get attacked.¡±

    ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°Me and Drac can¡¯t protect you all while we are moving. You will have to fend them off for some time until one of us takes care of it. Now go and find yourselves something to use as a shield,¡± Briar announced. The common-folk ran into different rooms of the building to look for such objects.

    ¡°Maybe even get a weapon. You don¡¯t have to be good at fighting, that¡¯s just to keep yourself alive for as long as you can,¡± Brair called over.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± Zach asked with wide eyes.

    ¡°Arm yourself boy, only way ya getting out alive,¡± The old woman said.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Brair held up her hand. Looking at the girls she continued; ¡°Take them with you.¡±

    As they all went their way, leaving them alone Drac spoke.

    ¡°You handled it well.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Buillding trust in their moment of weakness so as to use them later as resources to keep yourself alive,¡± He praised. ¡°You are good mercenary to have a ruthless thought process like that, it keeps you alive.¡±

    ¡°Oh God,¡± Brair scoffed. ¡°The only ruthless person here is you Drac. I don¡¯t have to be a good mercenary to have thoughts like that. I did that to protect them and learn how they¡¯ll best help eachother, they¡¯re commoners like us, we should atleast look after those with children and families, you know.¡±

    ¡°Even if they might all be dead?¡± Drac asked.

    ¡°Especially, what if they lose hope and end up causing the whole group to die?¡±

    ¡°Still sounds like a good way to use them, giving them hope to allow yourself to live,¡± Drac nodded.

    ¡°You-¡± Brair snapped.

    ¡°Aye now, we need ya ta work together ¡®ere. In case ya haven¡¯t noticed we¡¯re the ones using ya as our permit through those death grounds out the¡¯e.¡± The old woman interrupted.

    Brair glared at Drac who nodded. ¡°Fair enough.¡±

    ¡°Fine¡± she hissed. After a moment to calm herself she noticed the woman still standing with them, she asked with concern; ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you get yourself a shield?¡±

    ¡°Young girl, I barely ¡®ave strength ta hold up this sword.¡± She demonstrated by taking out her sword and gave a thrust followed by a swing upwards. To a lesser person it would have seemed fine, but not to those who regularly fought with their life on the line. The way she placed too much weight on her opposite foot and how she arched her back to compensate for the swords weight, faking it as a step back before swinging forth and using the sword¡¯s weight to carry it in the swing showed the truth to the two.

    ¡°I can fool most of ¡®em but it ain¡¯t very good,¡± She examined the sword after finishing her demonstration. ¡°My son taught me this before he left ta join the guards, hehe, I know it ain¡¯t good t¡¯ be hopeful in these times but what a mother be without her child. Am I ¡®ight?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see him soon,¡± Drac said.

    ¡°That a promise?¡± She asked, sheathing her sword.

    ¡°Fact,¡± Drac sighed.

    *Bonk*¡°That¡¯s because we will surely find him, right?¡± Brair challenged Drac after punching his shoulder which the latter ignored.

    ¡°I want to help,¡± Drac ignored Brair¡¯s insistence and focused his attention on the old woman. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be able to find where the others are if I get high enough can you take me there.¡±

    ¡°Sure, this the tallest place a¡¯ound here,¡± the old woman motioned for him to follow. She began making her way upstairs but Drac stopped and addressed the person following him.

    ¡°Stay here, the people need you.¡± Brair frowned at him. ¡°Like you said, you want them to live out of the goodness of your heart. With you gone they won¡¯t be ready for when its time to move, you¡¯ll endanger those commoners you seem to care so much about.¡±

    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re some cold-hearted bastard,¡± Brair said crossing her arms. ¡°Be more careful of what you say, that wasn¡¯t something someone wants to hear at times like this. She could become a hindrance during battle.¡±

    ¡°She did¡­and she already is,¡± Drac departed to catch up, leaving an annoyed Brair behind to decipher his codes. The old lady led the way up the stairs, cutting corners to more stairs until she stopped to catch her breath. Drac helped her up the last flew flights of stairs until they were in the attic of the building. Everything, from old parchments to small trinkets in chests, was thrown all around.

    ¡°Up ¡®ere,¡± She pointed to a trap door at a corner. ¡°You gonna have ta push me up kid.¡±

    Drac pushed the old lady up door after opening it. Once she was up there, he jumped out after her and looked at the roof. It had similar structure to the Italian styled roofs; the curved tiles making it harder to find a stable footing so Drac took the old woman and had her lean against the small bell tower for support. The mist at the top of the building was slowly dissipating being carried away by the winds as the drac made his way towards a bell tower.

    ¡°Take care¡± Drac told the lady as he climbed up the tower. His large fingers somehow found places to hold on the tower as he climbed up till he reached the top of the tower and hung from the top iron pole observing what lay in view. The old lady watched as he opened up his visor and peered across the stacked buildings around them, it was too dark so she couldn¡¯t see his face but she could¡¯ve sworn a flash of red emitted from the shadow over his face.

    Drac assumed the position of a lookout, hanging by one hand like someone on a pirate¡¯s ship, as he gazed upon the dead city; the broken buildings, the plazas littered with corpses and swarms of the dead just wadering aimlessly. Some of them were forming a group around the statue of a saint in the middle of the plaza on the other side of the council building. From the large number of them walking around it was easier to see they they had been lucky to approach from the side they did. They, for some reason, were making a large circle around fountain, stumbling atop one another to reach the blood smeared statuette, failing each time as they fell into the grimy fluid that had once been water.

    ¡°Is that a joke?¡± Drac whispered to himself as he saw the dead snapping their arms and legs off to make an addition to the stone art. After they were done the statue had a new pair of wings supported by broken skulls atop the woman¡¯s shoulders. The wings weren¡¯t the normal bird type; they were more shaped like weird cubes that extending into two long tendrils making a waving motion, courtesy of the hands snapped into such directions. The elbows made a triangle and each end rested upon the skulls on her shoulder. Drac began to rub his fingers as he watched the wind wave the hands to the west, before the structure collapsed and littered the water beneath.

    ¡°Is that where you are?¡± he whispered once again. Refocusing his attention on the crumbling city he began looking for any signs of life.

    ¡°There,¡± Drac announced as he jumped down.

 The Flood part 2- Brawls in The Tavern of Undead

    ¡°Where is he?¡± Natravi asked, looking miffed.

    ¡°Still talking to Duke William, we¡¯r-we were told to stay here and defend his home,¡± Luvirt spoke with slight stutter as he deviated from the common tongue. He motioned to the many mercenaries spread out on the courtyard. ¡°With so many of us it should be an easy job and being so far from the city on a va-vantage point gives us an advantage.¡±

    ¡°How did it get so bad?¡± Fliss said as he leaned against his staff. A tear slowly rolled down her cheek as she remembered the last few moments.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    Two hours before they were in the duke¡¯s courtyard, they were sitting in a secluded room on the top floor of the Mercenary guild. At least most of them were; Natravi and Volvo were leaning over the table immersing themselves in a heated conversation. Volvo wanted to get the money for his part immediately and leave on his trip ordained by the duke, however Natravi insisted he refuse the duke to fill out his end of the promise to wait for the two. They had begun by simply passing witty comments in the start but by now they were throwing out heated responses to the other¡­at least Volvo was, Natravi kept her voiced leveled and spoke in a slightly husky voiced.

    ¡°Haha,¡± Fliss nervously laughed. Turning to Peter he knocked knees and whispered. ¡°How long do you think they will continue like this?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± Peter whispered back, fully immersed in their conversation. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone match Volvo in an argument, she¡¯s going at this hard.¡±

    ¡°Natravi,¡± Luvrit said. ¡°Perhaps the aristocrats you¡¯ve dealt with were more merciful to those who disobeyed orders, but around here if you¡¯re called upon by a duke to do something you have to answer the call or else everyone pays for your ins-insolence.¡±

    ¡°Its so funny to see Luvrit try to speak like that,¡± Peter whispered to Fliss and they both snickered quietly.

    ¡°AAAAAHHHH,¡± a scream broke through the walls, catching everyone¡¯s attention. Fliss shuddered at the sound and looked at Volvo for instructions who, having recovered from momentary shock, nodded in their direction sending Peter out to investigate.

    ¡®Maybe it¡¯s a brawl out there¡¯ Fliss thought. During his time in the city there had been little riots and even fewer coups, most of the time a cause for this level of concern was when a hot headed guy fell to provocations and start a brawl. Those, those were more common, especially in the Mercenary guild. But his thoughts were disproven when Peter returned.

    ¡°Ya need ta see this,¡± he said. Fliss knew it was a serious thing if Peter accidently used the villager¡¯s speech. He knew Peter and Luvrit had lived as homeless kids in the city for a long time before Volvo found them, so their natural accent still resembled a villagers¡¯, like him, but because of their position as respected mercenaries Volvo had taught them to use the common tongue so as not to be looked down upon. To slip back to the speech was the first warning sign they all picked up.

    ¡°Miss Natravi,¡± Volvo addressed. ¡°Would you like to-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll follow along with you some more,¡± Natravi interrupted. ¡°Until uncle has returned.¡±

    Forgetting about their argument for the moment they quickly made their way down the hallway and came to a stop atop the staircase. On the guild floor tables and chairs were beginning to be overturned as a few mercenaries and guards began filling in through the doors. From their attire Fliss could tell that there was a blood bath outside. Their weapons were slicked with blood as they made their way in deeper. However a few of the larger mercenaries sitting at their tables, whom he recognized as The Muscle group, didn¡¯t take too kindly at having their drinks dropped and tables thrown over. They held off the people and kept them in their place while others poured in.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Luvrit asked. As if to answer his question the reason poured in over the stumbling people, flopping around and ripping off the necks of the unfortunate people. Fliss felt queasy when he saw the blood spray out incensing the people to push in harder and alarming others to join the scared crowd. Some were able to get through but because The Muscle group didn¡¯t know what was happening they couldn¡¯t get much further before the incoming pale bodies claimed their lives too.

    ¡°Buffoons!¡± Volvo roared. ¡°Let them through.¡±

    The leader of the group, the smaller of them all squinted in their direction but didn¡¯t let go of the large five people he was holding off.

    ¡°They think it¡¯s a coup,¡± Luvrit said in realization.

    ¡®They must be trying to protect the registration ladies,¡¯ Fliss thought. He knew one of them personally, played a lot with him during his early days as a mercenary, so Fliss knew that they didn¡¯t hold any ill intentions, only ignorant ones.

    ¡°Zachery!¡± he shouted, catching the attention of the larger of their group. ¡°They need help, someone¡¯s killing them from the back.¡±

    Fliss frantically pointed at the back where the undead had already killed off a quarter of them. The screams began vibrating the wood as the 50 or so people pushed against the 10 large men. Zachery shouted something under the shouts and scream to his leader. The man looked in their direction and after hearing their shouts of warning allowed the remaining to pass through. He unsheathed his sword, indicating the others to do the same and charged through to meet the group on the other side.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Volvo said, unclasping his mace from the side. By the time they reached the bottom steps a gap had appeared between those still alive and those struggling on the ground. The Muscle group had inspired a few others to join them in their fight and soon Nature¡¯s call also joined.

    Luvrit and Peter led the attack alongside the rest while Volvo began marching behind the line the mercenaries had held up against the undead. Fliss provided support with [Sagitta], throwing bottles and broken table legs through the gaps between them, pushing back any approaching enemies before the men took care of the rest. Volvo fixed any cracks that appeared in the wall they¡¯d set up and slowly the rest began pushing back.

    ¡°GAH-¡± A loud sound of neck breaking came from the far right. Volvo quickly bounded towards the edge as the man fell and took his place. Volvo kicked the falling body back into the undead that crunched it quickly before staring at the replacement with hunger. Volvo tilted his mace and pushed with both hands pushing them back before taking out a dagger and stabbing the head of one of them. Another attacked from the edge of the walls but Volvo dodged to his left and elbowed the head of the monster a few times, incapacitating it when he crushed its head with his mace breaking the wall.

    While Volvo took over the side and Natravi replaced Volvo¡¯s position using her nimble figure to spin herself when attacking. Though it took more out of her Natravi¡¯s attacks had her full weight behind them, making sure that whatever she touched died on the spot.

    Eventually they were able to push past the doors and file out to the street. Whatever hope had begun building inside him vanished when he saw the condition the street was in before them. Fires had begun building up and spreading from the shops towards them adding to the smoky atmosphere of the night. On the street were hundreds of undead groveling on the screaming men, women and children. Seeing the sight of a beggar¡¯s child getting pulled out of the alley screaming for his mother by the pelvis caused Fliss to almost puke. The image of the child¡¯s pelvic area being torn as the undead bit down burned itself inside his mind.

    Looking away from the destruction he focused on finding the street girl behind him. He turned around and saw the little girl standing behind the swinging doors, an expression of shock enveloping her face. Fliss ran back and jumped at the girl, covering her view from the destruction outside even though he knew she would remember what she saw, they always did.

    ¡°You stay with me okay?¡± Fliss asked. ¡°Okay!?¡±

    Fliss shouted once again, shaking her when he couldn¡¯t reach her the first time. The girl came back from her shock and stared at his face, mirroring horror. Fliss desperately pulled her close and gave her a big hug. He could vaguely hear the crowd of the mercenaries and guards pass them by as they made their way out to join the other mercenaries. Fliss grabbed her hand, his own turning pale from the pressure and pulled her with him. She didn¡¯t scream, nor did she resist, worrying the young man to no end.

    When he reached outside he saw the mercenaries and guards facing off against the undead. The men cut off the arms, legs and heads as they progressed and for a moment he thought they had a chance with the speed they were moving, but then reality hit him and it hit hard. The men and women were only as powerful as the first few minutes of their strengths allowed them to be, after that tiredness became a factor in their fight and those who continued fighting in frenzy were the first to demonstrate that the undead were superior in stamina. They were too slow to counter the incoming undead so they fell setting off a chain of reactions which allowed the monster to gain ground. The undead, being soulless, held no sense of morale but the mercenaries and guards did and it fell alongside the lost ground.

    Zachery was one of the first few to fall, his screams echoed over the others as he flayed around with a body stuck to his large shoulder. Fliss could see his friend yell out curses and warnings, but never did he ask for the others help he knew his time had come. Zachery had often told him of the ¡®reality of the situation¡¯, he knew when to call it quits, a major reason for why he worked on his body so much. It was something Fliss admired about the man. But now that his time had arrived and he knew he was going to die, being on the frontline, Zachery didn¡¯t call for help and did his best to push on the incoming undead. Seeing his large friend fall over made Fliss feel small once again. The last it had happened was when Fliss had seen Peter run from the elder lich they were fighting in a cave. At the time he had been with the group for only three years, now even though he was older and stronger Fliss couldn¡¯t help but feel the same as the 12 year old kid. Fliss turned to look the little girl, Malinu and in that desperate trembling figure he saw a reflection of himself when his hope was lost.

    ¡®She need¡¯s me¡¯ Fliss ran this phrase through his mind as he willed himself to look away. Fliss looked around the street for his team, refusing to think them dead. He walked a few paces into the crowd and realized his second mistake.

    The crowd was frightened, its morale low and its strong dying so the remaining few did what anyone would¡¯ve, they ran back. Fliss was now caught in a current of fast runners, one of whose fist accidently caught him across the face, knocking him down. The feet trampled his small form but he kept moving, towards the most dangerous place he knew, the alleyway.

    *Crunch*

    ¡°AHHH¡± Fliss yelled out. A foot had stomped the grip bonding Malinu to him, instinctively Fliss¡¯s body pulled her hands away before he could realize the detrimental effects of his action. Malina screams reached his ears as she was swept away by the current of kicking feet. Fliss yelled for her to hold on but found himself unable to do anything as the kicks kept him away. He curled up in a ball around his staff and awaited the moment the feet would subside.

    ¡°Rah¡± a shout came from above him. Feeling the kicks no longer, Fliss opened his eyes to see Volvo drive the spike of the mace into an undead¡¯s head above him. The drool of the creature fell on his face as its face turned to him; its dead lidless eyes stared deep into his own brown ones before Volvo pushed it away. A familiar tingling feeling made its way down his stomach and unto his crotch. Fliss blushed when he felt realized what was about to happen and pinched himself in the stomach to stop himself.

    ¡°Easy there Fliss, you¡¯re good, you¡¯re good,¡± Volvo repeated into his ears as he pulled him up. Behind him Fliss could see nicked faced of Luvrit and Peter and the backside of Natravi¡¯s cloak.

    Everything began to move slowly from there on. Volvo had started to pull him into the alleyway but Fliss resisted and turned to get Malinu, stopping dead in his tracks when he found her body. He could acutely sense the guys fighting off incoming undead but seeing her body lying on the ground getting chewed upon by undead had put him into shock.

    ¡°NO!¡± He shrieked, his shrill voice echoed in the sky, attracting the attention of the undead eating Malinu. Immediately he began murmuring under his breath as he pointed the staff at them.

    ¡°[Fortis sagitta]¡±

    Fliss did not need to throw anything at them this time, for small shards from his staff were broken off and hurtled towards the eating undead, embedding themselves in their skulls from different directions. Fliss was tempted to repeat the spell once again when suddenly electricity was launched from his side, striking the undead to make fire. Fliss turned around and saw Natravi standing behind him.

    ¡°We need to go,¡± she said before he was picked up and pulled back.

    ¡°No!¡± Fliss fought back. ¡°Her body, I won¡¯t let them have her body. Let me go!¡±

    ¡°Calm down,¡± Natravi gritted through her teeth. Fliss¡¯s elbow struck one of her rips causing her to gasp in pain and clutch her side, letting the boy go. Before Fliss could take a step in her direction Natravi spun him around with her free hand and slapped him across the face before he could react.

    ¡°I¡¯ve burnt her body. They won¡¯t be able to eat her; there is nothing back there for you.¡± Natravi hissed as she clutched her ribs. ¡°Mr. Volvo! Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Loss was a regular customer at the tavern called ¡®life¡¯, for a mercenary at least, yet he had not become calloused to such a commodity. His feeling of helplessness a constant reminder of that fact as he was swept in the flow of movement alongside his comrades.

    Volvo led the team through the streets in silence, sticking to the shadows as he progressed. When they came out the other end of the alleyway they saw just how wide the destruction had spread, almost mirroring that of the Mercenary Guild, except on a larger scale. The streets were feeding grounds for the undead. Fliss couldn¡¯t see a chance where they would come out victorious from fighting for the screaming men and women. Even though he was scared, Fliss found solace knowing that his company wasn¡¯t.

    The city was ruined. The more they travelled through the alleys and inside broken houses the grimmer the reality was becoming. When they weren¡¯t being attacked by undead they were met with the horror of seeing their home destroyed and people whom they greeted on a regular basis, like the baker, or the blacksmith, or the tailor die in agony.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    It sickened Fliss to know that he shared the same base of power as the one who had casted the spell to control the dead to commit such a disaster. It sickened him even more when he found out what they had to do for those, still humans, in suffering.

    ¡°In times like these,¡± Volvo said wearily as he approached the whimpering man. The man had many claw marks and bites on him, it was a miracle he didn¡¯t die yet. ¡°It¡¯s best to do it quick and mercilessly. Pass me a sword Luvrit.¡±

    Luvrit handed Volvo his sword and Fliss watched from the back in horror as he pierced the heart of the pleading stranger, gurgling in his own blood, propped up against a broken home.

    ¡°No point in letting their numbers grow anymore than it already is, this is a job for you two,¡± Volvo indicated to Luvrit and Peter as he made his way between the stunned two. The look he gave Fliss as he passed by sent shivers down his spine; Volvo¡¯s face was devoid of any emotion, a clear sign that he was mad. But Fliss didn¡¯t share this with the others as they made their way towards the edge of the city. It wasn¡¯t until they reached the trail uphill outside the city that Fliss realized they were going to the duke¡¯s home.

    The Duke¡¯s Manor was a large building standing atop a hill overlooking the city. It was surrounded by a large cobblestone wall with guards posted atop watchtowers on each edge, two more guards stood behind the gates; peering at their approach from between the iron bars. Volvo was a well known individual in the city, his special treatment from the duke was no secret either, so it came as no surprise to Fliss when the gates were opened without even questioning them.

    A clear path led to the entrance of the large manor with grass on either side; at least it would have been beautiful if the fog didn¡¯t make it look so bleak. The dense fog that had grown with the swarm had settled into the courtyard, making the manor seem more daunting than hopeful. Its large windows spanned the entire bottom floor and its many attic windows made it look like a spider¡¯s face staring down at Fliss through the thicket of fog, its small door-mouth spinning its web before injecting venom into the young boy.

    Luckily, Natravi¡¯s nudge brought him back to reality and that¡¯s when he realized they weren¡¯t alone in the courtyard. Like minded mercenaries had already sought refuge and were brooding in their individual groups. He was most relieved at finding that some civilians, such as the local baker and sews-tress were also among the few survivors. The more he waited with his group the more survivors or mercenaries came through those iron gates. Eventually the duke came out of his house and announced that he needed the company of all mercenary leaders. Their familiarity with the duke led Fliss to believe they were acquaintances of some sort.

    All he could do was wait, wait for the meeting to be over, wait for Volvo¡¯s instructions, or just wait for it all to be over. So Fliss waited, listening in on the conversations of his fellow comrades until Peter said something that brought him out of his depression.

    ¡°At least some survived.¡±

    He was right. Those people were the lucky few able to get away from the swarm and find their way to shelter. Despite their haggard features they were unmistakably grateful for surviving, crying as they hugged their wives and children or friends. However that only made him realize how some unfortunate children couldn¡¯t be hugged as lovingly now that they were dead.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Fliss asked, pushing his regrets in the back. He¡¯d noticed that Peter¡¯s face sported a mischievous smile and following his line of line of sight Fliss saw that a mutual acquaintance of theirs had caught Peter¡¯s attention. He was staring a beautiful woman, her fair skin sticking out in the dense fog and blue dress covered with beautiful embroidery whose detail one could not see from across the courtyard. Despite the chilly night she wore light attire and worked diligently to comfort the scared people, handing out blankets and sheets one by one. Even from afar Fliss could see how she resembled Saint Mina; they both had the same kind and determined expression and a jaw as sharp as a butcher¡¯s knife. Except for the swords she was carrying, the resemblance was really shocking.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Fliss warned, placing a hand on Peter¡¯s stomach as he began to move. ¡°You¡¯ll just cause Volvo more trouble.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything, relax.¡± Peter tried, but Fliss¡¯s hand stood firm. ¡°I¡¯m just going to help out, and you should too.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine, but behave yourself.¡±

    ¡°Well, well, look who it is,¡± Peter exclaimed to no one in particular. ¡°Who is the older one here?¡±

    ¡°Who is the smarter one?¡± Fliss shot back.

    ¡°What¡¯re you talking about? I¡¯m smart!¡±

    ¡°Who was the one that got us all banned from the Tipsy Tavern?¡± Fliss sarcastically tried to remember.

    ¡°That was completely Martha¡¯s fault, she cheated on him.¡±

    ¡°You two,¡± Luvrit scolded. ¡°Stop jesting and go help the lady.¡±

    ¡°With pleasure,¡± Peter grinned as he walked over to the dame in blue. She was currently giving away the last bunch of blankets to those sitting, so her back was turned towards them. Peter let himself admire the view discretely like he had done many times before. He was adept enough at such behavior to prevent Fliss from catching him in the act.

    After receiving praise from the villagers she took her leave and went to greet the two mercenaries. Fliss¡¯s eyes lit up in shock at how beautiful she was up close, like a pretty blonde from the paintings of Rufuss the Typical.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Miss von Solus,¡± Fliss greeted. The lady gave Fliss a sweet smile before proceeding to slap his comrade across the face.

    The sound of flesh against flesh seemed to reverberate through Peter. It was so loud that it even garnered the attention of a few mercenaries and villagers nearby.

    ¡°Peter, still giving a stiff welcome I see,¡± She scowled. ¡°Your impoliteness must be curbed and I shall revel in providing a physical reminder every time we meet, would that motivate you to control your little Richard?¡±

    Leaving Peter¡¯s complexion to redden similar shades as the hand print, she addressed those nearby.

    ¡°Those with the same carnal thoughts, I beseech you shun those gazes.¡± The lady shouted, claiming the attention of everyone present. Feeling his own face burn in embarrassment Fliss elbowed his perverted comrade while the lady continued. ¡°Lest I be forced to injunct your ranks as mercenaries removed. This crisis means nothing in the face of the Von Solus household, whose protection you are under need I remind you. If your actions infuriate me your means of alimentation will be taken away dooming you all to the lifestyle of beggars, so shun those gazes lest you prefer my wrath upon you. Thank you!¡±

    Hands on her hips, she gave every man a cold glare to which they all shied away in response, hiding their own reddening faces. Returning her attention back at the two, who now stood with their heads bowed in respect she asked Fliss in a soft voice; ¡°What were your intentions, little Fliss?¡±

    ¡°We were sent by Luvrit my lady, we just wanted to help you,¡± Fliss bonked Peter¡¯s head before continuing, ¡°and I apologize for Peter¡¯s lecherous nature.¡±

    ¡°Alas, t¡¯is the nature of every man,¡± She brought up Fliss¡¯s head and smiled. ¡°Except you perhaps, my faithful Fliss.¡± Suddenly she leaned back and propped a hand under her chin in a thinking pose. ¡°Though I struggle to contemplate whether letting this jejunes man leave without consequence would be worth future tribulations.¡±

    ¡°I beg you my lady I will take greater care of this idiot around your presence, so please forgive him this once.¡±

    ¡°Very well, for your cordial presence I shall forgive him. Now about lending a hand,¡± She thought for a moment before continuing; ¡°Come follow me,¡± she led them to the glass paneled doors of the mansion.

    ¡°Thank you Bertrand,¡± an old butler on the steps greeted her as he opened the doors.

    ¡°You shall inform Mathilda for some thicker cloth and sheets while I scour the attic for similar products, you shall find her relishing in the safety of the library.¡±

    She picked up the pace walking towards the staircase in the middle of the hall. The house was only two stories with the staircase taking up most room in the large hall. Fliss and Peter admired the interior with open jaws as they followed her; after all it was only their second visit inside a noble¡¯s house. Everything in the dim lighting seemed to be made from dark wood and elegantly made if the designs were anything to go by. The second story however couldn¡¯t be seen from the base of the stairs, where the two had reached, the railing made of thick birch polls hid whatever lay beyond them.

    ¡°Um, where¡¯s the library?¡± Fliss asked.

    She turned around from the top of the stairs and pointed. ¡°Follow that hallway on the right with the many glass windows; it shall be the last doorway at the end of the hall. Do be quick.¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Fliss said as he grabbed Peter forcibly and pulled him down the hallway. As they walked in silence he couldn¡¯t help but admire the sudden change in beauty of the interior compared to the rest of the city. The mere hallway alone had painted walls; bearing an interesting design of a circular band with a dot at its center, and the crystalline glass windows showing less of what lay outside than the intricate designs they bore. His admiration however was interrupted when Peter cursed the lady¡¯s keen eye.

    ¡°It¡¯s your fault,¡± returning his attention to his friend, Fliss glared. ¡°Why did you have to stare?¡±

    ¡°Oh and you¡¯re so innocent,¡± Peter rolled his eyes as he came up next to him. ¡°Every man does it, every man did it.¡±

    ¡°Not me.¡±

    ¡°You mean you like looking at guys? That might affect our relationship Fliss, oh and the horror that will befall the ladies; they all fall for pretty little you and turns out your looking at sweaty men for pleasure.¡±

    ¡°No and we¡¯re not having this conversation here,¡± Fliss fumed. ¡°You need to behave yourself especially around her. Remember Volvo¡¯s warning? She can probably kill you this time around if you take things too far like last time and he can¡¯t protect you when it comes to her.¡±

    ¡°Who said I need protection?¡± Peter stuck his tongue between his teeth to prevent himself from bursting into laughter. ¡°I¡¯ll just runaway.¡±

    ¡°Peter,¡± Fliss warned. ¡°I really don¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Peter flicked his hand to interrupt Fliss. ¡°Haven¡¯t you been looking at her body? She¡¯s fat in all the wrong places for someone who is going to run. Her thighs are too fat and her chest is too heavy for long runs. Sure it¡¯s a good view, but when the time comes to chasing me she not getting far. I¡¯m a hunter so I know how to pick up these things and let me tell you she is the best someone like us is going to get.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t put me in the same place as you,¡± Fliss scowled to which Peter chuckled. Despite the tense atmosphere his scowl looked rather cute. ¡°I¡¯m a better gentleman and if you¡¯re so smart when it comes to ¡®choosing targets¡¯ then what happened with Martha?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t like her husband, the old coot spat in my drink.¡±

    ¡°Peter!¡±

    While Peter and Fliss argued in the hallway, a very different scene was playing in the courtyard before Luvrit. He was clutching his side with one hand and had hid his mouth with the other to appear absolutely alert while he enjoyed the scene of a ¡®Two strike¡¯ mercenary flirting with Natravi. The responses and the advances of the duo were so predictable that he couldn¡¯t help but laugh.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been around here most my life, but I have never seen someone as pretty as you before. You¡¯re new around here aren¡¯t you?¡± The ¡®Two strike¡¯ mercenary flexed his muscles and smiled.

    ¡°And imagine, if not for the death of half the town we would have never met each other.¡± Natravi responded, her voice despondence of any emotion.

    The man smiled uneasily and tried once again; praising her beauty and how well matched they were. As it continued, some of Luvrit¡¯s amusement turned into embarrassment as he realized that he had used similar pick-up lines in his teenage-hood and half in amusement at how annoyed Natravi was getting with each passing compliment. Luvrit could see that other like minded mercenaries were also staring with amusement, though none was clever enough to hide it.

    As it played out the mercenary¡¯s boasts suddenly turned into cries when Natravi grabbed his arm and twisted it around, locking it behind his back. Giving a strong shove she sent him stumbling forward, he tripped and fell flat on his face on a rock. A few mercenaries, scattered around the yard, snickered at the man¡¯s failure giving away themselves as audience to the play. The man gathered his bearings and tried to stop the bleeding from his nose as he sat up.

    ¡°Shame on you,¡± Natravi glanced at the fallen man before turning towards the rest of mercenary audience, still relishing at the sight their smirks were quickly turning into shock and frowns. Natravi¡¯s hands began creating sparks of blue light, illuminating the area around her. She looked up from her hands and glared at her audience, which Luvrit found arrogantly placed, before she spoke.

    ¡°The city is overrun with undead, half of it is undead and here we are; the survivors, the protectors of the city and its people. Everyone here has lost loved ones in this crisis, but it seems some of you want to lose some more before you are ready to realize reality of thous¡¯t situation*Cough*People are dead, dying, or mourning their dead, and some of you seem to be unaware of this, continuing to pursue their carnal, animalistic desires. Perhaps they need to be reminded of how precious life is?¡±

    Somehow Natravi¡¯s voice had found its way behind Luvrit¡¯s ears and even from such a distance was loud and clear. It sent shivers down his spine, knowing that she could be right behind him while what he saw was just an apparition. But whatever was happening her magic was involved, Luvrit was sure of it.

    ¡°If you still haven¡¯t learnt something from this fallen man,¡± Natravi glared at the man. ¡°Here ye me clearly, don¡¯t take advantage of widows, orphans, or sisters grieving their loss. It¡¯s frustrating dealing with rude men trying to flirt their way into bed during such times when we have lost someone close. Keep yourself to yourself and you wouldn¡¯t have to go through a lot more than what he got.¡±

    After giving a final glare that matched the mercenaries¡¯, Natravi extinguished the lightening in her hands and walked back to stand beside Luvrit. Luvrit could see Natravi¡¯s surprise as he glared. Natravi mirrored his stance and awaited the other¡¯s explanation.

    ¡°That was wrong,¡± Luvrit finally spoke up.

    ¡°How so? Should have I let them play about with those mourning women while the rest of us do the work and watch over for their safety?¡± Natravi said.

    ¡°We are all just tense from this situation and a little flirting wasn-was not hurting anyone, it helped get rid of some tension¡­before you made matters worse,¡± Fliss huffed. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you do with others, but you¡¯re travelling with us and now we have to watch our backs thanks to you not having the patience to tol-tolerate a man.¡±

    ¡°So you saw it transpire and yet¡­gambled with my reactions. Now you¡¯re a sore loser berating me for your idleness¡­very well Luvrit.¡±

    ¡°Now hold on-¡±

    ¡°But surely they don¡¯t think that they would get away with attacking us during the battle, everyone can see what they¡¯re doing,¡± Natravi said.

    ¡°Drac was right, you¡¯re not meant for battle. No matter how strong you are, you¡¯ll not only get yourself killed but us along with you,¡± Luvrit pointed behind her. ¡°Look around if you actually think someone will care about what happens to us. No one will miss you among the battle and when we¡¯ve been stabbed in our backs the excuse of the undead doing it is as good a cover as any. I don¡¯t care what you do, but since your with us for the time, you¡¯ll be respectful to those whom we¡¯ll have to rely on in battle. Otherwise you¡¯ll be putting my whole team in jep-jeopardy¡­and if it comes to that then it¡¯ll be me who stains my blade first not them.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you want this?¡± Natravi said, sparks conducting between her fingers.

    Luvrit was about to respond when the appearance of Peter and Fliss, hastily making their way towards them caught his attention. Noticing the change in his line of sight Natravi also turned to see the two coming over, carrying grey blankets within their arms. The looks on their faces told her something was wrong.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Luvrit whispered.

    ¡°I really need to tell you something.¡± Peter looked worriedly at Fliss, who seemed lost in thought, her own before continuing in a hushed voice. ¡°Fliss and I found out what the plan is.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re gonna¡¯ die,¡± Fliss mumbled, not registering where he was.

    ¡°What?!¡± Luvrit exclaimed.

    ¡°We have company,¡± Natravi whispered as she saw the lady approach from the corner of her eye.

    Immediately Luvrit gave a hearty laugh before slapping the unsuspecting Fliss across the back and bringing him in a tight hug. Peter gave shallower laugh but also slapped the young magician. To Natravi the scene looked disturbingly natural; she made a point to remember their skills in acting. Once again, she spied on blond woman and like before was surprised to find a genuine expression of concern.

    ¡°Is all well?¡± she leaned to Natravi as she pointed to the two hugging.

    ¡°Fliss got scared by a spider,¡± Peter quickly answered in her stead.

    ¡°In my residence?¡± she shuddered involuntarily as she gazed up at the manor. ¡°I had father designate the best cadre for extermination since last this occurred. I do apologize, next time I will employ the help myself.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that? You scared too?¡± Peter said as he stretched his had around her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry this handsome rogue will protect you.¡±

    The duke daughter didn¡¯t take too lightly to Peter¡¯s over familiar attitude and had him doubling over with an elbow to the ribs before anyone could react. By now, the other two had separated from their embrace and were silently judging Peter with smirks.

    ¡°Ah, My lady,¡± Luvrit said, as if remembering his company. He gave a low bow, soon followed by Natravi and Fliss, but it took Peter some time before he could join them. When everyone had bowed she raised her hands and spoke:

    ¡°Please rise and do forget the formalities. I should decide that in our precarious situation heirarchy does not matter, hmmm?¡±

    ¡°Very well¡­my lady,¡± Luvrit said as he straightened up stiffly.

    ¡°¡­Ah, Forgive me but it seems I have missed the recent addition to your group. I am called Lidia, what might be your namesake?¡± She said turning her attention to Natravi.

    ¡°This one is called Natravi, given name Natravi Suleiman Patrishni,¡± Natravi said coldly. She leaned closer and squinted her eyes, trying to gouge her reaction while the she moved opposite, leaning in discomfort. A ghost of a smile appeared on Natravi¡¯s lips before it disappeared just as quickly and she leaned into her previous position. Draping a hand across her heart Natrvi continued; ¡°T¡¯is a pleasure to meet you Miss Lidia Von Solus, as per our amiable acquaintanceship, if you approve, I feel it dire for us to address the stativity of our enemies beyond the safety of this residence.¡±

 We are Family

    ¡°Natravi¡­what an exotic name, very melodious too.¡± The lady smiled uneasily glancing at the synonymously shocked expressions of her company. ¡°I will gladly indulge in that discussion however right now, as you can see; I am needed elsewhere. Luvrit, I shall be borrowing your men for some time.¡±

    ¡°They-They are here for your service, my lady,¡± Luvrit smiled and bowed as she led the two away.

    Turning around he found himself wieghted down under the scrutiny of two brown pupils. Caught off-guard he stepped backed on instinct and broke off the stare.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked after clearing his throat.

    ¡°You¡¯re a huge hypocrite,¡± she stated.

    ¡°¡­¡±, his eyebrow couldn¡¯t be raised any higher. ¡°Hmp-*Cough* not everyone adores nobles.¡±

    ¡°True, not everyone adores them. But not everyone is privy to the company of a duke''s daughter nor is everyone trusted well enough to be spoken to by name while coming from, as I¡¯ve seen, the cesspool of questionable company and still muster enough anger to silently grimace behind the mask of an obedient dog.¡±

    ¡°Not everyone is as straightforward as you Natravi. What I do, I do for Volvo''s...the whole team''s benefit. Something you clearly have trouble in. Speaking to a noble with that tone?¡± He asked, crossing his arms.

    "Atleast I had the guts to speak my mind, your welcome."

    "...This better not come back to bite us in the back." Luvrit pointed out as he stepped closer.

    "If it does it''ll be just another mouth to look out for, along with the decayed ones of the dead and decayed ones of...those here."

    "That''s true," Luvrit huffed amusedly. "A small, powedered mouth among the black and yellow teeth of the men here...Wait, no! I''m not falling for that; you''re trying to distract me from what you said. You¡¯ve showed off your true colors...a fallen noble, is it? Why and why now?"

    ¡°Perhaps I wanted to test how thick the oil was before I lit it.¡± Natravi said staring into his eyes.

    ¡°And perhaps I have the flint and steel. Or perhaps I have its corrective," Luvrit narrowed his eyes as he raised an eyebrow and closed the distance between them to a mere few inches.

    Luvrit''s eyes wavered across her face, trying to discern what little emotion they held. Under the foggy sky he couldn''t make out much about the dark skinned woman and he doubted that it would''ve been any different if he had her under the sunlight. Natravi lifted her nose and spoke;

    ¡°What a great disparity you have presented me with Luvrit. I could choose to follow through with my plans and light these dark skies with wisps of a dying flames or I could allow the darkness to consume all, ushering an new day of tomorrow.¡±

    This brought Luvrit out of his stupor and he took a step back before smugly saying; ¡°I didn¡¯t think that the Meddling Peddler was something a noble would hold attention over. Someone with your standing would read the leather covers of our little ¡®cesspool¡¯.¡±

    Despite the language Luvvrit''s voice held not malice it had before.

    ¡°Hm, How amusing,¡± Natravi suddenly leaned forward, her emotionless face mere breaths away. Luvrit reacted in norm and jerked back, flushing slightly. ¡°And I didn''t think that anything other than tomatoes could be this red. You are a ¡®certified¡¯ mercenary and a...rather struggling practitioner of the noble-tongue Luvrit, so you should know the importance of having knowledge outside your ''bubble''."

    "Hmph," Luvrit scoffed. "I may not know what a ''bubble'' mean''s but I do know that words like ''thou'' and ''thee'' belong to the northern realms...so that''s where you''re from."

    "I am quite sure I came from the south," Natravi exagerrated examining her dark skin. "Or is it that the cold make''s ones skin so brown, hmmm?"

    "Ah...I.." Luvrit stuttered. He knew his mistake the moment he revealed his thoughts and scolded himself for getting carried away with his emotions.

    "It does not matter though," Natravi waved her hand in dismissal. "You can believe whatever you want to hold belief in, but forntunately for us we won''t be seeing eachother after this incident. Uncle Drac will and I will be leaving soon after this...chaos has been resolved."

    "What! You can''t just leave like that." Luvrit said, shocked. "Look around you Natravi, these people have lost everything in this, you can''t just leave them like this. You said it yourself; these people have lost their children, loved ones, they''ve become widows and widowers...and you just want to leave them like this. That crumbling city out there, that is my home, all their homes and that''s been invaded by corpses. It''s standing on its last leg, as are all these people here. So once this is over I will help rebuild my home and I will help others get back on their feet, but what will you do, scurry away like this doesn''t matter. Sure you may help bury the dead, but what about all the destruction they''ve caused, all the dead this battle will create. You may not like it but you have a responsibility to these people the moment you decided you wanted to stay and help kill those things."

    Natravi stared back at his deepening scowl. If she understood his encrypted message then she showed no indication of it. Luvrit waited in a weighted silence as he waited for her reaction. Finally she sighed and stepped back.

    "I shouldn''t practice what I condemn," Natravi nodded. "You are right Luvrit, I regret it."

    "What?" Luvrit said. The shock had sucked out all emotion he had so his voice sounded very deadpanned.

    "If you think this is apology for you, it is not. I am regretfull for forgetting his teachings; ''always leave things better than how you found them.''"

    "That...that''s good, so you''ll help out."

    "Yes...if we get out of this alive." Natravi stared at the sky with a hint of solemnity.

    "Sure we will," Luvrit reassured. He clapped his hand with her shoulder but she twisted her body and flowed past it, leaving him hanging.

    "Dirt and blood," Natravi pointed at the caked glove before returning to staring at the sky. "This here, this situation, it''s unnatural, its feels orchestrated."

    "What do you mean?" Luvrit asked, intrigued.

    ¡°Like I said; we are suspended in a static situation.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡± Whether it was their lack of communication or a lack in his knowledge Luvrit couldn¡¯t help get frustrated. Bothered by his irksome mind Natravi continued;

    ¡°We cannot do anything, we¡¯re motionless. We are stuck on this hill in a cage of the duke¡¯s house surrounded by the undead who, until a moment ago, were swarming everything in sight. Yet they refuse to give chase to this house, it¡¯s only uphill. We are being played with.¡±

    Luvrit stayed quiet for some time, and in that space of time changed his expressions multiple times before settling on one of defeat, re-enforced with a sigh. ¡°Volvo thinks it¡¯s a necromancer, and if that¡¯s the case-¡±

    ¡°Then this mess can be resolved faster than we expected,¡± Natravi said with resolute eyes. ¡°Maybe there is a connection of between that girl we met in the alley and the magician.¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°It would be the greatest of coincidences if the appearance of such powerful people weren¡¯t related, we¡¯re being played with, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope you¡¯re wrong,¡± Luvrit frowned. They waited the remainder of the time in silence until Peter and Fliss returned with Lady Lidia leading the charge. After exchanging pleasantries Lidia waded to the back, allowing the guys to get together.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Peter asked worriedly, noticing the silence. ¡°Everything alright?¡±

    A silent warning hung in that rhetoric which the other blond dismissed with similar methods. Giving a slight nod to the company of the noble he elaborated; ¡°We think there might be a connection between that girl we met last night and this disaster.¡±

    ¡°Come on. I mean aren¡¯t you reading into the stars. There is nothing that connects the two.¡± Peter said, disbelieving.

    ¡°I¡¯m with Peter here,¡± Fliss said. ¡°Couldn¡¯t this have been a coincidence?¡±

    ¡°What coincidence? Oh, why must I be the unaware singularity in your flow of conversation?¡± Lidia huffed, demanding attention despite having chosen to wade to the back.

    ¡°I am sorry, my lady,¡± Luvrit bowed. ¡°We believe that the person we met last night is somehow connected to what¡¯s happening now.¡±

    ¡°Is this the same lady whom you suffered defeat from?¡± She frowned.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°¡­Y-Yeah,¡± Peter said. If Luvrit knew his fellow blonde, then he felt equally insulted at the remark on their strength.

    ¡°I see,¡± She said deep in thought. She spent some time in such state before excusing herself in a hurry.

    *Sigh* ¡°Glad she¡¯s gone, follow me.¡± Luvrit said as he led them away. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve calmed down, what was it you wanted to tell me?¡±

    ¡°Like brains said, we¡¯re gonna¡¯ die,¡± Peter motioned with his hands, tempting Luvrit¡¯s curiosity.

    ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°We overheard their plan,¡± Peter¡¯s hand motioned nonsensically. ¡°They are planning to have us ram the undead from the front, take the bulk of the attack, stalling them for Light knows how long while they sneak attack whoever is behind this, going around the whole battlefield which happens to be the whole town. How much do they expect us, you know? Its suicide to take those monsters from the front, we¡¯re gonna¡¯ die.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Luvrit laughed. He clasped a hand on Peter and gave him a rough pat in goodhearted nature, much to the latter¡¯s annoyance. ¡°If that¡¯s we¡¯re asked to do then it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±His comrades glared in annoyance, asking for further elaboration. ¡°I mean what else would you have expected? We¡¯re outnumbered and surrounded by mindless monsters, did you really expect to fight without any risks.¡±

    ¡°No, but-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an alright plan; draw the enemy¡¯s fire while the best of us attack from the back and take out the one¡¯s behind all this. Perhaps this was the best we could¡¯ve come up with considering our situation.¡±

    ¡°Then why do you sound so unsure,¡± Peter huffed in annoyance. ¡°And just so you know; it¡¯s not Volvo¡¯s plan.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I would give it my all if it was for Volvo, and I think you guys would too.¡± The two returned Peter¡¯s nods. ¡°But here¡¯s the thing you¡¯re still not getting Luvrit; this wasn¡¯t Volvo¡¯s plan and I am not going put their words on the same level as his. It was Humphrey who suggested the plan, captain of that third rate team who can¡¯t do shite in battles. Remember Duurkin¡¯s plains, that was supposed to be a simple extermination over a level field yet his team still managed to get in the way and almost got him killed.¡±

    Peter motioned to Fliss, who nestled his head in his shoulders and shivered at the memory.

    ¡°Yeah, I remember,¡± Luvrit said tracing something on his arm unconsciously. ¡°But Volvo owed a favor to the duke and they were fledglings in the game, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve gotten better¡­Enough of this! The duke agreed to the plan, did he not¡­It must be a good plan is he thinks so too.¡±

    ¡°Listen to yourself; did you not hear what I said?¡± It was Peter¡¯s turn to grab his friends¡¯ shoulders. ¡°Even you don¡¯t sound sure of the plan, we¡¯re more experienced than them and Volvo¡¯s the best out of them. So there¡¯s no way that¡¯s the best we could do, right? I know, that in that books filled head, you can think of something better than what that bag of gold agreed to!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t until Peter was practically shouting that he realized the attention he was attracting. He eyed Natravi for help but she made it clear that she wasn¡¯t going to interfere by stepping far away, finding interest in the flowers near the wall. Suddenly the wind around them picked up and screeches from unknown sources began filling Peter¡¯s ears, forcing him to cover them. Glancing around, he saw Luvrit in a similar situation but not Fliss, he was twirling his staff in similar direction to the winds and kept murmuring something under his breath. As soon as he stopped chanting the winds immediately died down and his ears popped, they rang from the change in pressure.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay now,¡± Fliss said with a forced smile. ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t think of that before.¡±

    ¡°Thanks brains, you sure you¡¯re gonna¡¯ be okay though?¡±

    ¡°This is Tier 1 magic, I¡¯ll recover soon.¡±

    Peter smiled back before turning to his blond counterpart. ¡°Like I was saying before, the duke practically ordered everyone to agree to that idiots plan. I¡¯m willing to do anything if Volvo orders it, but I won¡¯t be listening to what that horseshite says. Not after the plains, not after what happened to Fliss.¡±

    The three shared a look of solemnity to which the nods proceeded.

    ¡°So, if it comes to it¡­, when it¡¯s clear we¡¯ve failed¡± Peter gulped as he glanced from under his messy hair covering his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll run¡­but I won¡¯t be running alone. Can I count on you guys?¡±

    Peter held out his hand. Luvrit stared at it before capturing his counterparts¡¯ eyes in a stare. They like that for a long time, Peter gulped, feeling exposed in the eyes of his longtime friend and brother. Eventually, much to Peter¡¯s surprise, Luvrit made his decision. He shook his head and stepped back, before suddenly twisting and giving Peter a jab to the chest. Fliss flinched as Peter stumbled in shock but before he could get his bearings Luvrit covered the distance and grabbed whatever he could, bringing their faces a mere centimeters apart.

    ¡°You know, after that incident with the elder lich I believed you truly had changed. But even now you will still abandon him. He took us in when we were orphans; he took in Fliss after his entire village got burnt down. He helped us gain something we never thought possible back then; power, fame and money. We owe him for whatever we are today, he¡¯s our only family and I will not have you abandoning him when he needs us most.¡± Peter grappled out of his grip and shoved him back.

    ¡°No Luvrit, we¡¯re his family,¡± Peter spat as he squared up. ¡°We¡¯ve been paying off our debt ever since we could kill a goblin. I don¡¯t want to have this fight, but if it means that you¡¯ll finally see through your own lies then I¡¯ll gladly beat sense in that crammed head of yours.¡±

    ¡°Guys,¡± Fliss whimpered. ¡°Please don¡¯t do this, everyone¡¯s watching.¡±

    It suddenly dawned upon the two that the magic Fliss wove had dissipated, bareing them to the surrounding mercenaries¡¯ attention. The few unoccupied mercenaries showed great pleasure at their disagreement and even moved to surround the three alongside the wall.

    ¡°Oh no, please don¡¯t stop on our call,¡± a man sporting a dirty red bandanna cooed as he made his way front. A series of snickers and snide comments followed soon after.

    ¡°¡°Piss off.¡±¡±

    This earned them another series of laughs until Luvrit decided to break it off.

    ¡°I don¡¯t plan on giving them the satisfaction, do you?¡± Luvrit looked at Peter. Hesitantly, the latter too withdrew from Luvrit; announcing the end of their quarrel.

    ¡°Leave now, this doesn¡¯t concern you guys,¡± Fliss stepped forward as he clutched his staff tighter.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, we don¡¯t mean any harm¡­ in fact, I¡¯ve gotta question for ya and I think we¡¯ve all been wondering it,¡± the same man smirked. He glanced back at his friends and they all laughed, as if sharing a private joke. The red bandanna man leaned close and asked in a mock whisper; ¡°How many guys did you in, eh trap? Oy, what you lookin¡¯ at? You wanna¡¯ fight? I will- AAAAAHHH¡±

    A flurry of movement in a fury filled conscience destroyed the mocking atmosphere of the crowd. Everyone, high off the power in mockery, woke to the screams of the man with the red headband. He clutched his left hand as blood spurted from the stumps of his ring and middle fingers. The same blood that trickled down Peter¡¯s drawn sword who looked ready to kill.

    ¡°Slander us all you want-,¡± Luvrit took out his sword.

    ¡°-But you ain¡¯t gettin¡¯ away with talkin¡¯ to Fliss like that,¡± Peter mirrored Luvrit¡¯s movements and took up a stance in front of the crowd.

    ¡°You whore sons! You¡¯re orphans, you have no power over us. Your mother was given to your father at a brothel as a war prize, why else do you think he¡¯s not around? Which soldier would admit to fathering a son to a whore? That bitch probably had so many customers that she¡¯d lost count, ha haha. You¡¯re gonna get it now,¡± the man with the red headband shouted as he took out his sword and attempted his battle stance. However the duo was much faster; Luvrit swung sideways and by sheer strength unarmed the man¡¯s sword while Peter threatened him back with the tip of his sword just below his chin. After taking a step back, however, the man dodged Peter¡¯s progression by leaning off to the side. It almost worked, had Peter not been expecting such a maneuver, he closed in further and kicked the man in the shin to reposition his sword underneath the chin again.

    ¡°Please give me a reason, Farthow.¡± Peter whispered through his teeth.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Do we understand each other now?¡± Luvrit addressed those surrounding them. Each mercenary had secured themselves with a weapon in hand. When no-one reacted Luvrit reached out and motioned for Peter to let go.

    ¡°Cowards,¡± the man spat in spite once Peter had sheathed his sword, but that just cost him a punch to face that sent him staggering backwards. Having lost the cheer-man for their group, who was taken to be tended by his team, the crowd quickly dispersed just as they came, with snidest and mockery. While the rest of the crowd left, their presence was replaced by Natravi. She silently drifted to accompany Fliss in spectating another round of bickering between the two blonds.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite disliked,¡± she stated.

    ¡°It was always like this,¡± Fliss said lost in thought. ¡°They were already a pretty famous mercenary group when they took me in-¡±

    ¡°-and fame meant you had more enemies than friends because you joined so easily,¡± Natravi continued. ¡°Then¡­are you people infamous?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no we¡¯re not infamous.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­something to do with the duke?¡± Natravi pried. Upon hearing the mention of the noble¡¯s name Fliss¡¯s face darkened and he wiped his face multiple times before calming down. Natravi patted his shoulder and drew him closer in a semi-hug.

    ¡°The duke sponsors many team captains,¡± Fliss said quietly. ¡°The others captains are jealous of how close Volvo is with¡­that noble, so they¡¯ve spread rumors to abuse us when they can. I guess after what happened tonight that won¡¯t be the case anymore.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are right. If we fail to stop this nothing would matter anymore.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s not what I meant?¡±

    ¡°Oh, then your belief about the teasing ceasing after tonight is wrong.¡± Natravi replied, but didn¡¯t meet Fiss¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Are you scared Miss Patrishni?¡± Fliss asked with concern.

    ¡°Please call me Natravi,¡± Natravi awkwardly patted the boy with the enormous smile. ¡°More importantly, aren¡¯t you scared? We¡¯re surrounded by an army of undead and your friends are fighting amongst themselves.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t, but those two fighting isn¡¯t something I¡¯m scared of,¡± Fliss smiled at them. They were both panting in exhaustion from exchanging blows. Everyone was staring at the spectacle from where they stood or sat; the mercenaries viewed it with pleasure and anger while the surviving villagers gaped in horror and despair of the corruption in the mercenary ranks. ¡°They used to fight a lot when I first joined so I know what a fight when it truly matters looks like.¡±

    ¡°Being surrounded by monsters and caged within this place isn¡¯t a matter enough.¡± Natravi frowned.

    Fliss gazed at her face, as if searching for something.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s just how we are in this team,¡± Fliss frowned slightly. ¡°After facing death a lot of times I¡¯m sure we¡¯ve all become afraid of it more than the commoner, but we don¡¯t let it hinder us enjoying ourselves. ¡®As long as you know when it¡¯s time to get serious, you¡¯re allowed to have fun,¡¯ Volvo taught us that. Of course talking about running behind his back is only the most recent thing they¡¯ve been fighting about, last time it was who should cook and clean. Ha ha, in the end I took up the task as the voice of reason between those two.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± Natravi said before inspecting the escalating fight between Peter and Luvrit. Natravi leaned down and whispered; ¡°I think it¡¯s time to give them a voice of reason before they end up doing something severe, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Fliss nodded, frowning at the bloody mess their faces had become. He stepped forward and extended his staff in the middle of the two, stopping them mid-punch and earning the glares from both.

    ¡°What?¡± Fliss glared equally as hard, as if challenging them. ¡°You two have been fighting like this for the past five minutes, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s enough. Think about what Volvo would say when he hears how you humiliated him by making yourselves look like fools,¡± Fliss pointed to the other mercenary groups staring at them from afar. ¡°We still have an army to fight, so stop it.¡±

    ¡°Fliss-¡± Luvrit tried.

    ¡°No! You guys will listen to me now,¡± Fliss scowled unnaturally, making the two uneasy. ¡°We¡¯re a family. You said it, so why are you fighting. You said that you¡¯ll follow Volvo anywhere, right? Then why not wait for him and ask him what to do? You are just taking things into your own hands without waiting for him, does all your praise for him only amount to this much?¡±

    It took some time for the two to understand what he meant, during which Fliss kept his glare fixed on them. When their misdoings became apparent a slight pink shade drew itself across their cheecks as they hesitantly apologized.

    ¡°¡­Where¡¯s Natravi?¡± Peter asked.

    ¡°Wait, she was just here,¡± Fliss exclaimed. They looked around until they found her staring at the gate. Joining her in her observations Luvrit asked; ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­,¡± Natravi replied in a barely audible voice, ¡°but something¡¯s coming.¡±

 Catenis vitae (Chains of Life) pt.1

    *Tap-tap-tap*

    Enveloped by stretching shadows, an indistinguishable figure despondently gazed through the orb-shaped glass as its puppet draped over the grand table showing the utter mess before it. The reasonable remedy to quell the ruckus in its body¡¯s roof was being resounded in the room as restless rapping of feet. To allow such an acute situation to arise would¡¯ve almost been comical if it wasn¡¯t so unsettling.

    Variables with unknown value are the linchpin to failure, as mother had said. A perfect plan that had been placed properly in an equation was slowly crumbling before its eyes. Before the breakdown, when variables A,B,C and X,Y or Z were all accounted for, functioning perfectly when lined up to produce the desired product, all was within its control.

    The outbreak of powerful monsters under the influence of [Suscitabo Immortuos] was nothing but a means to an emancipating end. The spread of fear and chaos on such a large scale could¡¯ve only been achieved thanks to some properly placed whispers to handpicked provincial individuals, ensuring that no support, piloted by proper gentlemen, would penetrate this city¡¯s cage.

    Like a flood during the rainy season in Chitunua; breaking its dams and laying waste to the villages in its path, the dark-spawn too broke through their barriers 6 feet under. Having proliferated enough so that a small army of castrated bodies could arise from the ground, the neophytes were led to carry out an androcide of the less amiable commercial workers in Yikensworth. Despite the meager resistance of guards and mercenaries alike, for a safe haven for humans to have been created under such circumstances was the first sign of the crumbling plan.

    Because of one man¡¯s paranoia he had created a safe house for the surviving fodder, a fort standing forefront under the siege of the undead. The castor could¡¯ve easily won that battle but casualties to the decayed army would¡¯ve been too great a price to pay, leaving them unprepared incase of unexpected reinforcements. Thus the clandestine figure chose to wait and bide its time as another plan was formulated, one which included the help of a certain Cheshire cat.

    That formulated plan, which had been nearing it¡¯s breakthrough to a perfectly formulated plan, also fell apart to the revelations of yet another unknown variable. The odd few mercenaries passing by had been accounted for in the grand formula, but for such a merc. to carry such dark power that it distinguished itself as a separate variable entirely, tipping the scales had not been in the castor¡¯s constinguency plan.  The appearance of two unknown variables begot a new expression to be made. Presently the only plan the figure could place in progress was one requiring direct involvement and it, due to all the distractions of commanding an army and dealing with annoying allies, could not commence without the opposite sex making the first move.

    The tapping of its foot increased as the caster delved into deeper, thoughts until only the sound of the taps of a quick but heavy foot could be picked up by its ears. Its restlessness clearly showed off as even the basic function of controlling mindless brutes became a chore. Reviewing the events from the outset of the attack to the appearances of two unknown variables ultimately ruining the carefully setout plan angered the castor. Having been reduced to sharing power with another like a game of chess, when initially all actions were controlled by it, showed the castor just how far its fall from grace was. Of course it had hindsight of such situation, but for such to occur only hours after the initiation placed the caster in unfavorable side, the losing side.

    Taking a break from the surrounding bickering, the caster walked towards the large windows and inspected the view of the sky in fear of dissipating clouds. The undead had the advantage in the dark, being able to see where the human couldn¡¯t. It was precisely because of this that the caster invoked such a powerful spell. But such an advantage was like a double edged knife¡­with no wodden grips. Any moment the sun¡¯s rays could breakthrough and dissolve all the neophytes if the castor did not concentrate enough on maintaining the darkness.

    As the dark figure changed the beheld eyes, a small smirk began to curl up on its lips as it witnessed the counterpart performing the long awaited actions.

    ¡°Finally,¡± it let loose a long laugh, reveling in pleasure as the game pieces began to fall back into its hands.

    *Tak-Tak-Tak¡­*Tap-Tap-Tap¡­*Tek-Tek-Tek-Tek¡­*

    An ensemble of excited footsteps filled the house. Everyone from the hallboys and housemaids to the butler and the housekeeper were searching. His walk was brisk, echoeing in the otherwise silent hallway as he approached another room. A request from Lady von Solus was issued and when the masters wanted something, everyone moved to fullfil their need, lest the duke spoke otherwise. After being disappointed by yet another guest room the man leaned over the railing and observed the jogging housemaids and hallboys make quick work of scouring every room or chamber on the ground floor, all except the meeting room. They knew better than to disturb their Lord.

    ¡®Yet they can¡¯t even show a small decorum of class? Well, given the circumstances they can be forgiven this once,¡¯ the butler thought, rubbing his frown away.

    While the novices searched the halls and chambers the more adroit servants checked the more private lodgings. The butler and the housekeeper searched on the second floor; the lord and lady¡¯s rooms, the baths, and few other non-descript guestrooms. But after searching half of the second floor the butler¡¯s worry for his partner¡¯s well being was wearing his professionality thin. They were on their way to the other half of second floor when the slight huffing from the housekeeper caught his attention.

    ¡°Mathilda dear,¡± the butler stopped mid-step. Whatever he was about to say was lost on the train tracks when he saw her twinkling eyes under the candle light.

    ¡®She doesn¡¯t need me to remind her, she¡¯s sure to think herself a burden I do.¡¯ The butler clenched his hands behind his back, forcing himself to look astute as he continued; ¡°You go ahead; I shall check the attic first.¡±

    They were in a hallway directly above the one which Fliss and Luvrit travelled through not long ago. In front of them stood the large railings above the main hall and behind them was the small stairway spiraling to another level above. The floor was furnished with a long patterned carper that stretched to both poles and joined to another where the railing stood.

    ¡°Why would she be in that stuffy place?¡± Mathilda placed a hand on her chest as she tried to control her breathing, not used to such exercise. She was a tall woman with pale white complexion and a figure so thin it seemed medical. She had shiny black hair neatly kept in a bun and wore a tightly fitting black dress more common for a widow than a housekeeper.

    ¡°Reminiscing again, perhaps?¡± he suggested. He judged his counterpart with concern before stepping forward and wrapping his hands around the woman¡¯s shoulders, pulling her in so she could lean on him for support. Though he was shorter than Mathilda, he had more of a sturdier build than her and where she was sickly thin, the butler showed more of a lean figure.

    *Sigh*¡°Thank you Bertrand,¡± Mathilda smiled pulling back. She stared at his well kempt beard for a moment before placing a small kiss on his balding head. ¡°I feel much better.¡±

    ¡°Good, while I search the attic why don¡¯t you use one of the rooms for rest until I return?¡± The butler smiled at her.

    ¡°But I still have to find-¡±

    ¡°Slow and steady my dear, you need your rest for the upcoming tasks as well. Do not worry though; I shall be quick with my search.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Mathilda wanted to argue but seeing the look upon his face must¡¯ve changed her mind. Finally relenting she said; ¡°You¡¯ll be quick?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in three winks.¡±

    Bertrand reached up to his toes and placed a reassuring kiss on the housekeeper¡¯s forehead before leaving for the spiral stair case at the back end of the hallway. There were two types of entrances to the attic; the stair case which was meant for people and a large trapdoor meant for moving storage and old goods. Choosing the faster root he soon found himself adjusting to the darkness upstairs.

    ¡°She sure loves her toys,¡± Bertrand mumbled to himself as he stared at the back of Lidia¡¯s blue and silver figure sitting on an old blue trunk. The attic permeated with trunks, boxes and old trinkets piled atop of one another leaving only small dusty passages for the butler. As he approached closer he frowned to see the young miss stare rather excitedly at the small object in her hands. Suddenly her expression morphed into one of sorrow and sadness as the creaking of a wooden plank echoed in the attic. Sure that he had broken her concentration on something important Bertrand stood a few feet away and waited for the lady to pass judgement on his mistake.

    ¡°Recall this bauble?¡± Lidia said sadly. She held up a spherical object with a right-angled triangle jutting out from the top.

    ¡°Of course, it was your partner outside of lessons and public events.¡±

    ¡°Amongst my confreres in nobility I was the first to learn it¡¯s secrest and display its proper function,¡± despite the little light that shone through the fog, a ray had caught Lidia¡¯s brilliant smile through the window.

    ¡°A noble achievement indeed,¡± Bertrand smiled as he bowed in deterrence.

    ¡°The trick was tilting the sphere just slightly, like so,¡± Lidia proceeded to demonstrate. ¡°Till the triangle angled at exactly a quarter of a circle, and spin.¡±

    Lidia spun the ball from the sides, careful to not touch the triangle while it gained momentum on the crate beside her, but her demonstration quickly failed as the triangle became stuck between the plank splinters. Frowning, she mulled the ball between her hands before placing it down with a sigh.

    ¡°Those were simpler times, do you not agree?¡± She turned to look at Bertrand, who nodded in response. ¡°Back then, matters of the dukedom were of little consequence, freedom actually meant something. Now, even if this disaster is dealt with and we recover a little of what is lost there is still the matter of the marriage that mother incessantly brings up. Do you think I would be suited to follow such traditions?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Bertrand licked his lips. ¡°With your discipline and liveliness I believe you will make a wonderful wife, young miss.¡±

    ¡°I am not averse to the idea of marriage, Bertrand. It is its supplements that I find myself loathing.¡± Lidia once again picked up the ball and began moving it between her hands. ¡°Often I find myself lost in thought, thinking about life with an equal and deserving partner. That I find tolerable, but when I imagine the men mother have picked out, this tradition becomes repulsive. With those men, surely, my only hobby will be stripped from me and soon mother and father will follow, leaving me all alone in a different household. I have researched on them Bertrand, for example did you know that young lord Willus spends a good amount of time in the taverns and inns drinking himself silly amongst the common. Once he had even killed one of the commen ladies when she refused his invitations, sure he was under influence of wine or mead but I just know that if I were to marry that man he would be abusive and even more repulsive than he already is. If the price of conjoining powerful families and mother¡¯s happiness would be my freedom, bartering this life for a caged one¡­¡±  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Lidia caught herself from practically yelling at him and played it off with a small series of coughs. Accepting his handkerchief she wiped away any traces of her excitement off her face before staring out the only circular window in the attic, observing the lights of small torches through the thick fog that lay over Yikensworth.

    ¡°I would rather burn with those fires than let my freedom be up for sale. I trust you Bertrand, so I trust that what I¡¯ve said won¡¯t leave this room,¡± Lidia said turning to the butler.

    ¡°I serve Lord and Lady von Solus; thus their wish must be my command.¡± Bertrand cleared his throat, realizing her confusion; ¡°I won¡¯t tell unless they ask, with specificity.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Bertrand smiled lovingly as Lidia stored the round trinket in the folds of her dress. ¡°What did you require from me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re mother requests you¡¯re presence,¡± Bertrand said with hesitance.

    ¡°Do you suspect she would have spied on us?¡± Lidia skeptically asked.

    ¡°She is able to, but I doubt her duties in such a situation would allow her the distraction to spy on her only child,¡± Bertrand replied as he led her down the steps he came from.

    ¡°Mother possesses the prowess of a Tier 3 witch, she is capable of multitasking.¡±

    Bertrand led in silence, down the hallway and towards the stairs. The scrambling staff on the ground took note of Lidia¡¯s presence and bowed in succession. While Bertrand kept his pace, he gave a reverberating grumble to which the staff quickly dispersed.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t mother downstairs?¡± Lidia asked confusedly.

    ¡°Yes my lady-¡± *Cough* *Cough*

    Bertrand was interrupted by a sudden outburst of a racking cough nearby. Fearing the worst he took a large stride, turning the corner to see Mathilda¡¯s hunched over visage leaning at the end of the hallway as she was embroiled in a coughing fit. In a few quick strides he had quickly closed the gap and substituted with the wall as support.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine,¡± Mathilda said, annoyed. As she tried to get her breathing under control she turned around and came to face Lidia¡¯s concerned gaze. ¡°Ah, young miss, *cough* you¡¯re mother was requesting your presence.¡±

    ¡°You forgot to mention this was urgent,¡± Lidia accused Bertrand. Bertrand gazed at Mathila with worry when her eyes caught his and he saw them morph in understanding. He abruptly broke off the stare and chided himself for getting careless.

    ¡®I hope she doesn¡¯t blame herself,¡¯ he thought as sweat broke on his brows.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t, Miss Lidia,¡± Mathilda said hurriedly. ¡°Bertrand and I had split the work; he would check the attic while I the rest of the first floor, I am not used much exercise you see-.¡± *Cough*

    ¡°I am aware of your weak constitution Mathilda so do not be sorry about such matters,¡± Lidia comforted Mathilda before turning her attention to Bertrand. Her caring expression suddenly changed to one of disappointment. ¡°However I was not aware of how careless Bertrand could be.¡±

    It was as if a small arrow had pierced his lungs, whether he was feeling embarrassed or afraid it did not matter for he couldn¡¯t speak, he knew he¡¯d done wrong. He knew as a servant he could not speak outright, nor could he entirely blame his wife. Bertrand kept his face expressionless as he bowed slightly in apology.

    ¡°Do not bow Bertrand, explain yourself.¡±

    ¡°I had told my wife that she may rest in the rooms if she pleases while I searched the attic. I did not think the matter too urgent and had not anticipated that she may not have shared my sentiments on the matter.¡±

    ¡°Obviously she thought otherwise,¡± Lidia sighed. ¡°Anyway, why not tell me outright instead of waiting?¡± Lidia asked.

    ¡°Miss Lidia, a servant must only respond to the nobility¡¯s requests, never be rude and speak outright,¡± Bertrand explained with a level tone.

    Lidia stared at the two as her excitement slowly dissipated. She turned around and leading them down the hallway and then stairs.

    ¡°You two deserve better than to be treated like mindless workers,¡± She murmured. ¡°Come on.¡±

    Lidia turned towards the middle door, right of the stairs but before she could reach it Bertrand stepped shuffled around Mathilda and Lidia to hold open the door the ladies. The chamber was a waiting room of sorts; near the walls laid a few Roman Lectus providing an inviting atmosphere as green curtains draped on either side. A small shelve stood opposite containing a few small books for reading pleasure, beside the stand was another door but unlike the previous it contained an eloquent letter above a placard with ¡®Von Solus¡¯ writer in similar style. However the insignificant room was not Lidia¡¯s desire, as she directed her attention to the ornate door Bertrand shuffled once more and ushered her inside.

    The room was larger than what the waiting room suggested and seemed to be an office of sorts, complete with a central desk, a few chairs and an entire wall dedicated to books. Ornamental figures spanned the entire room concentrating to the book shelves rights being the desk, naturally drawing attention of the servants. However Lidia gave little attention to the ornaments or the designs spanning the walls, instead focusing on the woman perched at the edge of her desk.

    The woman wore a tight-fitting velvet dress with her hair neatly kept in an ornate bun and smoked through a church warden pipe. Taking her time in the pleasure, she slowly set the pipe in a tray and turned to face the trio. The woman had beautiful features; a thin arched nose, high cheek-bones and captivating green eyes. Although the woman depended heavily on makeup it didn¡¯t hide her slightly wrinkled skin beneath all the white powder. She smiled in content as she stepped around and leaned in front of her desk, observing the trio.

    ¡°Thank you Bertrand, Mathilda. You may vacate,¡± She ordered. The two bowed low before stiffly leaving out the room closing the door behind them. ¡°Where were you holed up, young lady? I called for your presence ten minutes ago.¡±

    ¡°Why not use some [visum inveniet], I know you favor it.¡±

    ¡°Oh Lidia, why do you still cling to the past? T¡¯was a mere nudge in the right direction, if I had known your weak constitution I would have simply taken care of it myself without your knowledge.¡±

    ¡°They are affiliated with Volvo, if you hurt them mother-¡±

    ¡°There will be no consequences,¡± the woman coldly said. ¡°Mr. Inkerton would not retaliate, lest he has deceived us about his intelligence all this time. We gave him the power he so relishes in everyday and we can take it away just as easily. He has been overstepping his station for quite some time; asking for more than what we gave, protecting those criminal villagers and bringing those filthy brats in my home. He knows that anymore intolerable behavior will end with his execution, so he will do nothing but sit by.¡±

    ¡°More than what you gave? Criminal villagers?¡± Lidia murmured. ¡°What do mean by that? What did you do?¡±

    *Tch* Lidia¡¯s mother grimaced at her loose tongue before sighing. ¡°They are events before your time, ones which do not concern you child. However, you should be more concerned about your actions as of late.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Did you learn nothing from your lessons the last time those brats invaded our home.¡±

    ¡°Invaded?¡± Lidia scowled. ¡°They were accompanying Volvo and they only stayed out in the courtyard with me, not like you would know that seeing how you rarely leave the house.¡±

    ¡°Is that the opinion of a future duchess or the rambling of a flirtatious girl?¡± The woman crossed her arms in expectation.

    ¡°I never flirted with them.¡±

    ¡°Oh really?¡± She said sarcastically. ¡°Hmmm, we never had that conversation so I guess this makes it a first. If you did not flirt with that commoner then how could it have escalated to him placing his hands on you, unless you wanted it? That bourgeois was fortunate I was preoccupied with matters of our dukedom to order his execution.¡±

    ¡°Apparently not preoccupied enough to carry out the ¡®lessons¡¯,¡± Lidia said coldly.

    ¡°Correcting the misguided values of my child always comes first,¡± the mother strolled forward. ¡°But t¡¯is not why I had you summoned, we have more pressing matters at hand as you can see from the situation outside.¡±

    ¡°I know that father has already come up with a plan to defeat them,¡± Lidia¡¯s hand unconsciously rested on the hip where she had kept her sword. ¡°I plan to assist father in this conquest, fighting alongside him in the frontlines.¡±

    ¡°Lidia!¡± Lady von exclaimed, mortified. ¡°You will do no such thing! This is a very dangerous situation and I will not have you playing soldier at such a time.¡±

    ¡°I will not be playing soldier, I will fight the monsters alongside father.¡± Lidia gritted her teeth.

    ¡°No, you will do as I say,¡± Lidia resisted the urge to tremble as her mother grabbed her shoulders. ¡°I still have close ties to the Willus Family and they would surely shelter you for the remainder of this nightmare, until it is safe for you to return. All you need to do is show your uncle Baron Willus this letter and he will know what to do.¡±

    ¡°You expect me to be a messenger? I am a noble; I will earn my title by fighting alongside father and taking back this city. We are Yikensworth nobles, the strongest defenders of Ansdrovea, surely we can take care of an undead outbreak if the Regnum Sancti can take can of a water fly outbreak on the coast.¡± Lidia turned away and started for the door. ¡°It seems I have found my faith in father wherever you lost it.¡±

    ¡°[Audite vocem]¡±The duchess shouted as she outstretched her hand which suddenly held a metal staff. ¡°Turn around Lidia.¡±

    Lidia obeyed.

    ¡°Walk towards me and accept the letter,¡± she said as she held out an envelope with a red and white wax seal bearing the insignia of the von Solus household. The smile on her face widened when her daughter walked forward and stretched her hand to accept the envelope. However her smile suddenly turned to shock as Lidia slapped the letter from her hand, causing her to stumble back to her desk. The duchess stared in surprise as her daughter lifted her head to reveal a sly grin.

    ¡°I believe mother,¡± Lidia said as she snatched the staff from her. ¡°That you would find me much stronger than the last time few times you had excercised my free will.¡±

    She held the staff to her mother¡¯s head and pushed it, forcing the Lady to lie on her desk.

    ¡°Now then, let us share secrets, [Audite vocem]¡±

    ...

    Bertrand patiently awaited the departure of the young miss as he sat on a Roman Lectus. He had recently coerced Mathilda into leaving, fearing that the fear and excitement from anticipation may be poor for her health. He shared her worries but due to her weak heart and body he couldn¡¯t bring himself to let her wait alongside him and after hearing the sounds of struggle coming from inside the office he was glad he made the hard decision.

    Despite the dangerous situation that had befallen the city Bertrand remained calm and sure of his directive. Being the butler for the von Solus Family, it was his job to oversee all functions in the house that eased the lives of his masters. He sometimes oversaw the duties of his wife when she was unable behind the noble¡¯s backs and similarly helped Lidia with her duties. He found solace in helping her, knowing that his daughter would¡¯ve been the same age had not the incident occurred.

    A small growl suddenly escaped his mouth as he remembered in what manner his child had been taken from him. Bertrand didn¡¯t pursure this line of thought for long because suddenly the man who was responsible suddenly came to mind and cold washed over his back as he remembered the savagery and his defeat under overwhelming power of magic. Letting go of a shiver Bertrand resumed re-thinking his priorities; his life revolved around the duty to his masters, the health of his wife and the safe future of his surrogate daughter anything more would only be a blessing.

    *Slam*

    The door suddenly opposite swung open and the duchess walked out with without a word. Her head was slumped down and her walk seemed crude not disimilar to the undead he¡¯d seen Lord William create. Though, he calmed down when he noticed the still fair and soft skin the mistress still retained. He stood up and awaited her orders but she ignored his presence and continued to walk away in silence. Soon after her departure Lidia followed, murmuring to herself.

    ¡°¡­more practice. Ah Bertrand, is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°¡­May I inquire about the mistress¡¯s health?¡± Bertrand stiffly said.

    ¡°She is alright Bertrand,¡± Lidia assured. ¡°She was not feeling well thus she decided to rest in her bedchambers, alone.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Bertrand bowed as she walked past him.

    ¡°Accompany me, Bertrand.¡±

    Following the previous routine he opened the door and followed her out to the hall. Lidia made to turn, facing the main door, but tripped on her spin causing Bertrand to step in. He noticed how warm and sweat stained her face was, but decided not to comment. As he offered her a handkerchief once more she began murmuring to herself.

    ¡°Another one? But there are already two.¡±

 The Blond Cheater

    By now other mercenaries and some guards had joined them in their watch of the unknown past the gates. Being the first one¡¯s there Peter had a good view of the shadows approaching them but due to the thickness of the fog even he couldn¡¯t see what they belonged to. A messenger was sent to the manor when the shadows were seen but so far no one had responded.

    ¡®Idle minds are the devils playgrounds,¡¯ Peter smiled bitterly, ¡®Luvrit read something like that before, never got what it meant until now.¡¯

    With nothing to do and confined within the desolate grounds that were cut off from the city with an impending threat of the undead making their way uphill, the devil was not needed to create such tension. From the looks of the men around him it was clear what they thought those shadows meant. After all, for the past few hours no-one else had made their way up hill, so the hopes that any new survivors may have found their way was naught.

    ¡®Hope she¡¯s okay, ¡¯cause that was the most perfect ass I ever had. Too bad she couldn¡¯t handle a free spirit like me¡­eeeh, she knows how to take care of herself, she¡¯s got that giant with her too. Surely she¡¯ll be fine.¡¯

    As if Luvrit could hear his thoughts Peter felt a hand on his shoulder from his best friend.

    ¡°You know she¡¯ll be fine,¡± Luvrit gave him a reassuring squeeze. ¡°I told you; don¡¯t do the deed if you can¡¯t handle the consequences.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Peter shrug off his hand. ¡°You can¡¯t have two ladies at once, but I can¡¯t help it if I want Red.¡±

    Luvrit gave a solemn nod before returning his gaze to shadows.

    ¡®Asshole, it was you who told her about Martha,¡¯ Peter snarled at the humiliating and painful memory. Being found in bed with another woman by a two strike mercenary was not a highlight of his career, not that there were many to count from.

    ¡°Oramus S. Martha ad illa custodiet a malo defendat, et ad tenebras. Illa dabit tutum iter per eos in angustia temporum. O domine, da nobis gratiam et virtutem, ut in his temporibus, ut possimus vivere esse decoravit cum lux vestra iterum.¡±

    One of the gate guards had begun praying in a hushed and hurried manor as soon as the messenger had been sent, but now his prayers were getting increasingly annoying. The guard was of old age, visible by the trimmed white beard jutting out from under his helmet and the stretched skin on his neck. He wore a steel armor with the engraved insignia of one under employment of the von Solus house, a red feather was coming out from the helmet to express his position as a gate guard.

    ¡°Hey gramps, this ain¡¯t any time to be praying to your Saint, we gotta be ready for battle we don¡¯t have time for your prattles.¡±Peter said grimly.

    ¡°Gotta make amends with the lord above before I die in this battle, aint no way I¡¯m going down there.¡±

    ¡°Oh come on, you¡¯re gonna¡¯ live long just like the rest of us.¡± Peter placed a hand on the elders shoulder bringing him closer. ¡°But just in case¡­I¡¯ll buy you a drink if you say a few words so me.¡±

    ¡°A longer life is not a comfort when you¡¯re my age,¡± the guard smiled grimly. ¡°What¡¯s your-¡±

    ¡°On my mark!¡± A guard from atop one of the watchtowers at each corner yelled.

    ¡°Guess they¡¯re in range now.¡± Peter murmured.

    ¡°Ha, the captain can¡¯t see shite in this fog, it¡¯s even worse up there. He¡¯ll be relyin¡¯ on the youn¡¯uns down here for a signal.¡± The old man nodded at another guard. He wore similar armor but was much younger, showing only a shadow of a growing beard.

    ¡°He¡¯s got good eyes?¡± Peter inquired.

    ¡°And nose too, so he¡¯ll be able to smell the decayed flesh from here.¡±

    ¡°Well then I guess we¡¯re in the same-¡±

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    Everyone suddenly turned around to see Lidia striding over with a well dressed oldman following close behind. The crowd parted in synch to allow her a clear path to the gates; despite their dangerous profession they all feared angering the duke, who was infamous amongst the mercenaries as a fearsome mage. Lidia strode towards the gate and coincidently came up right next to Peter. The old guard calmly bowed and moved away, while the young one contradicted his elder¡¯s actions.

    ¡°Miss Lidia what are you doing here? It is very dangerous to be out right now,¡± He exclaimed, pushing past Luvrit and another merc.

    ¡°I know that perfectly well how dangerous it may be, but seeing as how¡­¡± Lidia peered closer past the iron, squinting in concentration. ¡°¡­you aim to kill humans I have to intervene.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Everyone around her exclaimed.

    ¡°My Lady, what are you doing here?¡± The captain from the top of the towers asked as he ran towards her, pushing through the crowd.

    ¡°I came here, Leorin, to stop you from killing innocents.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You,¡± Lidia pointed to the young guard. ¡°You have an exceptional sense of smell, do you not?¡±

    ¡°Wh-what?¡± The young guard asked, confusedly.

    *Sigh*¡°You have a good nose, yes?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, my lady¡±

    ¡°Do you smell decaying flesh?¡±

    The young guard made an effort to smell the air before replying. ¡°I can¡¯t smell it, but the fog is likely hiding the smell, ma¡¯am.¡±

    Peter also made a concentrated effort to smell what the wind was carrying but like the guard couldn¡¯t smell anything like dead flesh, even though he was upwind.

    ¡°I agree with the lady here, I also can¡¯t smell any dead flesh.¡± Peter spoke up. ¡°The wind is carrying the smells just fine; it¡¯s just that there isn¡¯t any dead flesh present.¡±

    Lidia gave Peter a slight smile before addressing the captain. ¡°My point precisely, captain. Archers! Stand down! Open the gates we have more survivors.¡±

    A hushed agreement travelled amongst the woven crowd of guards and mercenaries as they followed Lidia out. The path snaked down, diminishing to dirt from the cobblestone path it once was, shaping the crowd to its contours. Lidia led with purposeful strides faithful in the safety of her hill, yet in her haste provided great fright to her shield bearers as they struggled to fulfill their duties. Following closely behind was a bulkier group composed mostly of high strike mercenaries among whom Luvrit¡¯s group had fallen in.

    As the group made its way through the fog the humanoid shapes became more definite, eventually turning into recognizable figures of townsfolk. Dirty, ragged, and bruised they slowly walked up the dirt track in a transient state before the exhaustion caught up to them. They covered whatever they could with the boards of doors or signs fallen throughout the city. Each bristle of wood, each wound told a tale of their failure to keep the monsters at bay; chipped wood, broken weapons and their inability to notice help only a few meters away expressed it all.

    Taken aback by their appearance Lidia faltered and in her hesitation allowed her shield bearers to catch up. Breaking out of her trance she pushed past the guards and announced their arrival by giving commands to her followers. The group separated and surrounded the struggling citizens, some providing support for the wounded while others protection. In the action some citizens came out of their stupor only to cry and weep as they had done the whole night while the rest continued on in silence giving no indication of their awareness.

    Much like the behavior of the citizens, Peter exhibited an unusual mindless attitude as he made his way through the crowd, his head snapping everywhere trying to take in all the faces only to discard those features moments later. He was here for one particular person and she couldn¡¯t be found anywhere. When everyone had paired up or taken up their positions around the people Peter was left behind as the crowd marched forward.

    Peter stood still until Luvrit came over and placed that bastardly hand of pity on his shoulder. How could he just accept her death like it was so common, doesn¡¯t he care?-Wait when did he start caring like that? Wasn¡¯t she just an ass, she wasn¡¯t family like Fliss or Luvrit? They weren¡¯t in danger, he was perfectly fine but not knowing what happened to her hit him harder than he liked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t find her Luvrit,¡± Peter said. ¡®Fuck it, now I¡¯m dumb. All because of that red haired, tanned ass beaut-bitch!¡¯

    ¡°I know,¡± Luvrit said matter-of-factly.

    ¡®Fuck you, you¡¯re supposed to be the smartest one of us all can¡¯t you come up with something! Dammit-wait! There were kids in that group¡­she always throws her life away for them. What did she do that time? C¡¯mon idiot, THINK!!¡¯

    ¡°Peter?¡± Luvrit asked. ¡°We gotta go now.¡±

    Luvrit tried pulling him back but Peter swatted his arm away, instead came up to face with his counterpart.

    ¡°Think!¡± He hissed. Seeing the clear confusion with on Luvrit¡¯s face Peter elaborated. ¡°There were kids in that group, yeah?¡±

    Luvirt nodded.

    ¡°Sh-She never leaves children just like that,¡± Peter swayed his head in a left-right motion as if it will convince the other blond. ¡°Remember Estile? She killed the Alexandrian and lashed out at Volvo when she found out about the kids. She¡¯ll never just leave them like that.¡±

    ¡°Peter,¡± Luvrit started.

    ¡°Don¡¯t use that tone with me, I know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±

    ¡°What if she got more than she could handle?¡± Luvrit said. ¡°She¡¯s not immortal-¡±

    ¡°Even if she had her arms cut off, she¡¯ll make sure they¡¯re safe by walking on her two legs, unless¡­¡± A sense realization broke into Peter¡¯s mind instilling an idea which filled him with dread. ¡°Unless she was too much of a burden and she stayed behind.¡±

    ¡°Hey guys!¡± Fliss called over as he ran over with Natravi following close behind. ¡°Miss Lidia¡¯s going to close the gate on us if we don¡¯t get you all inside. She doesn¡¯t sound happy.¡±

    ¡°Just because I was seen around you guys I will be left out as well,¡± Natravi said icily. ¡°I don¡¯t care what that person does to me, but I would rather have Fliss inside the safety of the walls and that means getting you two inside, too.¡±

    ¡°Arrgh,¡± Peter aggressively kicked the rock downhill. ¡°I swear if I don¡¯t die from battle first, these ladies will be the death of me. Luvrit, tell her that if I don¡¯t come back with another survivor she can close the gate on me. The rest of you get inside.¡±

    And with that Peter turned to run downhill in search for ¡®Red¡¯, ignoring the shouts from his friend above. Luvrit could¡¯ve easily caught up with him, but thankfully he knew Peter had to do this on his own. A minute passed an already twice he¡¯d almost tripped over himself in his hurry and under the blinking light of the moon it didn¡¯t help his cause for the visibility was like a magic candle; always relighting after being blown out. Better eyes be damned! If there was no light even he couldn¡¯t see shit.

    When it became clear that the moon wasn¡¯t going to be flashing itself anymore Peter slowed to a walk and took out his sword. The beat of his heart thumping out of his chest roared in his ears as he got nearer to the darker shadows that indicated the base of the hill. Even though he couldn¡¯t see well in the darkness there was still his hearing that would¡¯ve helped him if it wasn¡¯t already being impeded by the white noise of the undead in the city.

    ¡®This city¡¯s too lively for all the dead that roam it.¡¯

    As the sweat uncomfortably settled on his back and lubricated his pits, Peter began to question himself. How far was he going to go? How much was he willing to risk if it meant finding her just like one of the cropses?

    ¡®Fuck! Shouldn¡¯t think like that. Just focus on getting down there at least¡­Did I just hear a deadface?¡¯

    True enough when he get closer the senseless noises of undead got louder, before they seemed to get abruptly cut off. Squinting hard into the darkness he could make out a few forms around the base, and one such form carried a glinting weapon in hand. Hoping for the best Peter got up from his crouched position and yelled from above.

    That got their attention as two of the undead moved away from the sword-wielder and made their way towards him. Peter took a run-up before jumping over them, kicking one of them in the head as he descended. A pleasant ¡®crunch¡¯ and ¡®squelch¡¯ of the skull caving in on the brain greeted him as he turned to stomp the fallen figure. With a thrust of his sword Peter impaled the other figure through the head and using all his might cut half of it off.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± A feminine scream drew his attention back. Without hesitating he thrust his sword towards the larger figure draped over the smaller one and using his momentum pushed the creature off her. While she fell Peter wrestled with the larger corpse for control over his sword, but the undead had it in a vice grip. It wasn¡¯t much of a stalemate that they found themselves in as another figure came from the side, forcing Peter to let go of the sword and switched to his secondary sword. He dodged back but soon realized that doing so left Red within the undead¡¯s grasp. Yelling to keep their attention on him Peter tackled the smaller figure onto the ground. Straddling it¡¯s flailing arms he raised his sword and aimed for the face.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± he breathed out as the air in his lungs was knocked out as the larger figure lashed out at him, tearing his arrows and bow away while knocking him on top of the smaller figure who wildly bit into the open air. It caught his ear between its teeth and tore off the top part, along with some hair.

    ¡°AAHMMM!¡± Peter gave a muffled scream as he clenched his teeth and rolled away. But the larger being had something else in mind as he grabbed onto his torso and raised him overhead for a throw. Taking the opportunity Peter twisted around and brought down his clenched sword onto his head.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ¡°AHHH FUCK IT.¡±

    He missed! The sword was too long and instead of piercing the head lodged itself in the middle of the clavicles as if the corpse was swallowing it. Without missing a beat the corpse threw Peter off into the distance. He bounced up; hearing something break within him, luckily nothing was broken the next time he bounced, before he rolled to a stop. His hand instinctively grabbed onto something as he arose with shaking limbs. Eventually he made it to his feet and inspected the piece of wood in his hands. He was about to discard it when something glinting off the top of the board. A small spike protruded from the top of the board with a mead glass painted on it.

    ¡®Martha?¡¯

    Peter didn¡¯t have much time to think as he suddenly caught the smaller figure approaching him. From over him he could see the larger one moving towards the fallen woman. That was when something inside Peter settled in place and a feeling of euphoria overcame him. He smiled to himself as he took in a deep breath to settle his heavy heart before engaging with the incoming undead. He grabbed hold of the undead¡¯s shoulders and pushed it back before jumping up and drop kicking his opponent. That move pushed it further back but wasn¡¯t enough to befall it.

    Peter rushed forward and brought the spiked sign overhead before driving it into the figure¡¯s head. But he didn¡¯t stop there, Peter repeatedly stabbed from all points, overpowering the struggling creature until it bore a hole from the many small holes. Then pulling back his fist as much as he could Peter let loose the strongest punch he could muster. It drove through the cracked skull and broke the back of the head.

    *Crick*Crack*

    The sounds of his fingers breaking filled his ears as he flinched and cradled his bruised hand. But he didn¡¯t have time to care for himself when he knew something could be happening to her. So Peter shakily stood up, letting loose a loud roar, snapping the other¡¯s attention to him. The muscle corpse was grabbing onto her neck and was about to bite down on her face if it hadn¡¯t seen Peter. Perhaps it saw him as a threat for when he came to view the corpse changed its focus.

    ¡®Must¡¯ve been a fighter before he died¡¯ Peter thought as he circled the large undead, keeping a firm hold on the tavern sign. The large man had taken out Peter¡¯s sword and it lay glinting, with what little light was present, off to the side. Suddenly Peter felt his hand go numb and his body slowly began to sag, overcoming with exhaustion.

    ¡®NO! NOT NOW!¡¯ Peter yelled in his mind as the high of battle wore off. Peter began sidestepping towards the sword but the corpse blocked his path and began closing in instead. Peter took a few steps back and considered running before his eyes set on the fallen figure of the woman he¡¯d come looking for.

    ¡®There, focus on that. Focus on that ass you¡¯ll get after this, focus on the pain your feeling right now, focus on keeping her safe.¡¯

    ¡°FUUUUCK!!!¡± Peter yelled as he ran forwards. The creature expected him to tackle, so it was understandably confused when Peter slid underneath. Peter grabbed onto the sword and turned around to slice the beast. Peter kept hacking and slashing at the corpse, hoping that it could get past it¡¯s guarding hands and slice off the neck. Unfortunately the sword got stuck again and this time was lodged in a bone.

    The large corpse took this opportunity and grabbed him by his chainmail lifting him up. Peter swung his leg out and kicked his sword up; it sailed into the air and shone under the increasing moonlight. It seemed that the moon would shine upon them after all. Peter said his prayers and hoped it wouldn¡¯t pierce him when it fell and set to defeating the pain in the ass monster. Peter took his cracked knuckles and swung with all his might into the opening carved out by his sword into the beast¡¯s chest. Using his thumb Peter grabbed the bone of the thorax and pulled back, increasing his leverage by placing both his feet on the corpse¡¯s shoulders. Soon he started to hear the cracking sounds from the chest over the hissing sounds from the corpse as it struggled to get Peter off. It had even let go of him but Peter had a god¡¯s grip on the bone.

    *CRACK*

    ¡°FAAH-¡± Peter breathed out as he fell back with half the bone he¡¯d hoped to tear off. But it seemed to be enough as he saw the undead fumbling around with hunched over head. It¡¯s chest no longer holding its neck up. But the battle wasn¡¯t over yet as Peter saw his sword land atop him piercing him through his hand.

    ¡°OUCH!¡± Peter yelled as he cursed whatever deity he¡¯d prayed to. Peter shakily raised his injured hand and pulled the sword out of the ground before taking it out with his other hand. Suddenly he jumped to the side on instinct as the corpse bounded past him. Now that the moon light was properly shining on them he could see who his opponent was. It was Zachery.

    The giant of the man from those musclemen group stood before him in all his hunched over, flesh bitten, naked glory. If Zachery was still alive Peter wouldn¡¯t have had a chance to take him on, alongside 3 other people. But being dead mean you were slower and less skilled as only part of your brain, the part that wanted to eat and the part meant to make you walk remained after a necromancer¡¯s spell.

    ¡®Those two rubbed off quite a lot on me,¡¯ Peter thought. Peter took hold of the sign that had fallen and breathed deeply before slowly moving towards the large man. It was Zachery¡¯s turn to run at him, but being slow meant all be could do was thump hard as he walked forwards. Peter¡¯s pierced hand had the sword balanced between his thumb and pinky while the other gripped the sign harder. When they came in striking distance Zachery swung diagonally in hopes to strike him down. But Peter easily dodged the attack and instead used his sword to thrust into the neck of his opponent. Since his face was practically kissing his own chest the back of his neck was completely exposed so it made an easy for Peter to cut through. After the initial piercing however, Peter pulled back his hand and used the palm of his hand to push the sword further in while his other hand repeatedly stabbed with the spiked sign on the uncut part of the neck.

    But Zachery wasn¡¯t done yet. He lashed out again and this time managed to throw Peter back breaking another one of his ribs. As Peter spat out the blood Zachery began charging at him in his own leisurely pace which Peter easily dodged and began stabbing, once more, at the nape of his neck, until he swung again and Peter dodged. This occurred a few more times before Peter was able to create enough space between the neck¡¯s muscles and the shoulder¡¯s that when he hammered down with all his might the head came off. Peter had decapitated Zachery with an inn sign.

    Peter stared at the pale and slightly blue body, riddled with scars from the many battles he¡¯d taken part in and the time he helped save Fliss¡¯s life or the time they¡¯d fought over who could drink the most at Martha¡¯s Tavern or¡­the many bite marks that finally ended him. Peter couldn¡¯t help but feel no pity for the man. For all his flaws he was a close friend of Fliss¡¯s and since Peter was closest to Fliss than all 4 of them in ¡®Nature¡¯s call¡¯, Zachery turning into a mad undead pissed him off, greatly.

    Throwing the sign over his dead body, Peter turned towards ¡®Red'' lying on the ground and left. But not before saying; ¡°Martha said no refunds.¡±

    Her head was hung low as the growing twirls of her red thread created a shadow across her face, she was bruised, cut and was missing a few articles of armor, even with such appearance he could recognize her just by her aroma. Peter tried bending over but that just sent him crashing next to her. As he lay beside her stomach, he placed a hand over her chest to feel it rise against it. Brair was alive.

    Sighing in content Peter reached into his pocket and took out a few herbs, all crushed and mushy from his recent battle but still retaining the red and purple color. Peter gingerly moved his good arm to his mouth and began chewing the herb, forcing the bitter juices down his gullet.

    He lay beside her for the next few minutes, feeling his bruises and cuts burning as the herb took effect. He needed a whole bale of such herb to heal completely, but just getting the feeling in his limbs again was enough for now. He would¡¯ve liked to stay and heal some more but if the surrounding sounds were anything to go by, the other undead were closing in and he didn¡¯t have to strength to keep them at bay.

    Clenching his teeth Peter gingerly stood up, took Brair onto his back and began trekking uphill. He closed his eyes and just focused on his breathing, until the feeling of Brair moving above him brought it back.

    ¡®Oh, please god. Don¡¯t let her turn.¡¯ Peter had seen the bite marks and cuts she¡¯d received, none of them seemed life threatening so he chose to ignore it until now, when she was awakening and he didn¡¯t know what he¡¯d do if she did turn.

    All his fears came to rest as she uttered her first words.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The simple word of gratitude filled him with a sense of fulfillment. He was bruised, beaten and had almost died, so what! If the woman he was fighting for, he was chasing acknowledged his good actions with the reward of gratitude¡­she may be worth pursueing.

    ¡®Wait what? Stop thinking like that man; you¡¯ll turn into Luvrit¡­Although, after all this¡­weeelllll, if she¡¯s okay with me then, hehe, the fun we¡¯ll have. Hahahahaha.¡¯

    ¡°Peter? Your giggling.¡± Brair whispered.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Peter whispered back, that was all he was capable of right now, anyway. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t die on me Red. I just knew it¡­.hmmm, hey¡­..uh¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Just say it,¡± Brair raised her hand to clasp it against his chest. ¡°I¡¯ll probably forget about it in a moment.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed that ass.¡± Peter wiggled his fingers on his good hand against her butt.

    ¡°¡­You want this again,¡± Brair said, she tried pushing him away but didn¡¯t have enough strength. ¡°I saw what you did¡­just days after what we did. Let go of me, I¡¯ll-¡±

    ¡°Brair!¡± Peter said as he took a knee from her struggling. ¡°You¡¯ll make us both fall. I came back to save you because I didn¡¯t want you to die. I believed you didn¡¯t die when everyone else thought otherwise.*Cough**Cough*¡±

    ¡°And now you want to lay with me again? Is that it,¡± Brair said pushing away to stand up. But her legs were still weak so she immediately fell onto her butt. ¡°I give you what you want and you¡¯ll just go find another women anyways, so why do this again. I know you, and you know you too. You¡¯re just lying to yourself.¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± Peter unwittingly tackled her into the ground. As he lay atop her weak self, propped up only on the base of his palms Peter could see the messy red hair create an outline to her scarred and cute face. Oh, how he wanted to kiss her. ¡°I know I¡¯m not lying when I say that I wanted you. You¡¯re the only person for whom I disobeyed Lidia to find.¡±

    Brair frowned at his mention of Lidia. ¡°Then you¡¯ll just go back to her once you¡¯re done over here won¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Stop that!¡± Peter shouted. ¡°I know you¡¯re angry about what I did but that was two years ago. I¡¯ve changed since then; I want you and only you. Trust me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Brair¡¯s frown lessened and her face came to a small pout, the scar on her right cheek stretched to a smile. ¡°Prove it.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡± Peter¡¯s shaky arms suddenly buckled and he had to prop up his elbows to prevent head butting the tanned woman. But now they were dangerously close; a simple breath away from kissing to be precise, but he didn¡¯t want to ruin his chances so he waited. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do it,¡± Brair said, eyeing his lips before returning to his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with anyone, for a whole year.¡±

    ¡°¡­A whole year,¡± Peter repeated. ¡°¡­.and after that.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll see what happens.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡­.aaa¡­oo-okay. A whole year, and-and then we¡¯ll down with it. Okay.¡± Peter repeated to himself as if the commitment was still settling in his mind. Slowly he rolled off to hi side and waited until he regained enough strength to stand up with Brair on his back. Neither of them spoke after that.

    They quietly came up to gates which opened when the elder noticed he¡¯d returned with Brair. As far as Peter could see there was a rising hope within the civilians of the city. They¡¯d been reunited with more people they knew of, some of them even children. The injured ones where laid off to the other side of the courtyard, near the steps leading up to the manor. The rest of his team was already there; too busy trying to take care of the injured to notice him approach.

    Lidia was atop the steps alongside the creepy bearded butler giving out orders for blankets, and pails of water. She did however notice them approach and a look of rage crossed her face before her really took in how he looked.

    ¡®I must look like shit, at least I got my excuse over me.¡¯

    Lidia merely nodded in his direction and paid him no further mind. While he approached the injured group Brair pointed to an old woman whom Fliss was treating. Peter slowly laid her down next to the old woman and waited for clear sign of discomfort before he could act. During such a time the rest of his group had converged to his position and were peering over to see past his shadow covering her. They all asked the same repeating questions about his wounds and how he found her. In another time he would¡¯ve welcomed the attention, but now he just wanted to rest. So he laid himself beside her and closed his eyes, placing his injured hand over him.

    ¡°Treat me,¡± Peter said. After some time he removed it to see that Natravi and Fliss had already gone to fetch a new pail of water and some cloth, but Luvrit had stayed behind. He had that annoying smile on his face as if he knew exactly what happened. It seemed to irk Brair too fro she asked;

    ¡°What you staring at?¡±

    Luvrit didn¡¯t say anything, instead he grabbed both their shoulders, sending jolts of pain down their back.

    ¡°Just glad you two¡¯re okay.¡± He said before leaving to help someone else. But Peter reached over and brought him down. When Luvrit¡¯s ear was only a breath away from his mouth he whispered in his quietest voice.

    ¡°Whatever kept the undead from coming up here stopped a moment and chased us back here, whoever it is they know I went out to check on Brair. Someone in here¡­is the necromancer.¡±

    If Luvrit heard him at all he gave no indication of it. He said something like ¡®take care¡¯ before going away to help someone else.

    ¡®Well, now he knows. No need to worry about anything now, he¡¯ll figure something out.¡¯ Living true to his code, Peter did the least amount of work required to get the best results, and only rarely did he go out of his way for something. Apparently Brair was one of them.

    While Peter was treated sitting up, Natravi treated Brair as she lay. Though it seemed she was more annoyed and angery at being treated by Natravi than his own proposition. Peter could see all the wounds as she was undressed down to her wrappings.

    There were claw marks all over her arms, a few on her chest and stomach showed fresh wounds covered with a layer of dust and dirt. Luckily her legs were left relatively untouched so she wasn¡¯t going to be disabled upon recovery. He traced his hands against hers, removing some dirt stains to unearth a similar shade of skin under the available light. Thankfully she didn¡¯t react aggressively to this act and instead made small talk with the elder woman beside her.

    *Cough**Cough* the old woman contracted in a fetal position as she coughed. Once she had coughed enough she stretched out, making popping sounds all across her joints. She raised her hands completely ignoring Brair beside her and sighed.

    ¡°Thank god yer okay lassie.¡±

    ¡°Here, let me remove this.¡± Fliss said as he took off Peter¡¯s armor. After he was finished wrapping the medicinal cloth around him Fliss allowed him to wear his tunic, but stopped him from wearing his armor. With nothing more to do he returned his attention to the woman currently being interrogated by Natravi.

    ¡°What happened?¡± she asked with an edge. Peter wanted to chuckle at the sight; Natravi looked very angry but her twiddling fingers told another story.

    ¡°Hah, now tha¡¯ a tale,¡± the woman sighed. ¡°We were walkin¡¯ through Callium Street when those buggers ambushed us an¡¯ we had ta split. Brair here took us the rest of the way till the trail up hill, when we go¡¯ attacked again. *Sigh* we lost some people there but we kept movin¡¯ till ye¡¯ found us.¡±

    Peter looked back at Brair and was relieved to find her sleeping off her wounds as she wore a similar tunic as him.

    ¡°-kids took a left, we took a right and that knight went with ¡®em.¡± The elder said to Natraviv when he turned his attention back to them.

    ¡°I see,¡± Natravi said, deep in thought.

    ¡°Hey, I talked.¡± The woman pointed her finger at her, catching her attention. ¡°Now heal ma¡¯ wounds.¡±

    Apparently Natravi had stopped halfway through the story, but Peter didn¡¯t pay much attention to her. Despite bringing Brair to the manor he still couldn¡¯t let go off the unease that was slowly building up inside him. Heaving a heavy sigh he stood up and searched for the company of a certain guard. When Peter came over, the guard gave a slight frown before inquiring about his health.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± Peter waved it off.¡°Say, you a faithful follower of Saint Mina?¡±

    ¡°More faithful than the people in this city, yeah. Why?¡± The guard replied after some consideration.

    ¡°She¡¯s the patron saint of healers¡¯ right? Saint Matha.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one way of putting it. Saint Mina provides help against darkness, disease and sickness.¡±

    ¡°I see. You memorized her book?¡±

    ¡°Fer gods sake man, if you¡¯re gonna¡¯ ask so many questions then at least sit down,¡± The old man pleaded. ¡°You look like you¡¯re about to fall over, I ain¡¯t answering a dead man.¡±

    ¡°I told you I¡¯m fine,¡± Peter denied but the guard didn¡¯t let it go. The two soon became caught up each other¡¯s stubbornness, neither giving up to the other. Eventually, due to exhaustion or other reasons it was Peter who caved in and settled to compromise with using the wall as support instead of sitting completely. He didn¡¯t need to feel useless even when he knew otherwise.

    ¡°Now, ask away and yes I do have it memorized.¡± The guard said, satisfied.

    ¡°What does she say about treating injuries gained from undead? Is there a mantra? A prayer in the old tongue?¡±

    The old man looked at Peter skeptically and then at where he came from before sighing. ¡°Kid, this ain¡¯t something you just say a few words for and wish for the best.¡±

    ¡°I know, I gotta actually believe in the higher power-¡±

    ¡°Horseshit! Who told you that?¡± The elder spat. ¡°You always gotta work towards saving the injuries of a fallen comrade; this aint got nothin¡¯ to do with faith. There work waiting to be done, yes, but it ain¡¯t god¡¯s work, it¡¯s yours.¡±

    ¡°I already did what I could,¡± Peter pushed off from the wall. ¡°We treated her wounds, fed her and cleaned her up, but I can¡¯t help feel uneasy about this whole thing. More so than usual¡­so what should I do.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the guard closed the distance between them and glared at him. ¡°But I know that praying ain¡¯t gonna¡¯ help you. You¡¯re in a position to help someone, it¡¯s not like you can¡¯t do anything, if you can do something then go do it and if you don¡¯t know then go look for it. Now you go and find out what that thing is and you complete that task and once that¡¯s finished look for some more work and finish that, again and again until you¡¯re lost in your search and even more bruised from the work. Trivial tasks kid. Then, you come to me and we will pray for your lover together.¡±

    ¡°Hah, you¡¯re crazy old man,¡± Peter smiled. ¡°Thanks anyways,¡± he said over his shoulder as he walked away.

    *Sigh* ¡°What lies have the church been feeding this generation.¡± He said to his fellow postman. ¡°Oh don¡¯t you start questioning your faith now, you¡¯ve never had it to begin with.¡±

    Despite the dire situation of the city, the arrival of a dozen or so more survivors in the Dukes manor brought newfound hope and joy to surface. It was something that everyone planned to ride along on till the impending time of battle, except no one knew how fast it was approaching.

 These Voices in My MinD

    Hide. Sneak. Attack. Repeat.

    He had been taught simple enough instructions to travel unnoticed in enemy territory, alone that is. But since he was travelling with scared children almost at their wits end; mistakes were bound to happen, at every corner stood another battle, another fight and another chance to lose them due to his incompetency. The children were tired. They were not used to staying up so long, nor were they used to witness such horrors, but they obeyed; they hid when he needed and stood alongside him when he wanted. They were well mannered children or was it fear or the promise of safety that controlled their actions¡­no matter, they obeyed him and that was all that mattered. It was pleasing.

    An hour ago they had been making good progress towards the manor he had seen above the hill, but when they reached the crossroads they were ambushed. It was his fault for realizing it too late. The wheels had already turned and the magic controlled corpses had made their move first. In the frenzy and chaos the children had taken the wrong turn, neglecting to see that the rest were moving the other way. It was his fault they were ambushed and subsequently it was his fault the kids they had set to save were running into the jaws of death. So he ran after them, leaving Brair to guide the group the rest of the way.

    It wasn¡¯t hard. Rescuing the children had taken no more than a few minutes. The hard part was finding their way to the manor. A long time had passed yet they were still cutting corners, being no closer to their destination than they were the hour past. None of them knew the city well so when they were lost within its many roads they had only the view of a glimpsing manor to follow, which had led them astray too many times.

    But a saving grace presented itself in the winds that blew past them, informing him of the plans the duke had set to carry out. Getting the children to safety was no longer a priority, he had to delve deeper in the mess that was this city. It was the only solution he could think of, he was not his brother. The genius of the-

    ¡°Mr. Drac?¡± a voice whispered, pulling him out of his thoughts.

    ¡°Shhhh,¡± he said softly. He was currently holding up a wooden board above them as they crouched near some rubble of a destroyed shop, blending in with the surroundings. Passing by were corpses no longer fueled with the vigor he add seen before and clumped together in groups no greater than their own. They alone posed little threat, but the sheer numbers that a single group could attract would. He did not want a repeat of that.

    When all visible undead had disappeared from the street he slowly raised the board above him and they carefully got out of their hiding spot. Ignoring the approaching expression on the boy he focused on getting them down the street, with no more distractions. The children walked alongside him, girls on one side and the boy one the other, silence on one side and constant tapping on the other.

    ¡°What?¡± he whispered.

    ¡°I¡­I gotta¡¯ go,¡± the child said, embarrassed.

    ¡°Go?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I-I uh¡­gotta pee¡± the boy whispered.

    ¡°¡­¡± Drac sighed. He kept walking down the broken street till he reached a still intact store front. He carefully entered the shop and ushered the rest in with him. The store was a mess. It had a large wooden table in its center, broken down on its foundations and covered with liquid that had pooled all over the floor. The shelves and other smaller tables had similar liquids dripping from it, but in addition had broken pots, bowls and glass pieces spread all over.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Drac raised his hand and grasped his sword as he delved deeper into the store. There was doorway at the end to which he slowly stalked towards.

    ¡°It¡¯s too dark to see,¡± the smaller girl complained. Fortunately her sister hushed her quickly so he just ignored them and continued onwards. Standing in the doorway he scanned the room, looking for any signs of an enemy. Satisfied with his assessment he walked back and knelt to the kids.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take a break here. There¡¯s an empty room back there, make hast.¡± Drac pointed behind him with a thumb. Within the small light that fell in he could see how embarrassed Zach was. However, his need for release must¡¯ve been greater as he quickly made his way to the back causing the younger girl to giggle slightly. Drac stood in front of the doorway as he waited on the boy when the older sister¡­Rina approached him cautiously.

    ¡°Um, Mr. Drac?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± When Drac titled his head in her direction she quickly supplied. ¡°I mean that you looked like you were talking to someone¡­out there.¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t be going to the manor anymore-¡±

    ¡°What!?¡± the boy exclaimed as he came out, straightening his clothes.

    ¡°The Duke plans to use everyone to fight, leaving his house unprotected. It won¡¯t be safe there when this happens.¡±

    ¡°How do you know this?¡± the boy asked, coming closer.

    ¡°My niece told me, she is a caster.¡±

    ¡°You promised us revenge,¡± the little girl said from behind her sister.

    ¡°Y-yeah, you promised. How will we get our revenge if you take us closer to whatever caused this¡­this mess? We¡¯ll die.¡±

    ¡°Leaving you at the manor will bear same result,¡± Drac inspected his hands. ¡°At least with me, you¡¯ll have a chance to survive. If you don¡¯t make any mistakes and obey.¡±

    ¡°What, you can¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Zach!¡± Rina hissed attracting both their attention. She was trembling terribly and it wasn¡¯t the cold that was causing it. ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice.¡±

    ¡°But Rina-,¡± Zach tried.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll die when the dukes leaves his manor,¡± Rina walked towards Drac and stared at him with a rueful smile. ¡°But I guess if we decide against you, this is where we¡¯ll part, right?¡±

    Drac stared the girl for some time, discerning her. She had resigned herself to protecting her sister and didn¡¯t expect to live through this. A situation he was no stranger to, but he had a family of his own to worry for and if not for the wings he¡¯d seen...it was not important what he would have done had the situation was different what mattered was what he would do now, knowing what he¡¯d seen now.

    Drac turned to the street and called over as he continued forth; ¡°You think too much. Come, I still have to make good on that promise.¡±

    The voices spoke to him. But he didn¡¯t know whether it was her or the foe. If he indeed had spoken then Drac felt no indication of it, but if he did¡­then it meant she was dead and Drac had failed as a brother. At first he ignored it, but the gnawing feeling that she may be dead seeped deeper and deeper. He was unnerved even if he didn¡¯t show it. It was one of the few things he hated about himself and his lineage.

    ¡®No matter¡¯, he thought. ¡®If you are not speaking now, it only means you are as confused as me. She¡¯s alive and she is telling the truth.¡¯

    The duke planned to attack the origin, cavalcade his soldiers through the streets while him and his elite take the fight to the center of this crisis. Using up all his soldiers would leave his home defenseless meaning that this was going to be the only time they were going to get a chance at attacking with an actual chance and he wanted to partake.

    ¡®It seems, the sins of a child are catching up with the man,¡¯ Drac thought. ¡®This¡­This is the sin of my birth, but these people had nothing to do with it. My sins have killed these people, this is my fault and I will stop this. Leave nothing for the reinforcements.¡¯

 Chapter 15. Battle for Yikensworth: Laying out the Plans

    ¡°May I have your attention!?¡±

    The duke stood atop his steps, arms clasped behind him as he demanded attention. Natravi gazed with slight annoyance as she was made to stop her duties on the injured and stand alongside other mercenaries for a large middle-aged man. Perhaps all nobles enjoyed exercising their power over the plebeians¡­maybe not all but definitely most of those she¡¯d met.

    The duke had surrounded himself with his troupe of arms for hire. All of the important team captains had lined up behind the duke as he began his speech. Even Volvo was there, looking more like a dignified guard than the dog he was. Natravi stole a glance towards the rest of Volvo¡¯s group and was pleasantly surprised to find they, like her, weren¡¯t staring with much awe and respect as all the other people were.

    ¡°Survivors,¡± the duke began ¡°I am here to tell you that our time is almost upon us. Many hours ago, this town was attacked; your home was invaded by the undead. They killed many of us, even damning some of us, to join them as mindless creatures of the night. The stronger amongst us survived, you, yes you survived because you are better than those that didn¡¯t. If what I say is untrue then look around and think to yourself ¡®why aren¡¯t they here if they¡¯re so much better than me?¡¯ You all survived and came here to seek refuge with your duke, I am honored to be thought of as your savior during these times and I promise you¡­we will take back what is taken from us.¡±

    The duke walked down the steps as he talked until he was in the middle of the courtyard where he came to a stop, making eye contacts to the persons present. While he addressed the remaining population he stroked his beard and made hand gestures when necessary signifying the importance of his words.

    ¡°But there is something I need you to know before we act. The enemy for this disaster isn¡¯t the undead strolling in our streets.¡± A sudden commotion sprung out amongst the people as they began talking amongst themselves mulling over what the duke just said. Some had the respectable gall to call him a liar and thus the disbelief spread like fire in oil as more and more people joined in to voice their opinions. The guards tried to silence the uprising crowd but, surprisingly, he himself interfered.

    ¡°No, let them speak their mind,¡± Duke William¡¯s interference caused some to stare with confusion at the noble¡¯s unusual manner but most paid no mind. He observed the crowd, nodding his head in contemplation before raising his hands for silence. Suddenly the mercenary captains began shouting at their group members to shut up, all except Volvo who smiled as he stared at his group; the only mercenary group not shouting. Natravi slowly drifted towards them as silence descended.

    ¡°The undead are bodies without souls, only driven by their primal desire to consume. They are the bodies of our loved ones we buried, seeing them off to the next plane. These are the bodies that have been desecrated when a mage using the powers granted to him by god for evil decided to raise the undead army and unleash them upon their own land. Think! The dead wouldn¡¯t want to destroy their own land, a land they worked so hard for during their life. It is that mage that has been controlling their bodies, attacking us and destroying our, their home. The mage is alive and I, like so many of you would want nothing more than for him to suffer all the 9 levels of hell. But I do not wish to be so selfish as to assume the great honor of killing that mage; I want to share that pleasure with all of you. However for that to happen I will need all able bodied man and woman to take up arms alongside me, your duke and fight for that pleasure. Are you not angry!? Not raged!? Do you not want revenge?¡±

    The duke yelled the last part loudly, spreading his arms as if laying himself bare before the masses.

    ¡°I offer you not the prize but an opportunity; it is yours to take if you want. If you are angered by what the undead have done to you; then take up arms. If you are wallowing in the loss of a loved one; then take up arms. If you are strong and wish to prove yourself in battle; then take up arms. For tonight, we will take back our city and descend upon them with hellfire and fury of the angels, our sorrow and agony is unmatched by all except god. And he will bear witness, to what his subjects will accomplish in these trying times. We will stand united, we will move strong, we will deliver the justice upon our enemy and we will be victorious. Who¡¯s with me?¡±

    ¡°WOOOH¡±

    Just as she expected the crowd around her ate up his words and joined him in a chant, pumping their fists for motivation. The rest of the population may have agreed with them but at least Natravi wouldn¡¯t fall for such pretty words and after what Luvrit said she knew she wasn¡¯t alone with that thought.

    ¡°They¡¯re crazy,¡± Luvrit mumbled to himself, unaware of Natravi¡¯s presence. ¡°He¡¯s making them volunteer to fight their own dead till death. Does make one wonder who¡¯s the real mind controller, eh Natravi?¡±

    Shocked at having been found so quickly she stayed silent and nodded like she had done many times before.

    ¡°So what do you think we¡¯ll be? Cannon fodder for the dead or the arrow for that necromancer?¡± Luvrit smiled ruefully.

    ¡°For your group¡¯s sake, cannon fodder.¡±

    ¡°Funny, I thought the same for you.¡±

    ¡°I am much too strong to be lowly cannon fodder.¡±

    ¡°Hey, cannon fodder isn¡¯t lowly. It¡¯s the best place to distinguish yourself; you¡¯ll be special amongst hundreds of regulars.¡± Peter quipped in.

    ¡°You mean you¡¯ll be the only regular amongst hundreds of neophytes?¡± Natravi replied and Luvrit said at the same time. A smile slowly began to etch itself on her face before it disappeared.

    ¡®Careful, you don''t know him that well,¡¯ Natravi thought. ''Uncle said it was alright to show them, but he''s too trusting anyway. He trusted Catherine and now he never takes off that armor of his, it''s all her fault. If not for Vlad she-''

    ¡°Neophytes,¡± Luvrit giggled, bringing her out of her thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ll remember that. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°It was only a word, not worth your thanks.¡± Natravi looked back at him and saw a glint in his eyes as his contagious smile spread wide¡­this was weird.

    ¡°No, I thanked for cheering me up. It¡¯s a little worrying that we have that snake as a benefactor and I¡¯m glad you think so too.¡±

    ¡°What gave me away,¡± She said with a deadpanned voice. ¡°I¡¯m the only one other than you not cheering for him¡­Are you worried that Volvo is being controlled.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Luvrit frowned as he saw the line of three strike mercenary captains disperse. Volvo was heading towards them, so giving a brief look to Peter they all moved towards Fliss¡¯s position being how he was the closest to Volvo.

    ¡°You¡¯re coming?¡± Luvrit asked looking at Natravi as she stayed still.

    ¡°¡­No, you all talk too much. Just tell me what you¡¯ve decided upon when you¡¯re done,¡± Natravi said. She pulled her hood back up and walked away, not giving Luvrit a chance to speak up. She walked away from the crowd towards the center where it somehow was relatively clear. Everyone was getting into groups as the third-strike mercenary captains instructed their members and other mercenary teams of lower standing.

    Before, Natravi would¡¯ve wanted to know what was being said amongst Volvo¡¯s group since uncle had warned her to be wary of him, but after she partook in many discussions with them with and without their knowledge that she was listening, Natravi realized that she didn¡¯t have to feel threatened by them. Though Volvo was a strong individual his real strength lay in his team, which by the sounds of things was an accumulation of his greatest efforts. However seeds of doubt and abandonment had already been sown within his team. They were good entertainment, but she knew that after this event the chances of meeting them again were slim so it would only harm her to get attached, yet another reason for why she wanted to stay away. That and Luvrit.

    That smile of his made her uneasy. It stroked the same strings Vladimir''s jokes had plucked. Although used, the effects were still very much the same. She wasn¡¯t afraid of him, she was afraid what he will make her do if she continued to be in his company. ¡®Better nib it in the bud before it grew into something dangerous.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t like most people, he was self-educated a rather admirable achievement considering his company. He was curious and though a fighter unlike Vladimir, he gave off the same calm, if not mysterious, persona as Vlad did. He was a growing danger she needed to be wary of.

    ''You''re was bethroted for-

    Suddenly her thoughts were broken as she noticed two figures approaching her from the corner of her eyes. Lifting her head she realized that the nobles apparently sought her company, much to her annoyance. Meeting the two halfway she bowed slightly.

    ¡°Much pleasure tis mine for you to seeketh mine company,¡± Natravi spoke in a slightly sarcastic tone. Duke William was clearly surprised but his daughter Lidia wasn¡¯t, instead she beamed at her father.

    ¡®Am I some prize steed to be showed off to her father? Just because I descended in social standing¡­hah, calm down Natravi, she doesn¡¯t know much better. After all she¡¯s still maturing.¡¯

    ¡°See father, this is Natravi Sulieman Patrishni.¡± Lidia introduced her. ¡°She is with Nat-Nature¡¯s Call.¡±

    ¡°Delighted to meet your acquaintance,¡± Duke William frowned. ¡°Is it the flow I sense within you? ¡­Do tell what tier of magic you possess.¡±

    ¡°This humbled one possesses the flow of three circles, Duke Von Solus.¡± Natravi bowed slightly.

    ¡°Impressive indeed, please do elaborate; on how you can speak the noble tongue. Granted there are similarities it shares with the common-tongue but t¡¯is no simple feat to mimic the language.¡± He raised his eyebrow slightly.

    ¡°Of course, as you have stated the likeness of the two languages I must confess t¡¯is not my first tongue. I was born in a noble household but to a mother of a lower station than yourselves, similar to a housekeeper, thus I spent most of my early years in its embrace and eventually learnt the way of noble-tongue.¡±

    ¡°Quite the background you have, I would prefer we had a sitting together however I fear I am needed elsewhere,¡± The duke made to leave but Lidia suddenly elbowed him. She was all smiles by a closer observation to eyes made out a glare. ¡°Oh, yes. It was capital to have spoken in familiar tongues and since you hold quite the remarkable position in the magic I extend to you the honor of keeping my daughter company while I¡¯m gone.¡±

    ¡°Wait, I thought I was accompanying you father,¡± Lidia asked confusedly.

    ¡°Sweetheart you shall be accompanying your mother here in safety. Alongside such an accomplished mercenary I believe you will be well protected.¡± The duke raised an eyebrow at her.

    ¡°Of course my lord, the lady shall not come to harm in my presence.¡± She supplied.

    ¡°Good.¡± Duke William turned towards Lidia, ¡°I will not risk your safety any further despite what your mother already chose. She has not been very thoughtful with her decisions as of late. Talking about conspiracies and such from Volvo, she should know better than that.¡±

    ¡°Mother chose for me to join you, I have proven myself against your guards but not against real enemies,¡± Lidia pleaded.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Excuse me, duke¡± Natravi asked. ¡°If the lady will not leaveth with thouself, I cannot keep mine promiseth to follow Volvo through the course of this crisis. I will have to refuse thine proposal."

    ¡°Miss Patrishni, do not mistake my humble attitude for an accepting one,¡± the duke said coldly. ¡°I command Volvo and while you are on my land you will follow my commands to the utmost loyalty. You may have some skill in magic but we do not stand as equal, I am your better and you¡¯re superior. Your strength is a luxury to me one which I can easily rid myself off whenever I feel the need and I am starting to feel that need now.¡±

    ¡°Father! She is my friend,¡± Lidia tried defending.

    ¡°Please, before tonight you have never met each other, she cannot be your friend.¡± The duke waved off-handedly.

    ¡°Then she is my guard as per your instructions,¡± Lidia¡¯s complexion was slowly turning red as the commotion gained some unwanted attention of the commoners. ¡°And as my guard I demand you show some restraint towards her, my guard.¡±

    ¡®This is¡­unexpected¡¯ Natravi thought as she looked at Lidia. ¡®Perhaps I misjudged you¡­wait did she say ¡®my guard¡¯, *sigh* well not everyone¡¯s perfect. Still nice to know she¡¯s not spineless against her own dad.¡¯

    ¡°¡­¡± Duke William¡¯s left eye twitched as he glared at his daughter. The two seemed to enter a challenge of sorts before he suddenly left. ¡°This is not up for discussion, as a father I will not put my daughter in battle knowing she could die. Now go inside, I have a city to save.¡±

    He said with such volune that everyone present could hear his anger. As he left, Natravi and Lidia kept staring at his back with a mix of emotions, none of them positive.

    ¡°He can be so frustrating,¡± Lidia pouted. ¡°Well Natravi, I do not of your plans but I am not going to be stopped from partaking in this battle. Do I have your discretion?¡±

    ¡°As I told your father,¡± Natravi remained expressionless. ¡°I plan to protect you wherever you may go, if thine intentions lead to confronting those monsters¡­and your father then so be it.¡±

    ¡°Marvelous,¡± Lidia took Natravi¡¯s arm in a lock. ¡°Follow me; we shall need to formulate a plan.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes,¡± it took all that Natravi had to prevent herself from pushing the lady, but her displeasure was clearly visible as she was dragged to the manor.

    ¡®You may be a good person, but I still don¡¯t like being touched. Aarrgh¡¯

    ¡°Natravi?¡±

    As they reached the steps someone called her out. Turning around they saw Volvo and Luvrit walking up towards them with brisk steps.

    ¡°My lady,¡± Volvo bowed slightly. ¡°Apologies for halting you but I will need to borrow Natravi for the assault.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but mister Volvo father has already pledged her as my escort,¡± Lidia explained. ¡°She will be accompanying me wherever I go. Unless you would have me come along on this expedition, I am afraid she will be unable to help you.¡±

    ¡°Very well, my lady¡± Volvo said as he walked away.

    ¡°Oh, also mister Volvo,¡± Lidia smiled. ¡°Come back safely, it would be detrimental to lose our best enforcer.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Volvo was visibly shocked. After some time of controlling his emotions he spoke calmly; ¡°With your blessings, my lady.¡±

    With that he turned around to walk back to his group as the other two ladies walked within the manor. Inside Volvo¡¯s mind was a storm of thoughts and emotions that made his ears ring from the overload of sorting through them.

    ¡°Something wrong Volvo?¡± Luvrit asked, surprised to see his leader so shaken.

    ¡°She knows, Luvrit¡± Volvo whispered, as he approached Fliss and Peter.

    ¡°She knows what?¡± Peter asked.

    ¡°¡­She knows what you¡¯re planning on doing once this is over,¡± Luvrit smiled, crossing his arms. ¡°She warned Volvo what might happen the next time you think of crossing the boundary.¡±

    ¡°Yeah-Yes!¡± Volvo smiled uneasily. ¡°She said she¡¯d be doing every woman a favor.¡±

    ¡°Urgh,¡± Peter shivered as he thought of what ¡®favor¡¯ meant. His hand unconsciously drifted towards his groins and despite the cold, sweat began forming on his forehead. ¡°Hey, ow, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°You pervert,¡± Fliss declared as he continued punching Peter in his own embarrassment.

    ¡°Hey, stop that, we¡¯re going to battle soon. Let me heal.¡± Peter said as he swatted away Fliss¡¯s punches with his good hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to battle too, you idiot,¡± Fliss said through clenched teeth. Despite the anger in his voice Fliss eventually stopped and pouted in annoyance.

    While his friend gasped for breath, Peter was finally able to notice that his two other team members were deeply engaged in a quite conversation.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯re you talking about?¡± Peter asked stepping closer.

    ¡°Uh, I think it¡¯s better if you hear it from Volvo,¡± Luvrit said stepping away.

    ¡°Hmmm, the Duke has a plan to attack the origin of these monsters, the cemetery. The rest of these guys will provide as a distraction while a few of his handpicked warriors will take on that task.¡± A nod travelled through the group before he continued; ¡°He told a few of us to gather out men and join him in the attack, so, we¡¯ll be taking the fight directly to that bastard who started all of this.¡±

    Volvo smiled as he looked at his group with pride and as that contagious smile spread through his group Fliss still bore a uneasy expressions.

    ¡°Why the glum face Fliss? You¡¯re not getting cold feet are ya?¡± Volvo asked with concern.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that-¡± Fliss said twisting his hands around the staff.

    ¡°C¡¯me on Fliss, there ain¡¯t nothing to be scared of.¡± Peter patted his back. ¡°You¡¯ve faced a lot worse than a fellow mana user, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m scared,¡± Fliss looked up at them with a frown. ¡°I just have an uneasy feeling about this. I mean, have you all noticed how the monsters haven¡¯t attacked us despite so many of us being here? The magician didn¡¯t do anything all this time¡­and what if he¡¯s not there? Then we¡¯ll be trapped.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, the Duke has already thought of all those things,¡± Volvo explained. ¡°He¡¯s a Tier 4 magician, he knew an incantation that allowed the area around the manor to become repulsive to the undead. Apparently he¡¯d been expecting an attack of such sorts since the last time those Chimereans began using their fallen soldiers against us. Now the matter of the finding the magician¡­well, I don¡¯t know the details myself but he said that he could sense where all the magic was coming from. Just put your trust in him, it hasn¡¯t ever led me astray.¡±

    ¡°I-¡±

    ¡°Everyone!¡±

    Suddenly a loud voice from the front of the manor caught their attention. On the steps stood the Duke, his expression grim he surveyed the large crowd amassed on his yard. He had changed clothes, replacing his public outfit with a more armored one.

    He wore a thick dark tunic with curvaceous designs and the Von Solus symbol, a dot with multiple circles around it, woven into it. His trousers were of similar thickness but more plain with a lighter shade than his tunic, matching his thick shoes as they rode up to hide half his legs. Combined with his large stature the dark outfit in the fog served as a very daunting impression upon his subjects.

    Behind the duke stood the same old man as they¡¯d seen tailing lady Lidia, he held a long iron pole with intricate designs on the palms of his hands as if offering it to duke William. The duke turned around and grabbed the iron pole from his hands before slamming it into the ground, silencing whatever whispers still remained.

    ¡°We are the people of Yikensworth,¡± he began. ¡°We hold the greatest defense for his majesty against the evils of the west and no matter what force, be it Chimerean, Alexandran, Beasts, Cloudwalkers, Hydrophants, or an undead army born from our own fallen. Today we will show that this statement holds true when we emerge victorious and alive. Prepare yourself Yikensons, most of you will not survive tonight but if you go down you¡¯ll be taking them down with you and that will be your legacy and that will be your honor and that will be your story. Tonight we are warriors, equal in standing not man and woman, warriors. Thus warriors I ask; will you follow me through this?¡±

    ¡°For Service and Victory.¡±

    Everyone held their fists and chanted in agreement.

    ¡°Everyone who does not bear any arms come forward.¡±

    A large group of the citizens presented themselves; most of them were young women or men, while the rest of the elder or mothers with children stayed on the ground. The duke snapped his fingers and the doors behind him opened as his house staff came out with wide assortments of weapons, ranging from swords and spears to pitchforks and mallets, handing them out to the citizens. The whole event took a few minutes under the watchful eye of the well dressed old man. Peter himself received a new bow with iron arrows and two new sword to replace the one¡¯s he¡¯d lost, carrying Brair.

    Once everyone was finally armed and ready the duke raised his hands, staff in hand.

    ¡°We will split into two groups; a smaller one with my handpicked warriors and a larger one consisting of you my subjects to whom I shall bestow the honor of revenge against the undead.¡± While the duke explained his plan Volvo smiled and looked at his group.

    ¡°Glad you ain¡¯t them, huh,¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± Peter frowned. ¡°But what if it was us? It could¡¯ve been us if you hadn¡¯t smoothened things out with the duke after what he said to yo-¡®Offf¡¯¡±

    Suddenly Peter was elbowed in the stomach by Fliss. He bent over in pain and failed to notice the tense atmosphere he had created. Fliss and Luvrit were staring at Volvo with full attention, trying to gauge his reaction.

    ¡°W-we should be listening to the duke if we want to know what to do, right?¡± Fliss said hurriedly. ¡°I am a little confused.¡±

    ¡°I got yer answers right ¡®ere,¡± Volvo said sharply, momentarily taken by anger. ¡°But I think ya already ¡®ave them don¡¯t ya, seeing as how ya knew my situ¡¯ation with the duke.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about Volvo,¡± Fliss said backing away. ¡°You¡¯re scaring me.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± Volvo grabbed Peter by the hair and lifted him up. ¡°How did you know? And if you lie to me, know this; next time something happens I won¡¯t protect you anymore.¡±

    ¡°Urgh,¡± Peter tried to squirm but Volvo held him in a vice grip. Neither wanted to make a scene in front of the duke for fear of gaining his wrath, and since Volvo wasn¡¯t backing down Peter had to comply. ¡°Okay, Okay. We heard you talking in the room.¡±

    ¡°You snuck into the-,¡±

    ¡°No, they didn¡¯t,¡± Luvrit intervened. ¡°Please let him go Volvo, I¡¯ll tell you what happened.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± Volvo forcefully shoved Peter before turning to Luvrit. ¡°Speak.¡±

    ¡°Lady Lidia was struggling with providing sheets to every citizen so I told them to help out,¡± Luvrit looked at the two who were looking down in shame. ¡°They overheard your discussions passing by and decided to look.¡±

    ¡°Even after I told you all to stay away when I¡¯m having meetings with the duke,¡± Volvo was fuming but tried his best to keep his voice down. ¡°Fortunately it was only this one, but you still defied my orders, my most important one at that. Where were you Luvrit when this happened? I told you to look after them.¡±

    ¡°I was keeping Natravi company,¡± Luvrit also assumed his friends position, his head bowed. ¡°I was outside when this happened.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll deal with that later.¡± Volvo turned his attention back to the two. ¡°I gave you two an order and you betrayed my trust by disobeying it. What do you think the consequences would¡¯ve been if I¡¯d found out?¡±

    ¡°We, uh, didn¡¯t think of that¡­sir,¡± Peter said sharing a look with Fliss.

    ¡°So you forgot? Well then I¡¯ll have to make sure you don¡¯t forget the next time you decide you want to listen in on me and him.¡± Volvo said angrily. ¡°I expected this from Peter but from you Fliss? I¡¯m disappointed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Fliss said, fighting the urge to cry.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to fight in the true battle; well guess what? Peter and Fliss, you two will be joining the rest of the cannon fodder to draw their attention. If you survive tonight then all will be forgiven, this¡¯ll be your punishment and Luvrit¡­I¡¯ll take care of your carelessness later.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes Volvo,¡± Luvrit said, his head still bowed.

    ¡°Come!¡± the duke yelled.

    While they had been talking the duke had finished his speech and was leading a group outside.

    Peter quickly ran to Brair¡¯s side, aware of the glare Volvo was sending his way. After exchanging a few words Peter said his good bye¡¯s and joined his team in joining up with the duke¡¯s group.

    ¡°Victory or Death,¡± He yelled as more and more people joined him in his march out the gates. Nature¡¯s Call also joined in and soon the only few that were left in the courtyard were the weak, old and the royalty. Lidia looked at the backs of the marching soldiers with jealousy as Natravi stood beside her.

    ¡°Come,¡± Lidia said. ¡°We have our own plan to fulfill.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lady.¡± Natravi said, emotionlessly.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Everything alright~?¡± a cheerful voice chimed in the dark and bleak cavern. A small woman in a dark worn out hood playfully walked towards a man hunched over a well. ¡°It¡¯s all going well outside~¡±

    *Sigh* ¡°you have an annoying ability to sound sarcastic every time you open that mouth.¡± The hunched man said. He too wore a cloak and held an orb in one hand and a steel halo in the other. He turned around to reveal a hideous corpse under the hood.

    ¡°Huh,¡± the woman turned her head in confusion. ¡°Willy~ where are you?¡±

    She called out to the open cavern as she walked around the area.

    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± the corpse looking man spoke, its voice raspy and hoarse. ¡°The power of the Crown of Jamal allows me to control this body, while I handle things outside. How do you think I can maintain this shield of darkness over this entire city? Ignorant.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this new body of yours, I should cut it¡± the woman grinned mischievously taking out a sword.

    ¡°Cleo! Stop! If you destroy this body I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell you what to do?¡±

    ¡°You think you¡¯re ordering me around?¡± she questioned in confusion, turning her head again. ¡°Oh no, nononononooo~. I do what I please and now I think I¡¯ve been¡­what¡¯s the word? Over-courteous? Yeah, I¡¯ve been over-courteous to you, so I¡¯ll be going byeee~.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Stop! Listen! Argh, Would it please you to kill those people from last night,¡± the corpse said.

    ¡°Hmmm~¡± she took up a childish pose for thinking. ¡°If that girl¡¯s gonna be there, then yeah.¡±

    ¡°No, I have different plans for her.¡±

    ¡°Oh, then no thanks~. I¡¯ll only fight them if I could take her on in the end.¡± Cleo made to leave.

    ¡°Wait,¡± yelled the corpse. ¡°Are you certain you can defeat her?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Cleo flicked her hand. ¡°She got lucky last time.¡±

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll arrange for your duel.¡± The corpse said sullenly. It pointed its decaying finger at her. ¡°But in return you¡¯ll have to take out all the people coming here before her-¡±

    ¡°Done,¡± Cleo said impatiently.

    ¡°AND¡­you¡¯ll have to capture their leader.¡±

    ¡°Why~?¡± Cleo pouted like a child had been refused candy. ¡°Killing is so much easier.¡±

    ¡°No, you murder loving skank. I need him alive!¡±

    ¡°Ugh, you and your plans. Fine, I¡¯ll capture him but I want her here.¡± Cleo looked at the corpse childishly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll see to it that you get to play with your toy.¡±

    ¡°Thank you~¡± Cleo danced happily towards the corpse. ¡°But Willy~ Where are the real crown and orb?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± The corpse snarled. It raised a hand over its face and imitated a sigh. ¡°You¡¯re good, like you noticed I won¡¯t be bringing the real crown and orb to the center stage until you¡¯ve caught their leader. Then perhaps you can see its true power.¡±

    ¡°Fine by me~¡± Cleo placed both her hands behind her neck in a carefree manner and walked deeper into the cavern, away from the corpse to set up for the incoming enemies.

 Chapter 16: Sins of the Undead Saint

    The putrid smell of decayed flesh and the pungency of piss mixed in blood wafted through the air of the street they now observed. Hidden in the cover of broken wooden planks he peered onto the street, defiled by the corpses¡¯ owning it as their new graveyard. Rubble littered the street just like the dead bodies of children and adults, their morbid shadows casted by the little light allowed in by clouds.

    Shadows of the buildings flanking either side of the dirt road stretched to provide them cover. Similar setups were created throughout the street allowing refuge to the little light from the waning fog at the sections where the uneven rooftops had caved in or broken down. It provided a murky view ahead but a foreseeable one of their journey, at least. However at the far end, under the shadow of the largest building all was invisible. No enemies could the warrior see and no sound could he hear, even the buzzing in his mind, the unconscious drabbles he was so used too had ceased completely. Hesitating he glanced back at the bunch of wobbly children with him; their scared and tired visages staring back at him.

    ¡®They are unused to staying up late hours so their state would only worsen the longer this goes on,¡¯ he thought before shaking his head. ¡®But now is no time to be resting...uneasy.¡¯

    Throwing worry to the wind he motioned for the trio and together they cautiously moved onto the next shadowed zone over a pile of rubble. The children laid down to better hide under the cover while the man, clad in his dark armor, kneeled next to the wall in an attempt to blend in.

    They were in front of a half broken wall of a food shop when suddenly another shadow came over them. It walked out the, thought abandoned, building and climbed onto the rubble. Whether it was fear, tire, or the dust but the youngest one gave out and squeaked.

    *Sneeze*

    The undead didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment as it turned around and fell atop the child; it¡¯s jaws open for devouring. The armored one didn¡¯t have enough time to act quietly; he placed a fist to the ground and used his other hand to catch the creature¡¯s mouth before slamming it next to his fist, forcing all his weight over it-¡°Ghaa-*Crunch*¡±-crushing it in the process. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the horrified faces of the three children curled up in an infant¡¯s pose. Over their whimpering and chaterring teeth, he could make out the sounds of the corpses communicating. Their voices raspy, like a sigh being forced out with the intent to scream. It wasn¡¯t loud, not nearly loud enough to attract the others from streets over, his instincts told him to run¡­and that meant the voices had returned, so he didn¡¯t.

    Instead he stood up and took out his swords, giving them a swing to loosen up his wrists. He motioned with his foot for the children to follow before running off down the street. Using momentum of his body he swung his swords onto the incoming creatures, cutting their thorax and abdomen. He spun around like a top with the weight of his swords pushing him forward as he continued on cutting.

    Soon, he was at the front of the tall building, which had a familiar sign hanging off of a hinge. It was too dark to look inside but the sounds of something alive could be heard inside. The children had, at such time, caught up and were breathing with fervor.

    ¡°Is someone there?¡± a shaky voice squeaked from inside.

    ¡°Drac?¡± Zach asked, looking up at his helmet. He hesitated before heaving a long sigh and putting away one of his swords. He knelt down to trace the ground till he found a sizeable rock. Grabbing it he walked inside, the children following closely behind.

    ¡°Are you here to help?¡± The voice asked almost as a whisper.

    ¡°Depends, quite now,¡± Drac said.

    ¡°Who¡¯re you talking to?¡± Rina asked.

    Ignoring her Drac tiptoed into the darkness before he struck the stone. For a brief moment the sparks flew from the rock¡¯s contact to the Inconel allowing him a view of the room. He was in a dining area where a big battle had occurred. With the evidence littered all around them he bent over to grasp something in the darkness.

    ¡°Zach, hold this,¡± Drac said, handing it to the boy. ¡°Firmly.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Drac struck the stone a few times before the object caught fire and lit their surroundings. It was the leg of a chair which illuminated the dining hall they were in. It was a familiar hall, with an all too familiar scene. Broken chairs and tables sprawled across the floor; the aroma of dried mead heavily dampened by familiar pungency of piss and blood drifting around the humid room and limps and bodies of fortunate people who died before the magic took control.

    ¡°Ha-,¡± Mina hunched over, clamming a hand to her mouth as she pointed off into the darkness with trembling fingers. Drac moved the light over and found a half broken beam with a broken body at its base. Upon realizing Rina gave a hoarse, muffled scream, straining her voice to cut off midway and quickly covered her sister¡¯s eyes before she puked. Zach had a similar reaction to Mina but he tried to keep his stomach contents in.

    Drac walked over and kneeled before the body, hiding it from the children¡¯s gazes. The person, a woman, was dead, nothing he hadn¡¯t seen before. However the way it was being presented in the middle of the room, facing the doorway as if it was placed only for them, for him...

    This particular body was mutilated¡­defiled in the same manner as he¡¯d seen happen all those years ago.

    But he¡¯d seen the whole thing, not just the end result of pulp of bone and flesh sticking out so much that it could be seen even from far away. The corpse was clearly a fellow mercenary. Lost to the job she had taken out of desperation.

    He knew because of its long hair and slight curves at the hips indicating a plump rump, common to none but the females. But the familiarity to the opposite sex ended there, as from the waist up it was hard to discern it¡¯s identity due to the excessive beatings the body took. While the children shied away, Drac took a moment to engrave the sight in his mind. It would be useful.

    While her hairs were intact, her skull had caved into her brain. The bloody organ seemed to have been oozed out of the broken parts of her forehead and onto her eyes. To anyone else it would seem as if the darkness in the undead had evolved to produce innate pleasures, born through mutilating corpses of their kill.

    But he knew, someone had forced the undead to produce this¡­piece, just for him. It was a message, if only he knew what it clearly meant. Someone had taken excessive effort to dislodge the eyeballs from their sockets and burst them, hanging them down to her cheeks like downward fans and adding more fluids to an already beaten face. But the treatment didn¡¯t stop there, due to repeated beatings it was truly a horrific pulp, a concoction of bone shards and torn muscles erupting from the caved in face.

    The mess was bloody. Long since dried, the blood had snaked its way onto her torso which exhibited a sickly imaginative horror as if born through the Oshrak¡¯s tales of Grimm Beauty. Whatever breast guard the woman had had been ripped out from its accompanying leather long ago. With shaky hands the breasts had been skinned, liberating the bloody webs of muscles. Insects were nesting into the bosoms of the poor dame, scattered all across her chest and onto her stomach, everywhere except the mound¡¯s tips. Like her face, special attention seemed to have been given to the tips. One was beaten and pulped like her face, while the other was cut out, creating a crater on her right breast. Drac¡¯s eyes slowly travelled down to the disfigured stomach when his attention was caught by the slight shaking on his arm.

    Merely a few seconds had passed. A time too long for Zach¡¯s comfort, it seemed, as the boy was using all his courage to shake him. Drac stored away his sword of the time being and shadowed the corpse by carrying the chair leg towards the sounds from earlier.

    ¡°Still there?¡± Drac asked unable to mask his tiredness.

    ¡°Y-yes!¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°In the wall,¡± The voice called. Drac made towards the broken counter. It was merely a few steps away but each one encountered a hand or foot or other body part the closer they got. Drac warned the three to stay behind the counter and gave Zach the torch.

    ¡°Step away.¡± Drac warned.

    He waited for a few seconds before punching through the wall with both his fists. Uncurling his fist he slowly pushed his palms down the wooden wall, slowly breaking the planks till he reached the ground. With the supports gone the broken planks came tumbling down, revealing a dark chamber inside. Peering closer two figures could be made out. One laid unconscious while the other sat beside it looking at him.

    ¡°The guild,¡± Drac murmured in understanding. ¡°Green lady?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Yes, I¡¯m the receptionist.¡± The lady cried as tears began to streak down her cheek. ¡°Please help me.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s the one laying down there,¡± Drac asked as he walked inside.

    ¡°She¡¯s my elder, miss Misvo.¡± The woman sobbed.

    ¡°Please move,¡± Drac said as he bent over to carry her out. The young receptionist followed him out as he laid Misvo on the remaining part of the counter. But before she could wail on any further Drac ordered.

    ¡°Introduce yourselves.¡±

    At his command the children revealed to the woman, allowing Drac to leave. While they made acquaintances with each other he explored the dining hall; looking out for rations and an unbroken chair. After a few minutes of failure he took some more chair legs and lit them with his dying flame, giving each to the children upon his return, before throwing his own far off in the building.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°H-hey, what are you doing?¡± She exclaimed.

    ¡°Sit.¡± Drac said in a deep voice.

    Finding no other place, she sat on the rubble of the crushed part of the counter.

    ¡°Are you calm?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes I have calmed down.¡± The woman said excitedly. ¡°Thank you for getting us out. Please can you get us to safety? I will do anything for you afterwards, please-¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Drac said gruffly. ¡°You are not calm, gather yourself before you speak next.¡±

    ¡°O-¡­Okay¡± She said getting up.

    ¡°Sit,¡± Drac pushed her down. ¡°Tell me what happened.¡±

    ¡°It was horrible, the dead just swarmed in and killed anything they saw. The mercenaries¡­they¡­they fought, till it was too much.¡± The woman trembled. She warped her arms around herself and shifted in her place, deep in thought. ¡°While they swarmed in Miss Misvo opened up a passage into that room, I got in unharmed but one of them attacked her. She cut off it¡¯s head it but was injured instead. She pulled through but a few minutes ago she suddenly fainted. Before¡­before she fainted she told me not to peek between the boards¡­we¡¯d were screams.¡±

    The receptionist shivered. She began gasping for air as her eyes traveled across the room, trying to find the source of those screams. Water unconsciously began flowing down her face as her trembling got worse. Drac quickly shifted his attention to the unconsciously woman and examined her body.

    She was wearing a more conservative green dress than the other receptionist; the dress extended down to her ankles and the straps covered her up to her neck in a crossed design. One of those straps was ripped out and used as wrappings on her arm. Undoing it he saw that there was indeed a deep bite mark but the bleeding had stopped and a clot had formed. Drac applied another wrapping by ripping another of the straps while ignoring the green lady¡¯s protests. Once done, he attempted to wake up the unconscious woman.

    ¡°Hey stop-ah¡± All her breath left her as she stared at the side of the counter. Hunched beside the shelves was a figure of a black haired woman. She wore similar attire to the others present but the only difference was she was dead. In the darkness, from where he stood, the place of her heart had a darker color than the rest of her body. Under the flames it could be seen as deep claw marks cutting down to left breast, leaving a bloody mess in its aftermath.

    ¡°Mi-Milla,¡± the woman forced out as she knelt next to the corpse. ¡°I¡­You¡­No please.¡±

    She began weeping as she scuttled back and watched her colleague from her place, shivering. Suddenly the body atop the counter shook and groaned. Rina moved closer to Drac to shine some more light under which the woman winced as she gathered her surroundings.

    ¡°Urgh,¡± Misvo placed a hand on her head to steady herself. Drac helped her off the counter and kept his hold till she could stand on her own. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±

    ¡°Miss Misvo,¡± the receptionist cried as she flung herself into her arms.

    ¡°Wha-, Mina? There, there, dear,¡± Misvo said as she rubbed her head. ¡°Everything will be alright.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s dead, Milla¡¯s dead.¡±

    ¡°I know. Do not dwell on the past my child.¡± She broke the hug. ¡°You are not dead; you have a chance to escape. So think of this as lesson number 11; one must fear death if death is the cowardly way.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand your lessons,¡± She sighed, hugging her again.

    ¡°In time you will, but you must be strong if you¡¯re going to survive,¡± Misvo said. ¡°Can you-¡±

    ¡°Is there a way to the roof,¡± Drac interrupted.

    ¡°-Yes,¡± Misvo affirmed quickly, ignoring the surprise of her junior.

    ¡°Lead us.¡±

    ¡°Over here.¡± Misvo dragged Mina along with her towards the stairs, while the children followed behind them. Drac took out his sword and followed them up.

    ¡°Who¡¯s tired?¡± Drac asked.

    ¡°Uh, I-¡± Mina tried saying but was struck on her head by her elder.

    ¡°He¡¯s talking to the children.¡±

    ¡°Uh, we¡¯re not tired¡± Rina said pulling her sister along the steps.

    ¡°Yeah, we-we¡¯re not tired,¡± Zach said pinching himself.

    ¡°Girls, give me your torches.¡± Drac asked once they reached the top of the steps. Taking the two burning chair legs he bent down and began lighting the stairs on fire. After a few minutes to make sure the fire had set he threw the lit legs towards the undead who began stumbling into the building.

    ¡°AHHH-¡± Mina screamed before Misvo clammed her mouth shut. Soon two more forced their way over their incapacitated dead and hobbled their way towards the stairs.

    ¡°Shut up and run,¡± Drac ordered. Misvo picked up the pace and lead them at the end of the hall.

    ¡°Up there,¡± Mivo pointed to the trap door on the ceiling.

    ¡°Up you go,¡± Drac said. Without hesitation he lifted her by her hips and despite her protests pushed her to the straw. Once she was safely up he proceeded to do the same to the others present. However when the time came for Rina a flaming undead suddenly barreled down the hall. Drac threw her up the ceiling before using his sword to cut the creature down, stomping its burning head for good measure. Another was coming up the stairs, a little girl by the looks of it.

    ¡®Poor child,¡¯ he thought as he took a sword lying around and threw it at the girl, cleaving her head. As the body fell motionlessly Drac took off his swords and one after another threw them over before launching himself through the trapdoor.

    ¡°Hrmph,¡± Drac struggled to pull himself up. Eventually freeing himself Drac readjusted his swords and joined the others.

    ¡°You are strong, thank you.¡± Misvo complimented when he came closer.

    ¡°Y-yeah, thank you¡± Mina followed.

    ¡°Keep a look out for them,¡± Drac said. He stood at the edge and began taking in his surroundings. The layout was similar to when he had looked atop the tower; streets enveloped in darkness and the building tops enveloped in lighter darkness. Further away he could make out a large black building with its fires alight. From where the light could reach, the street before it seemed deserted, as if the undead were purposely avoiding such a place.

    ¡°Something¡¯s coming, sir!¡± Misvo shouted. Without thinking he unhooked his sword and jumped, turning around in the process to face the oncoming enemy. In the darkness a shadow could be made out jumping across the buildings, hunting them.

    ¡°Miss Misvo,¡± Drac said walked in front of her. ¡°Do you see a black building with fires lit atop it?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Can you get to it from atop the buildings?¡± Drac shouted as the creature got closer.

    ¡°I-Yes, I can sir.¡±

    ¡°The children will be your responsibility. I have a promise to keep with them, you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    ¡°Run, as soon as I cross blades.¡±

    ¡°Alright-¡±

    ¡°Run!¡± Drac yelled as he stepped forward and swung towards the shadow, slashing it away. To his surprise the blade had not been dirtied by any blood, the creature had blocked his swing. The shadow came from the side and once more Drac swung, drawing no blood again. This time the moon light shone on where he stood, illuminating his opponent to be a female undead.

    Whatever little black hair was still stuck to her head covered her face, hiding anything underneath until she tried to bite him, revealing her blackened teeth. Drac swung her away with his sword and saw similarly colored nails clashing with the sword. Taking a second to look at the others running away he sheathed his sword and made to run when the creature caught his attention once more.

    It stalked him for some time, slowly exaggerating its movements on all fours before pouncing on him once more, nails first. When she was a mere meter away Drac kicked up with both feet and as he fell, struck the woman on her stomach, breaking her weak bones.

    ¡°Wha-,¡± Drac whispered. He quickly jumped up and stomped her head into the tiles before the she could regain her composure. After he was sure she was incapacitated Drac turned her over to see her entire stomach missing its flesh. All other parts of her body had some flesh still clinging to it, however all around the stomach the flesh caved in, leaving bare bones.

    ¡®A mother!?¡¯

    Drac growled as he ran after the others. He could make out two shadows coming from the rooftops on his sides, moving in on the others.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Drac yelled.

    Misvo halted in her tracks and pulled the others down with her. Since their movement changed the shadows had to stop and change their trajectory which gave him enough time to act. Taking out his swords he jumped over the bent people and aimed each sword towards the shadows. Sparks flew in their encounter and he saw their teeth flash in the light in attempts to tear his helmet off by extending their necks.

    Pushing them away Drac once again placed his sword on his back and assumed the previous grappling stance. Both women jumped at him with their nail pointed out like swords which Drac received with open hands. Curling them like a fist as the nails pierced through his hands and stopped an inch short of his pauldrons. With a grunt Drac turned his hands over, snapping their hands in the process, so that his palms were facing him and their nails them.

    While Drac had control of two of their hands, the other two were free and desperately tried to retaliate in any way they could. Stabbing and slashing, his armor became riddled with holes and scratches as he pushed the back of his hands into their heads. As soon as their nails cut through their skull their movements suddenly seized and they went limb, a wisp of colorful light flew out their head before waning out of existence.

    ¡°Go,¡± Drac ordered. Misvo dragged the children to the other building as he slowly laid them down. Placing a foot on each chest he pulled his hands up and took the nails out of their skin along with his hands. The nails were less planar and more cylindrical, resembling blackened needles than any real nails. After pushing them out by pressing his hands against the roof he continued pursuing the others.

    They stood at the edge of the last house, overlooking the clearing in front of the large building. After jumping on the tile he barely found some footing before he was called over by the elder receptionist.

    ¡°Good sir, you need to see this.¡±

    Drac walked over as the others parted way and squinted onto the street where she was pointing. The grounds were dark; however they didn¡¯t completely mask the darker, shadowy lumps protruding out. Peering closer he could make out smaller lumps of shadows scattered all throughout the grounds till the edge of the building, where the largest heap of blackness stuck to the walls.

    ¡°The put out the fires,¡± He whispered.

    ¡°Yes, and those seem to be bodies scattered about,¡± Misvo added.

    ¡°None are approaching the building now, but we must still be careful.¡± Drac reminded, kneeling to the children.

    ¡°That¡¯s the prison,¡± Mina informed. Misvo turned to her questioningly so she quickly supplied; ¡°Karl the warden¡¯s here, I bring him food sometimes.¡±

    ¡°I thought being the head receptionist meant knowing this kind of thing,¡± Misvo scrutinized.

    ¡°The guild master knew,¡± Mina shied away. ¡°And Karl didn¡¯t want many people knowing.¡±

    ¡°Will he help us?¡± Drac said interrupting Misvo from interrogating further.

    ¡°Yeah, I mean he¡¯s not that bad of a person-¡±

    ¡°Good, jump down on my signal.¡± Drac said before jumping down onto the street ignoring Mina¡¯s surprise. Taking a moment to look out for any incoming enemies he motioned for the other to jump down. Soon everyone was slowly approaching the building with Mina in front and Drac at the back.

    Now that his eyes had adjusted he could better see the shadowy lumps as burnt corpses piled atop one another. Taking out his sword for good measure he began dragging it along the cobblestone path, sending a trail of sparks to wherever he was.

    It was unclear which sound he had missed; the clink of metal or the swishing sounds of an arrow flying through the air. But it didn¡¯t matter because by the time he heard it an arrow was already bound for her.

    ¡°Ah-¡± Mina spat as she fell backwards.

    ¡°Get down!¡± Drac yelled as he bounded for the front.

    ¡°Mina, No!¡± Misvo shouted.

    ¡°Get behind me.¡±

    Propping up his sword as a shield he looked down at the figure of the receptionist. She lay beneath him trembling as she grasped for the arrow tail on her shoulder which he broke off. Pushing her hands away he ordered Misvo¡¯s help as they all encircled the lying Mina. A commotion had broken out at the top of the wall as the lights began intensifying, after a cry a figure¡¯s head popped out from between the embrasures.

    ¡°If you alive¡­wave,¡± the man demanded.

    ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± Drac said. ¡°We¡¯re alive!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll do. Well, who¡¯re you?¡±

    ¡°Survivors! You shot Mina the receptionist from the mercenary guild.¡± Drac said pointed at the women behind him.

    ¡°What! You whoreson!¡± the man fumed as he disappeared from the embrasure. Soon after a large commotion was raised behind the walls as the man hollered curses to another¡¯s screams for mercy and forgiveness.

    ¡°Alright, Open the-¡±

    *UUUAAARR* A scream suddenly erupted from behind. Drac turned around and saw several different creatures crouching at the end of the street and atop the buildings. Drac brought out his other sword and took up a stance in front of the children.

    ¡°Get in the gates as soon as they open, your revenge is waiting inside.¡± Drac said quietly as he waited for the shadows to move.

    ¡°Open the gates, what¡¯re you kurvas doing.¡± The man yelled from behind the walls. As the portcullis was raised the beings began bounding towards him like animals. The few that were on the rooftops jumped down and joined others in pursuit.

    ¡°RUN!¡±

 Chapter 17: No Longer a Child

    Drac took a step back as he flung his arm in an arch, slamming down the incoming beast. Where one fell two more took its place and jumped at him from both sides. Drac dropped his swords; momentarily freeing his hands, to punch their faces. Despite crushing their skulls the bodies still attacked, but his armor allowed no more than two centimeters of their nails to pierce through before the force of his arms threw them away. However the nails did not budge from their positions and kept the hands hanging loosely from his breastplate.

    Momentarily the fighting seized. The undead began prowling in unnatural wolf-like stature, slowly encircling him. He slowly etched his foot forward until it rested just beneath the blade all the while ignoring the shouts from behind. When he made to address their calls the undead took this as an opportunity to attack. He kicked his sword and caught it in one hand before parrying the first undead to pounce. As it was forced back, Drac kicked up the second sword and launched himself to stab at the enemy at his front. When those were also blocked he used the momentum of his top sword to stab at its belly and slash down until he hit the pelvic bone. Quickly changing his stance Drac pushed his weight on the strike and cut through the bone. The beast lost support in its legs and was about to have it¡¯s face stomped when the rest of the undead attacked.

    The other beasts had followed his movements and surrounded him completely. So while he was busy crushing the first one¡¯s head the rest attacked from the sides. One of them was able to latch itself on his back and bite at his neck. While the undead struggled to dislodge its teeth from his armor Drac busied himself to ridding the two similar enemies off of his arms.

    It started off as a slow ach, before it quickly accelerated to a scalding sensation causing him to drop his sword and act more feverously towards unlatching undead. It wasn¡¯t until the orange sticks littered the ground before him did he realize what was happening.

    ¡°Argh¡± Drac grunted as he brushed off the burning body of the undead on him. All around the black giant arrows struck flesh and bones; causing the former to catch fire and the latter to break off. The defiled women screamed hoarsely, straining their vocals in synchronicity as they burned with greater speed and heat than possible for any human.

    Drac made an effort to not scream as he pulled off the flaming body part one by one. He stayed in a kneel as the fumes rolled off his back. It was soo tempting to rest, but out here was dangerous¡­and he had a promise to fulfill. He picked up his swords and headed towards the gates. A large pyre was slowly growing behind him as he walked in his shadow ever stretching.

    *Crunch*

    Drac stopped in his steps as he stared at the ashen body he¡¯d crushed. It was still burning, albeit very slowly and seemed to have grabbed the leg of another. Drac sighed when he saw green fabric on the latter¡¯s body burn away to the spreading fire. He gave a silent prayer for the woman as he continued onwards, but not before separating the kind receptionist from the bestial one.

    ¡®Another day, A thousand losses¡¯

    He was in a foul mood; even the usual surprised gasps from others praising his stature did little to please him. He was hurt and felt scalded beneath his armor but most importantly he was angry. These men standing before him tried to kill him off with the other undead. These weak looking, puny creatures wanted him dead for trying to protect the children-

    ¡®No!,¡¯ he thought. ¡®They feel weak and helpless. They don¡¯t know me. What they did is justified.¡¯

    He was protecting the children and they tried killing him off with them, he needed to show them their place-

    ¡°Grmm,¡± Drac growled as he lulled his head around. The gate was raised and he entered, a hand rested beside his head in the memory of massaging it.

    ¡®These voices¡­,¡¯ he thought as he looked around for something to attract his attention.

    From where he stood at the barbican he could see a small bailey filled with armed soldier, spreading a few meters from him to up the stairs and onto the balcony of another building that overlooked the small inner yard as well the outer courtyard. The stairs leading to the rampart stood at his left where two soldiers stood making way for an incoming man with a limp.

    ¡°You there, burning charcoal.¡± He called out as he sized up Drac. The man was a head shorter than him and despite the limp still challenged him. He was a wearing full set of black armor and had a large black mustache that curved from the sides providing a much more fearsome face than what it already was, with that scar on the check and the snarl he was giving Drac.

    ¡°Where are they?¡± Drac responded to his challenge by towering over him.

    ¡°Hmph, follow me armors.¡± He said as he took stair leading to the balcony. Soldiers parted in his way like water as he led Drac to one of the room directly overlooking the barbican.

    ¡°Name¡¯s Strompf big fella¡¯¡±

    ¡°Drac¡­the guard trainer?¡±

    ¡°Aye, ya heard of me?¡± The man asked, pleased.

    ¡°Rumors, none good,¡± Drac said ducking under a flag of the local earl or duke¡¯s crest smeared in blood.

    ¡°Good, that means I¡¯m doin¡¯ ma job right.¡± The man stood in front of the door and turned towards Drac. ¡°Thanks fer saving the little Mina, boss¡¯s real fond of her¡­Well? In you go, Karl the Butcher¡¯s waitin¡¯ for ya.¡±

    ¡°Noted,¡± Drac nodded at the grinning man before ducking under the doorframe into a large, well lit stone room. Strompf shut the door behind him as Drac took in his surroundings. On a large bed off in the corner lay the injured receptionist to whose bedside, propped upon a stool, sat a large man arguing with the children. The room itself was quite bare, except the multiple lanterns on the walls and the furniture currently in use.

    ¡°Drac,¡± the children all announced. They came over to him with a glint in their eyes and smile playing on their face, the past ordeal almost all but forgotten at the idea of being in such a place. Mina immediately hugged him on the leg catching him slightly off guard.

    ¡°You¡¯re warm,¡± she purred.

    ¡°So you¡¯re the one who saved her,¡± the bald man came over. He was a middle-aged man of large stature, wearing leather armor over a red coat, with a similar mustache as Strompf. His head was an elongated oval shape and as smooth as an egg, even the long face was unnaturally clear of any soot or dirt he¡¯d come to expect from dungeon keepers.

    ¡°You must be the warden,¡± Drac said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± the man said clasping a hand on Drac¡¯s shoulder. The children, ever so slightly, shifted towards him and eyed the bald man with hostility, all the while nudging drac in the back of his leg.

    ¡°You can¡¯t help?¡± Drac asked shrugging off the hand.

    ¡°We¡¯re strained enough as it is,¡± the warden crossed his arms. ¡°Can¡¯t be protecting everything that comes our way, can we.¡±

    ¡°Of course not, you only protect those you care for,¡± Drac motioned to the injured receptionist. ¡°Beside¡¯s I¡¯m not asking for protection for me, it¡¯s them I¡¯m worried about.¡±

    ¡°The children?¡± Karl frowned. He looked at the unconscious Mina for some time before deciding. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll protect the kids, but they¡¯ll need to help out too, earn their keep just like the rest of the men here. It may have been different on any other day but I lost too many good men today to those beasts outside to just give charity. They work and I give them protection, got it?.¡±

    ¡°No! We don¡¯t need protection¡± the smallest of the children shouted. Mina then glared at Drac and pouted, ¡°You promised.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Drac said, leaning down. ¡°Once you choose this path¡­there is no going back and it¡¯s not just you who has to decide.¡±

    Drac nodded at the other two children who guiltily looked at the ground.

    ¡°Come on, tell him sis¡­sis?¡± Mina said. ¡°We want revenge right? They killed momma and papa; they need to suffer just as we did¡­please Zach, sis Rina, please.¡±

    After some more coaxing from the little girl the two slowly began to nod their heads. By the end of her persuasive speech they were vehemently agreeing with the girl and spoke in turn for her of their wishes to fulfill his promise.

    ¡®I can¡¯t do anything. They chose this.¡¯ He thought as he kneeled into a hug. Savoring the last chance he¡¯d see them innocent. Eventually he broke off the hug and turned towards an amused Karl.

    ¡°The child¡¯s right, they don¡¯t need protection, they¡¯ve made their choice. They¡¯re after some of your prisoners, two soldiers bearing Alexandrian arms?¡± Drac said.

    ¡°What about the ¡®two Alexandrian soldiers¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Tell him,¡± Drac motioned to the children.

    ¡°We¡¯re survivors from the village they pillaged-,¡± Zach said.

    ¡°-And we want revenge for what they¡¯ve done,¡± Rina finished.

    ¡°Hah, so you¡¯re setting up children huh? You really thought it was gonna¡¯ be that easy? Ya¡¯ come here saving my lass and think you¡¯re gonna¡¯ get a free pass at my prisoners, in my prison.¡± Karl challenged his formality all but gone. ¡°You know why this place is so well guarded? ¡®Cause it¡¯s got a ruler like me to make it work and I ain¡¯t gonna¡¯ let some nobodies just flounce in here demanding a whip at my prisoners in my own castle, got it.¡±

    ¡°I promised them revenge,¡± Drac stepped forward. ¡°And I intend to keep my promises.¡±

    It seemed that a fight was about to ensue when the groans of the injured person caught their attention.

    ¡°Hmph,¡± Karl broke the stare and returned to Mina¡¯s bedside. ¡°You alright lassie?¡±

    ¡°Warden Karl,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Just Karl lass, company ain¡¯t important now.¡±

    Drac and the others also joined him at her bedside, relief washed over her face at seeing the children before a frown took over.

    ¡°Where is Miss Misvo?¡± She asked, sitting up.

    ¡°Here let me help,¡± The warden said, helping her to sit against her headrest.

    ¡°They got her,¡± Drac said, refusing to meet her eyes.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s our fault,¡± to everyone¡¯s surprise Rina spoke up. ¡°We were too slow¡­and we kept her behind.¡±

    ¡°No¡­,¡± tears began forming at her eyes as she covered her face. The warden gave his shoulder for support as she sobbed for her mentor.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°No indeed,¡± Drac interrupted. ¡°I told her to take care of the children; she died protecting them as I ordered. The fault lies with me, not the three of you.¡±

    ¡°What? No mister-¡± they began.

    ¡°Silence!¡± Karl shouted. ¡°Y¡¯all can assign blame outside; let the girl mourn in peace.¡±

    Leading them out the room Drac came to face a wall of guards grouped in front of the door. Seeing him come out the guards quickly dispersed down the steps and onto the wall walk, but not before stealing a glance at Mina crying on their boss¡¯s shoulder. Drac waited with the children beside door watching the men runaround from the balcony.

    ¡°Rest at the walls,¡± Drac pointed from his position overlooking the small, pseudo bailey.

    ¡°We don¡¯t need rest,¡± Mina said, stifling a yawn. ¡°Not until we see them suffer.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll need rest to do them any good harm,¡± Drac said. ¡°But suit yourself.¡±

    The older two took up resting positions at the wall beside the door and after a moment of communications held onto one another for support. Mina, however, stood with Drac overlooking the scene downstairs. She held onto the railing for support, looking between the beams, along with Drac for sometime before another yawn pushed her to make a decision. She slowly walked back and joined the others in their slumber along the wall. Sometime later his deep thoughts were interrupted.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on ¡®ere?¡± Strompf said, making his way towards him.

    ¡°They need time alone,¡± Drac pointed back at the door.

    ¡°Heh, I¡¯m sure they do,¡± Strompf leaned against the railing, eyeing Drac. ¡°You can fight.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anyone fight against them screamin¡¯ wenches and win. So tell me, where ya learn to fight so well?¡±

    ¡°There are others stronger than me, the Full strikers.¡±

    ¡°Pah, when¡¯s I ever gonna see ¡®em fight against those monsters. I¡¯ll make do with you for now.¡±

    ¡°Travel then, you¡¯ll learn.¡±

    ¡°Not my style¡­A¡¯ight, listen.¡± Strompf leaned closer. ¡°You¡¯ve been up close to ¡®em, so tell me; were they¡­maternal?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Drac sighed.

    ¡°¡­Fuckin¡¯ dammit,¡± Strompf cursed. Turning around he slammed the railing before sighing in defeat. ¡°Makes ya¡¯ wonder where god is, huh?¡±

    ¡°Why would God help? Would you help insects?¡±

    ¡°Wha-¡±

    ¡°Strompf!¡± The warden suddenly shouted from inside, awakening the children.

    ¡°Dammit,¡± Strompf whispered as he ran inside, slamming the door behind him.

    By the time Strompf came out the children had joined Drac in maintaining a steady gaze at the door. Strompf came out with a frown directed at him but he didn¡¯t elaborate any further than motioning for him to follow.

    He led them down the stairs and beneath the balcony where a large wooden door stood. Opening it, Strompf led them down further stairs; the passage was too narrow for Drac¡¯s large stature forcing him to move sideways down the stairs. Torches lit the walls so it was easy to find the steps, however they were too big for the children causing them to stumble down, maintaining their balance with difficulty.

    Eventually they reached a long underground hallway with jail cells lining each side. The cells were small, allowing only enough space for one to lay in only one direction. Most of the inhabitants of the cells were bruised and cut, their ribs showing lacerations and flesh wounds upon them. Seeing Strompf they either crawled away to the wall only to scream and fall away, or ran to the front asking for forgiveness.

    The drowsiness of their sleep quickly left them and unknowingly, Zach and Rina drifted closer together for comfort. This place was a surprise to him and an even greater surprise was the reaction of the smallest child.

    ¡°It¡¯s hot,¡± Mina complained. It was indeed hot, the whole room was boiling and the walls seemed to be the origin of it.

    ¡°Welcome to Purgatory.¡± Strompf smiled as he came to the end of the hall. There were two wooden doors on each side next to the last cells, the armless men in the cells beside the doors tried to profusely get away from Strompf as if he was a demon incarnate¡­much to the man¡¯s delight.

    He opened the door to his right and stepped through with a dagger in hand. Drac pushed the children behind him as he followed Strompf warily.

    ¡°Hmpf, good,¡± Strompf murmured, sheathing his dagger. ¡°Three prisoners, two alive, 1 dead. The ones alive ¡®er Jerry Hegelochos and Henry Jakov, both Alexandrians. They belong to the 5<sup>th</sup> squadron under commander Alketas, in Earl Thomas ¡®Tom¡¯ Catlier¡¯s territory. Jerry is a womanizer with a drinkin¡¯ addiction, a thinker of crazy ideas while Henry is like a priest with a family and a child on the way. Heh, and get this their commander¡¯s Heck Thomas! Haha, If that''s true then I''m George Maledon. How you like me now boys? Me and yer boss are gonna be best buds, don¡¯t ya think!?¡±

    Strompf yelled as he had led them to a torture chamber where the said men wriggled in their suspended chains. The wall opposite the cells had inbuilt mud stoves where the fire cackled, hungry for more. At the adjacent wall to the stoves hung different torture devices all dried with blood from their recent use. The room was larger than the hall way, perfectly square with two bodies, muffled and binded, hanging from the straps bolted to the stones on the ceiling.

    They were badly beaten, scarred, cut and had multiple burn marks running along their bellies. Strompf made his way towards one of them and picked up a whip at their feet. He struck them a few times, relishing in their screams.

    ¡°Torture,¡± Strompf stopped whipping. ¡°It¡¯s to wring out the truth from the frail, it breaks the weak, and it floods their mouths with secrets, spilling at my feet. If done right all their thoughts can be yours¡­so you wanna¡¯ have a go then?¡±

    ¡°Who told you that?¡±

    ¡°Master Karl,¡± Strompf said. ¡°Now normally I wouldn¡¯t bring ya kids down here ¡®cause¡­well you know and they still got some secrets to give up, but Mina thinks ya deserve whatever reward you want. I guess watching it isn¡¯t too bad, right? Anyway, I¡¯ll look over your work, makin¡¯ sure ya don¡¯t kill ¡®em. So enjoy yourself, and don¡¯t kill ¡¯em.¡±

    ¡°Not me, them.¡± Drac motioned to the children edging towards the bodies. He noticed the something seemed to have changed within them upon seeing those who destroyed their village reduced to such a¡­prepared state. The scared children from before, their guilt ridden selves seemed to be a fleeting dream compared to real anger they now exuded.

    ¡°What is this joke?¡± Strompf frowned. ¡°I ain¡¯t runnin¡¯ a show here-¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the other one?¡± Mina said angrily.

    ¡°¡­In the stoves,¡± Strompf pointed at the fire. True enough, when Drac looked over to see an ashen skull protruding above the wood, almost hidden in the fire. ¡°Fine, you wanna¡¯ have a go? Here¡¯s your chance.¡±

    Zach slowly took the whip Strompf was offering, testing the grip in his hands before staring at the gagged individuals scarred backs. He hesitated, fidgeting on the spot and for a moment it seemed to Drac that he may turn back from it all.

    That¡¯s when the crackle of the black strips of leather striking their backs echoed in the heated room. The blow had struck with sound but didn¡¯t leave any marks. In desperation for a better result Zach struck again. Then again. And again and again.

    The sounds of the leather slapping against the puffy, meaty skin disgusted him, but he was not their parent, he made a promise and he was going to see it through. Despite knowing the consequences the children went ahead with this, boxing themselves in a hot orange room filled with all sorts of curses springing out from the man and child alike. The red marks of the lapels spread like a water entering a hot barren land of his back and quickly faded away, evaporating to leave the same grounds as before. Soon the child was tired, as he panted and gasped for breath that was scarce in the hot room.

    ¡°You had enough?¡± Strompf said, bored. He took the whip from Zach¡¯s hand and placed it back on a slab on the wall. ¡°Heh he, Imagine Mina¡¯s surprise when she learns this is what you had in mind.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve, I¡¯ve had enough,¡± Zach clutched his stomach as he hunched over.

    ¡°Shit,¡± Strompf kicked a bucket at Zach which slid to stop at his feet. Zach bent over and hurled all his contents into the container in one swift lurch.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough too,¡± Rina said. She looked at the men with displeasure but a new emotion of pity had embedded itself in her eyes. Strompf gave her a look before looking at Drac for confirmation.

    ¡°Alright, out you go,¡± Strompf said with boredom. He waved his hands to urge the children out.

    ¡°No!¡± Mina screamed, halting him. ¡°They need to pay, I have to avenge father and mother.¡±

    ¡°Mina, they¡¯re already caught,¡± Rina said. ¡°They¡¯ll die soon anyway.¡±

    ¡°So!? They killed uncle Misha, Mr. Robill, dad, mom, everyone. I haven¡¯t had enough.¡±

    ¡°Mina!¡± Rina said in shock.

    ¡°Alright kid, I see that ya got the bigger pair.¡± Strompf smiled. ¡°If you wanna¡¯ make ¡®em suffer, then ya gotta do it right.¡±

    Mina stared at the men¡¯s gagged and beaten faces a moment before asking. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Com¡¯ere,¡± Strompf motioned to the shelf behind him. He looked at it a moment before picking up a bulb like object on a long poll. ¡°What ya gotta know is ta let ¡®em live while ya work. If ya cut too much off, or shock ¡®em too much then they¡¯ll die, we don¡¯t want that-¡±

    As the man explained the methodical approaches of torture the defeated children gathered around Drac and sat by his feet in attempts to recover their energy. Drac observed the youngest of the children as she stuck the bulb part into the man¡¯s bottom. She showed disgust at first, but when the screams rung through the room it turned to elation. Drac, however made no move to interfere, instead turning to the children by feet to gauge their reactions.

    Perhaps it was the adrenaline wearing off, or perhaps it was that they were also enjoying the screams but they made not move to stop Mina from turning into the person Strompf was trying to form her into.

    ¡°Now ya twist here and hear ¡®em sing,¡± Strompf explained. The stick had a knob at the bottom which Mina started to twist. Soon another round of screams spread throughout the chamber as the man¡¯s asshole widened and blood began pouring onto the knob. However she didn¡¯t stop, despite the blood she didn¡¯t stop twisting till she couldn¡¯t anymore.

    ¡°Now what,¡± Mina asked.

    ¡°Now you push,¡± Strompf held the stick and pushed the stick up the man causing the screams to intensity. The gag had been bitten off in his struggle as the stick kept getting pushed up, Mina stumbled back however Strompf stood his ground. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this man ain¡¯t gonna¡¯ move ¡®em legs. Jerry, here, loved getting between the ladies legs. So that¡¯s what I took from him first, cuttin¡¯ the nerves¡­you gonna push?¡±

    Mina took the stick and pushed along with him till he told her to stop. The bulb was closed once more and was swiftly pulled out the rod, taking the shit and blood clumps along with it. Strompf took the instrument from Mina and pushed it in the stove.

    ¡°There¡¯s more than one way to use this instrument,¡± Strompf explained. ¡°Ya¡¯ take the coal in here and¡­put that stand under him, would ya? Good.¡±

    Stompf took the hot iron and carrying it place the tip of the hot bulb on the stand. Opening its bulb he deposited the coals on the stand.

    ¡°Now ya¡¯ put this stick in him,¡± Strompf said. He ripped the knob out, along with the grips to reveal the stick hollowed. ¡°Stick it in him.¡±

    Mina took the hot iron with the cloth Strompf offered and rammed it in the other man¡¯s hole. The man was quivering with fear from what he couldn¡¯t see, having his eyes gouged out beforehand, but the recent treatment of his partner had him shaking about uncontrollably. He struggled to keep the iron from entering but a huge slap from Strong had him momentarily rigid, in which time the hollowed rod found its way in. Mina, having understood, positioned the open bulb on the coals watching with intent as the smoke rose from them into the instrument. Strompf had an iron grip of both of the man¡¯s legs and watched with pleasure as Mina progressed without instructions, a complete opposite reaction to her siblings. However despite the horror befallen her sister, Rina was unable to stop the newfound interest her sister had taken.

    After sometime the coals had died down and the smoke stopped rising. Mina didn¡¯t look to Strompf for further instructions, instead opting to try her best to make the captive suffer on her own. She closed the still hot bulb and waited for something to happen. Soon enough the man¡¯s muffled screams intensified as he too bled from the ass, this time from the gaps between the plates of the bulb.

    ¡°Let it go.¡± Stormpf said. Mina did as was instructed and watched as blood fell on the cool coals from inside the bulb. As if in synchronicity, Jerry also screamed in terror as he watched helplessly on what was happening to his friend. Mina was a child of no more than 10 or so years yet she was able to cause such suffering to his friend that Jerry cried in fear of what more she may do-

    ¡°She¡¯s done.¡± Drac said.

    -But by the way she was wobbling on her feet, pushing herself to stay awake; it was indeed the end of her wrath.

    ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± Mina said. Innocence laced in her voice, as if she was not just the person who had just mutilated a man¡¯s privates.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving then,¡± Drac said, pushing the other up. Mina nodded as she followed in step behind her sister; no longer holding her skirt for support as they made their way outside. While Strompf locked the main door, Drac lead the children to rejoin the receptionist. Who was too engaged in admiring the warden¡¯s face and lips to notice the others approach. The children stood off to one side as they continued staring at the struggles of the couple, enwrapped in their follies.

    ¡°Who¡¯s winning the fight?¡± Mina said whispered.

    ¡°Arrhm,¡± Drac cleared his throat, catching the lovers attention and ending their follies.

    ¡°Uh, Thank you,¡± Rina said in embarrassment, mirroring the red face of the receptionist. ¡°Fo-for letting us down there.¡±

    ¡°Think nothin¡¯ of it,¡± the warden laughed as Mina hid her face in shame. ¡°You¡¯ll be safe here.¡±

    ¡°Thank y-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± Drac announced. ¡°The children will now be in your care.¡±

    ¡°Oka-what? Hey wait, hold on a minute,¡± Karl slowly stood up. ¡°Why¡¯d you want to go in that hell?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, mister*Yawn* mister Drac stay here with us,¡± Zach said.

    ¡°The earl of this dukedom is making a move,¡± Drac said. ¡°He¡¯ll need the help.¡±

    ¡°Hah, you think you¡¯re enough.¡±

    ¡°If I don¡¯t do anything who will? You? Who protects himself behind the walls of his self made dungeon while the rest around you die?¡±

    ¡°Oi,¡± Karl stood up but before he could make a move Mina placed a hand on his arm, bringing him back down.

    ¡°Thank you what you¡¯ve done for us mister Drac,¡± She bowed her head slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to take care of the children.¡±

    *Sigh*¡°Just make sure you get my pay when this is over,¡± Drac turned to leave. However before he could take a step the children suddenly clutched his legs causing him to become stiff. They stayed like that for a while, until Drac placed a hand over their heads. He turned to look at Zach and Mina, who were smiling tiredly while Rina stepped away, looking troubled.

    ¡°You¡¯re unhappy,¡± he commented.

    ¡°No¡­It¡¯s just,¡± She wrung her hands, nervous at being the center of attention.

    ¡°I understand,¡± Drac nodded after some time.

    ¡°Wh-Why?¡± she asked nervously.

    ¡°She chose her path and you did nothing to stop it. Now all you can do is either support her or make sure you don¡¯t lose her on her path or hope you can change her course along the way,¡± Drac placed a hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°Wha-why didn¡¯t you do anything?¡± Rina accused, tears threatend to spill.

    ¡°What¡¯re you talkin¡¯ about?¡± Karl stood up, frowning.

    ¡°Not my place,¡± Drac hesitated before continuing. ¡°Even then¡­if I had stopped her, I fear I might¡¯ve taken over.¡±

 Chapter 18: A Mans Duty (Peter)

    ¡°Keep formation,¡± Peter yelled.

    ¡®He just had to be a dense,¡¯ Peter thought as he struck another blow across the undead¡¯s neck. ¡®Arrogant and privileged prick.¡¯ Another blow cut the head right off and Peter moved onto to the next undead.

    By the time their captain had died in his foolish bravery to lead a charge instead of slowly seeping through the streets like he¡¯d suggested, they were already boxed in. Being attacked from both front and the back meant that he was already at a disadvantage when he assumed command. Thankfully, due to his position, no one complained to him taking over.

    Their small army was made mostly of survivors that volunteered, most of whom had no experience in war or even a battle of any kind for that matter so it was no surprise that the further they pushed the more bodies they left behind than came at them. It took a good while to secure they backside and the whole while he had to run from the front to the back and back again. It was a hopeless struggle and Peter knew it, but there was someone he had to protect and she couldn¡¯t do it herself.

    Swing, Stab, repeat. A simple method he¡¯d been taught from Volvo the first time he¡¯d encountered such an enemy. Too bad he was surrounded by idiots or else they might¡¯ve saved some unfortunate souls instead of sacrificing them. Everyone was too blinded by foolish bravery, adrenaline or lust to pay attention to their surroundings. The duke had sewn seeds of hate within their minds and being the simpletons they were they followed like children.

    ¡°Two Strikers, to me!¡± He yelled as he saw a glint of metal amongst the sea of grey flesh.

    Worse yet, in this entirely fucked situation, they had to fight the soldiers who died fighting for the safety of shits like him and worse. Some of the more prominent soldiers were buried with their armor and the lucky few who weren¡¯t ransacked by graverobbers kept it. Ever since his birth the dukedom had taken part in three large battles with Chimeraens and Alexanderans and being the result of one of them he knew that their death toll over the years was the greatest amongst any other dukedoms.

    ¡®Wonder how the others¡¯re doing,¡¯ Peter thought.

    The captain had split the volunteers into three groups, each taking a parallel street to cover more ground and box in the undead in the small the alleys connecting them. What he didn¡¯t take in account of was the large number of undead there would be. Their divided force was much easier to be picked off one at a time at least, that¡¯s what Fliss claimed and he trusted his brother¡¯s judgement.

    Peter looked over at the panting young fellow next to him. In the slight rays of the moon that escaped the cloudscape above; he could make out the young man¡¯s flushed face.

    ¡®Didn¡¯t he only use 1<sup>st</sup> tier magics? Why is he so exhausted? That¡¯s very unlike him.¡¯ But Peter didn¡¯t have time to worry about the boy for he had another wave of monsters incoming.

    ¡°Everyone who can hear this join up with us!¡± He yelled. Hopefully the guards leading the other groups would hear him over the sounds of battle. Peter swung his sword at the armored undead¡¯s exposed neck but it got lodged into the bones encircling the oesophagus and only seemed to make it angrier. It attacked with the fervor of a desperate living being unlike the previous doll like waves he had to face.

    He almost lost his grip as the creature pulled back and then came in for a bite. Peter blocked the snapping teeth with one of his daggers and stabbed the monster at its temple, pulling his lodged sword in the process. He swung once again and decapitated the being. Its head gone, the body fell lifelessly at his feet but before it could fall Peter kicked the body back and it fell into another incoming undead. Tangled with its brethren the armorless undead was easily taken care off and as Peter moved to take on another a cry caught his attention.

    ¡°Ahhh¡± a raspy voice shouted.

    Peter turned to see a caved in skull with half decayed face stumble its way towards him. He couldn¡¯t swing in such close quarters, so he kicked its shin with all his might. The corpse fell to its knees and looked up just in time to see Peter¡¯s sword greet him with its point as it was droven straight through its caved in skull. Once the body was on the ground Peter dislodged his sword from his skull and stomped on its head as he blocked an incoming bite from yet another monster. These creatures had black teeth instead of yellow or none which regular corpses sported.

    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯

    ¡°[Obiectum Sagitta]¡± Fliss said as he threw a rock. It suddenly whizzed past him and struck the enemy in the middle of the throat. Peter took this chance and swung his sword, decapitating the monster before moving onto the next. But Peter saw that those black teeth were unfazed by the rock.

    ¡°Hey, get back here and help me,¡± someone yelled from behind him. Peter kicked another monster back and resumed his previous position before looking around for who¡¯d spoken. A man with dark skin wearing a red bandanna was signaling him over with his free hand before he continued punching the monsters back with his gauntlet. Between Peter and him stood five other volunteers, all of whom struggled against their own monsters.

    ¡°Fliss! Take over my position,¡± Peter yelled. ¡°Make way!¡±

    ¡°[Ventus Scutum]¡± Fliss yelled as he took over. The air before him began to move quickly, spiraling against the undead, spinning them at their spot but unable to push or lift them up. However that was all he needed to make the switch and prepare his reading. Meanwhile, Peter began making his way behind the struggling mercenaries. Only a few of the men on the outside were fighting while the rest took refuge behind them, awaiting their turns. Peter pushed and shouted at them to stab or defend the fighters with their shields as he made his way towards Farthow. However only a few seemed to actually listen or understand him. They stabbed the monsters forehead from between the heads of those engaged and kicked them back through whatever openening they could get.

    ¡°Cut of their heads!¡± Peter instructed pushing the others forward as he passed by. Eventaully he approached the struggling Farthow and almost smirked at the sight.

    ¡®Talk shit about beatin¡¯ me, yet you can¡¯t even take care of two corpses,¡¯ thought Peter. ¡®Shi~t!¡¯

    Suddenly the monster¡¯s body went slack and it clamed it¡¯s mouth on the man¡¯s arm causing him to scream in pain. Having his attention focused on getting rid of the biter Farthow couldn¡¯t stop the other undead from making its move. Luckily Peter stepped in and stabbed through the corpse¡¯s skull before decapitating him. When he turned to help, Farthow was already stomping the undead¡¯s skull to smitherins.

    Undead or risen corpses; were creatures that sensed by touch and sound to them, the darkness was a huge advantage. But even under the dark sky that almost blinded everyone else Peter could still make out glimpses of their shapes and movements; ¡®They stand out too much with their skin to the darkness surrounding them.¡¯ Thus, when the figures with missing limps and strange movements disappeared into the darkness in the building, a building which had another entrance at the back of their group, Peter knew that the undead were going to surround them.

    ¡°Take over our positions! And keep FUCKING formation!¡± Peter yelled as he pulled Farthow along with him. The two jumped in through the large broken window and welcomed the darkness with blades. If seeing the enemies outside could be considered a challenge then detecting them under the cover of a roof in even greater darkness was near impossible, with eyes that is. Peter was adept in hunting, using his ears and nose to pick out something even when his eyes couldn¡¯t was still second nature to him. He closed his eyes and slowly stepped forward with his sword raised in a two-handed grip.

    ¡­

    Atleast I would¡¯ve been possible if Farthow wasn¡¯t breathing like a FUCKING horse after a sprint.

    ¡°Shut up,¡± he whispered slowly.

    ¡°What¡¯d ya say?¡± Farthow asked.

    ¡°Shut it¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your problem? Can¡¯t I fucking breathe?¡±

    ¡®Huh, well this works too,¡¯ Peter focused.

    ¡°You still think you can beat me?¡±

    ¡°¡­You wanna talk about this now? You fucking crazy?¡± After some time he replied; ¡°Hell yeah I can still beat you with these canons.¡±

    ¡°Good, cause you sure as hell ain¡¯t got something up here,¡± he chuckled.

    ¡°Fuck you,¡± He whispered. ¡°-Argh!?¡±

    ¡®Now¡¯s my chance!¡¯ Peter thought. While Farthow struggled with his attackers in the dark, Peter slowly felt the ceiling with his sword. ¡®This looked like a store so gotta have some sort of lamp handles here¡­Got ya!¡¯

    Peter quickly sheathed his sword and pulled himself up to the ceiling with the hook. With careful and under constraint movements he pulled himself in an upside down position while keeping his sword hand free for swinging and a strong grip on the metallic handel.

    ¡®If this falls I¡¯m dead,¡¯

    Beads of sweat fell down his chin as he shivered with the realization.

    ¡°You whoreson-argh,¡± Farthow cursed as he fell under the pressure of some¡­three undead? Peter kept quite while they tore open Farthow and finally released him from his suffering. Peter kept quite as they slowly stood from their kill and began walking towards the other entrance. He waited until the sounds were almost below him before he swung in a sideways arch, hoping to land a hit. However like before, the sword lodged itself within the flesh and pulled him off-balance. Peter pulled with might and took out the sword before once again swinging to the neck, by coincidence or luck it hit the same place twice and severed the creature¡¯s head with ease.

    Quickly and as quietly as he could Peter tried calming himself and focused on ¡®looking¡¯ for the other two undead with him. There was no movement that he could detect, the floor boards didn¡¯t creak from the pressure nor did they breathe from the relief. Peter kept his senses sharp, searching for any movements till he finally found the floor creak right beneath him. They were just below him, in his blind spot as he was in theirs. Carefully moving to side Peter tried to use the handle to swing when suddenly a scream from outside drew their attention.

    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± The high pitched scream attracted the undead to move once more, allowing Peter to act. One after another they fell as Peter cut off the muscles supporting their necks before decapitating and kicking their heads away.

    ¡°When did a woman vollenteer for this?¡± he murmured as he frowned. Peter unsheathed his other sword and was about to make his way out when he heard something move to his side.

    ¡®Impossible, I killed them all,¡¯ Peter closed his eye¡¯s once more and slowly moved back at the lamp handle. ¡®Odd, it¡¯s not moving from its place¡­I better not regret this.¡¯

    As Peter walked over he realized that figure struggling on the ground was Farthow or atleast Farthow¡¯s corpse that was about to succumb to the magic controlling the rest of them.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t need a reason to beat you after all,¡± Peter smiled as he drove his sword through his heart stopping his change. ¡°A second time that is.¡±

    The shouting was getting louder and a knot of unease had begun forming within his gut. He quickly made sure the others were indeed ¡®dead¡¯ and finally made his way outside.

    ¡°Hey, someone comeover here and keep lookout for the undead coming out of this entrance,¡± He said before moving.

    Under the flashing moonlight once more, Peter blinked a few times as he tried making his way back to the front. He encouraged and instructed the men beside him as they fought. He was vaguely aware of a small group being formed at the back, probably someone¡¯s last moments.

    ¡®Maybe it¡¯s that girl who was screaming a few minutes ago.¡¯ Peter thought. ¡®Idiot¡¯

    ¡°Hey, whoever¡¯s injured,¡± Peter shouted. ¡°Leave them be and fight over here. We haven¡¯t stopped losing here have we?¡±

    ¡®¡­What the hell?¡¯ Peter thought as he reached his previous place. ¡®I¡¯m sure I left Fliss over here.¡¯

    Uneasiness spread through his stomach and up to his lungs as he resumed fighting in the undead. This time he payed closer attention to the undead that came for him, hoping to be wrong of all things his mind was telling his could¡¯ve happened to Fliss.

    ¡®He must¡¯ve been called somewhere else,¡¯ The Fliss in him spoke. Peter paid it somemore thought while he pulled out the bloody sword from its neck sheath. He kicked the undead into its companions and swung diagonally, decapitating it like he did that thought.

    ¡®He must¡¯ve become tired and let someone else take his place, you saw how badly he looked after using only a few of his tricks.¡¯ The Luvrit in him spoke out. Peter thought about it some more while he kicked stabbed the armored corpses. They were able to get in closer than the others but the clubbing and hacking and stabbing seemed to finally work just like how he accepted that thought.

    But his mind still played with him as images of finding little Fliss¡¯s face amongst those that approached him kept coming. Even though he¡¯d accepted his Luvrit-like logic Peter couldn¡¯t let go of the first thought that came to mind. ¡®What if Fliss died? He did always have a kid-like voice¡­that can¡¯t be him. No! What¡¯re you looking at ya ugly fucker?!!¡¯

    Before he could stop himself Peter used his left hand to punch the creature, catching his hand in its face. ¡®FUCK!¡¯ Peter thought as it bit down on his recently healed hand. It must¡¯ve still been tender to injuries cause the skin easily broke; despite being under leather armor. Peter jumped back, accidently knocking the person behind him and stumbled back. He would¡¯ve fallen too if his hand-holder didn¡¯t try to pull back. Using this to his advantage he used his sword to thrust the blade into the creature¡¯s face and by the sound and feel of it, it went right through the nose. Peter pulled back and quickly punched and kicked his way out of the creature¡¯s grip.

    ¡®What the hell?!! You¡¯re just bone¡¯s why aren¡¯t you crumbling away?¡¯Peter thought. ¡®This didn¡¯t happen last time. What¡¯s going on?¡¯

    He looked over the undead, getting slightly jumpy from the fear of what he might see. Fortunately, the sight expelled a sigh of relief from the man and what he saw was described words in moments to come;

    ¡°C¡¯mon!!! They¡¯re almost done!¡± Peter shouted as he delivered another kick to the walking bones before he broke its skull and decapitated it. He yelled and shouted at the others to remain vigilant as he continued to lead the charge with fervor. ¡®Where is he?! Forget it, he¡¯s stronger than I give him credit anyways¡­right? Fuck!¡¯ Peter picked up another sword on the ground and swung blindly at their heads, using them almost like scissors to decapitate them one after another. Even though the swords were uneven in size he strained his arms to push forward, fearing the worst and hoping that the worst feared him enough to show its face.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    When the fighting was finally over Peter looked through the bodies on the ground and tried identifying Fliss¡¯s face, picking the heads and bodies as he checked them individually.

    ¡°Fliss, where are you, ya idiot?¡± Peter yelled, wiping his sweaty brow.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Fli~ss! C¡¯mon man, where are ya at?¡± Peter scowled slightly. The few men nearby gave him pitiful looks, sure he couldn¡¯t see them but he knew they were pitying him ¡¯cause all of them had their bodies positioned in his direction even though there was nothing behind him. One of them mumbled something inaudible and Peter¡¯s patience dissipated. He walked over and grabbed him by the scruff of his tunic to say; ¡°If you wanna¡¯ say something then say to my face.¡±

    ¡°I-I said that yo-your companion isn¡¯t here,¡± the man replied with shock.

    ¡°Oh and where would he be, huh?¡± Peter snarled.

    ¡®He definitely called be an idiot-Focus Peter, don¡¯t get carried away.¡¯

    ¡°O-over there,¡± the volunteer pointed to the small group of people behind him. ¡°She¡¯s injured.¡±

    ¡°What? Injured? Why didn¡¯t you tell be before!¡± Peter¡¯s shouted as he walked over, dropping the man. ¡°And that isn¡¯t a lady ya idiot, that¡¯s Fliss,¡± Peter said as he walked away,¡°and he is a boy.¡±

    Peter shoved and pushed the crowd apart and looked at the injured boy resting on an old man¡¯s leg. The figure lying in front of him did not belong to the young man he knew. Apart from the scratches and some deep wounds on the arms the figure didn¡¯t look much different from the Fliss he knew, except for one slight deformity on his chest. His ripped robes revealed his bare chest with pink nipples atop two small mounds revealed by his shredded clothes. Peter could vaguely make out the crowd reforming around him as he examined¡­Fliss?

    ¡®I knew he looked a lot like a girl¡­but c¡¯mon, isn¡¯t this too much?¡¯

    ¡°Sorry, the child has her chest exposed-¡± the old man tried covering her up but was stopped when Peter thrust his sword tip at his neck.

    ¡°Touch him and I¡¯ll kill you myself,¡± he whispered.  Peter swung around and pointed the sword at the crowd behind him.

    ¡°Has the danger gone you idiots,¡± Peter said growled. ¡°Keep lookout, recover your injuries, go loot the shops for fu-ugh fer god¡¯s sack but don¡¯t stand around here like a bunch of useless Trumps. Just another injured here to look at so get outta here, leave us!¡±

    Once they finally dissipated Peter resumed his observations over¡­Fliss. Crouching beside him he noticed that Fliss¡¯s cheeks had a pinkish colour to them and that his breaths were shallow and quick.

    ¡°Wounds, wounds, any wounds?¡± Peter repeated, inspecting the bites on his arms. He checked him again for any other wounds, careful to avoid his chest.

    ¡®He¡¯ll tell me about his deformity when wants to,¡¯ Peter thought. ¡®Oh who are we kidding he¡¯s a-Shut it! This is deformity nothing else. Begone, vile thoughts.¡¯

    ¡°Hey Peter,¡± a man came over. ¡°Perhaps she-uh, I mean maybe he¡¯s turning.¡±

    ¡°Idiot,¡± Peter cursed and looked at the older bald man. ¡°To turn would mean he¡¯ll have to die first¡­his injuries aren¡¯t serious enough.¡±

    Peter ignored the rest of what the man spoke and began to check undeath the boy¡¯s robes. Undressing him as much as he could and as quickly as he could. That¡¯s when he felt something quelch against his hand, something that should NOT be on Fliss despite any sort of deformity. He went rigid. Cold sweat broke out across his back. He clenched his teeth and raised his hand from underneath the robes, inspecting it in the light. He squinted as he brought his hand close and almost vomited when the smell wafted to him.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Peter shouted as he wiped it against the ground and covered his nose with his arm.

    ¡°¡­*Sigh*, listen man, I don¡¯t know much, but that doesn¡¯t look like a boy to me,¡± The man said, toying with his black leather armor. It threatened to fall off any moment from the many bites and claws it defended against.

    ¡°Who asked you?¡± Peter said standing up. Looking around he realized everyone¡¯s attention was back on Fliss. Even though the threat of the monsters was looming over them, they still had the gall to focus on his defenseless Fliss?! ¡°¡¯N who the fuck told ya¡¯ ta stop? Keep movin¡¯ ya bastards¡­What? What ya¡¯ looking at?¡±

    ¡°In case you haven¡¯t noticed,¡± a bearded man stepped forth and motioned to everyone. ¡°We¡¯re losing. We¡¯ve got less than¡­¡±

    ¡°15, jackass,¡± Peter said.

    ¡°Hey fuck you, alright.¡± He shouted. Peter¡¯s hand immediately went to grasp his sword hilt and it seemed that a fight would soon break out when the bearded man suddenly calmed down and spoke calmly; ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ve got 15 people left, and that¡¯s everyone combined.¡±

    ¡°What d¡¯you mean?¡±

    ¡°While you were fawning over yer girl,¡± he said through clenched teeth as he motioned to Fliss. ¡°Everyone joined up from the alleys. We realize we¡¯re worth nothing to that whoreson duke, so we¡¯re leavin¡¯. Thing is though¡­you probably got the most experience out of all of us, so we want you come with us. Will you join us?¡±

    Peter narrowed his eyes at the people and noticed they had all placed one hand or another on their weapons. He looked from one person to the other until his eyes went back to their leader, that bearded fellow.

    He smiled and that smile slowly turned to a laugh. He hoped that¡¯d break the tension.

    ¡°How. Do. I. get. Out. Of. This. Mess?¡± Peter said. ¡°I¡¯ve thought of that ever since we were ordered to come here, but hearing you say it¡­I couldn¡¯t agree more.¡±

    Through the darkness, he could almost see the relief wash over them. Their contagious smile spread across his face as he shook the leaders offered hand. Peter grabbed the man¡¯s offered hand and while shaking it inspected it for weapons as he did the same. Such was the custom amongst strangers accepting others. When it was over Peter turned his attention to the-the, thing! lying beneath him without hesitation he sheathed his sword and lifted Fliss over his shoulders.

    ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± the bearded man asked.

    ¡°Whatever he is, he¡¯s still alive, I ain¡¯t gonna¡¯ leave a good flow reader die.¡± Peter smiled. ¡°Not when he has so much value alive.¡±

    ¡°You think she¡¯ll be okay when she wakes up?¡± he asked skeptically. ¡°I don¡¯t want her slowing us down fer things like honor and shit.¡±

    ¡°Please, what do we look like? Soldiers for a duke? We¡¯re mercenaries. Besides we took him in when he was still a teat-sucker. Volvo groomed him up to be loyal to family and right now I¡¯m his only family ¡®round here. He¡¯ll do whatever I say, so yeah we¡¯re good on that part.¡±

    With no more reason to delay their departure and all the more to run away, for the fear of another wave, the group quickly deserted their location, leaving behind their dead. Peter kept up with them, running behind the bearded man with his team members covering his sides.

    ¡°Hey, why not run the way we came?¡± Peter questioned. ¡°There¡¯s no one to stop us since we killed everyone over that way, it¡¯ll be easier.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sayin¡¯ we go back to the mansion?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the duke had a spell there right? Who¡¯s to say it ain¡¯t still there. His wife is there and so are some of the elders and families so of course that magic won¡¯t dissipate.¡±

    ¡°Whose families?¡± The man laughed. ¡°In case you haven¡¯t noticed we¡¯re all arms for hire here.¡±

    ¡°All the more reason to get what we can in that giant mansion of his,¡± Peter pushed.

    ¡°¡­How ruthless,¡± The man smiled. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re a three striker.¡±

    ¡°Three striker?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what our teams call a three strike merc.¡±

    ¡°Oh, then you¡¯ll be a two striker?¡±

    ¡°Yep¡±

    ¡°Haha, good to know, maybe I¡¯ll use that.¡± Peter laughed slightly before readjusting Fliss on his shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s talk as little as possible, there¡¯s still bound to be something lurking around the corner.¡±

    ¡°Right¡±

    Their group of surviving mercenaries half-jogged and half-walked their way back, the bodies and rubble providing a constant unnecessary reminder of the threat. Everyone had their swords out to encounter whatever came their way. Fortunately they hadn¡¯t encountered anything so far and Peter prayed it stayed that way. Carrying the girl, his chainmail and his weapons really stressed his back and shoulders so he made sure to stay in the middle of the group. Whenever someone offered help he either ignored them or flat out refused.

    When they found a quite place in the small forest that lined up the walkway up to the manor atop the Cliffside Peter explained; ¡°When he wakes up it¡¯ll be easier if I¡¯m carrying him.¡± He was currently supporting the unconscious Fliss while he rested against a tree, keeping a watchful eye on where the wooden watchtowers were hiding.

    ¡°He¡¯s a she,¡± someone murmured.

    ¡°Fuck you,¡± Peter growled. ¡°You wanna¡¯ say that to my face. Who said that?¡±

    ¡°Calm down,¡± the bearded man, who had assumed leadership, said. ¡°We all need to work together to take out the guards on the top, so no one is going to say what he is.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± Peter said wiping a sweat from his brow. ¡°They¡¯re all old and weak. The duke sent every able fighter with us or took them with him. But that doesn¡¯t mean they won¡¯t kill us by arrows or rocks.¡±

    When everyone regained their breath they resumed their ascent. Which was much slower compared to before because of the many breaks Peter had to ask for. Luckily no one suspected him a traitor since he the most eager amongst them to get the riches of the manor and it was common knowledge, amongst those of similar profession, how he felt for the duke. In such manner they slowly made their way up, till they could see the watch towers above the trees they were hiding behind.

    ¡°There¡¯s no one up there,¡± a mercenary with an axe said.

    ¡°Told ya¡¯¡± Peter smirked.  ¡°I¡¯ll be the distraction and open the gates; everyone else will storm in afterwards. Sounds good?¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± The leader narrowed his eyes. ¡°Just don¡¯t forget who gets the biggest share.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Peter said. He made to leave the cover of the forest lining the path before suddenly turning back. ¡°Hey, since you¡¯re the only two striker team here, mind if you guys lead the charge?¡±

    ¡°Like there was any other way,¡± the bearded man huffed with a smirk.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Peter said before leaving. He carried Fliss over his shoulders and limped towards the trail. He followed the path for some time before he could make out the iron gates with the gate guards standing behind it.

    ¡°Help!¡± Peter yelled. ¡°Please, we¡¯re wounded.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?! You?¡± A voice came from behind the door. An elderly man in armor approached the gates, shocked at Peter¡¯s presence.

    ¡°Yeah old man, it¡¯s me. Please help!¡± Peter cried. When he reached the gates in his limping fashion the elderly soldier opened the gates with haste along with his younger helper and welcomed them inside. When Peter was safely within the grounds he surveyed the grounds quickly; the remaining survivors were children and women huddled up in groups near the manor surrounded by the injured, the remaining guards were either too old or too young to be considered a threat and they were all dispersed in the grounds to pose a threat.

    Realizing his chance Peter threw Fliss¡¯s body at the young man and pushed the old guard down before stabbing him. The young guard yelled, throwing Fliss off him as he tried attack but Peter parried with his right and kicked him in the stomach, making him stumble backwards.

    ¡°Now!¡± Peter yelled. He heard a sudden rustle in the bushes before the steps of the mercenaries running could be heard. He turned around to see the bearded man leading the charge.

    ¡°Good work,¡± the man said as he passed Peter, closely followed by the rest of his team. He could see the easy prey in front of him; the weak guards looked shocked at his arrival while the young one¡¯s fumbled to get their sword out. It was easy picking, until he heard sounds of blood being spilt behind him and bodies falling down.

    Turning around he saw Peter, splattered in blood as his fellow teammates lay on the ground clutching their throats. The baby hands or first strikers that were behind him had stopped at the gate, creating a semi-circle around Peter. Anger began bubbling inside him when he saw a cold smirk play on his lips as Peter looked at the dead bodies before returning to look at him.

    ¡°You bastard,¡± he whispered. ¡°You think I¡¯ll let you have all the gold. There¡¯s ten of us, and only one of you.¡±

    Peter didn¡¯t reply, instead he took a sudden step forward as if to attack¡­before launching himself on the other mercenaries. Peter swiftly targeted their necks and was able to land successful hits on some of them while those in further away were able to block. He cut down their numbers as quickly as he could before preparing to defend.

    Two mercenaries came at him, both holding maces and swung with all their strength at him. Peter sidestepped and swung with all his might and wedged his sword in the arm of the one on the right. The man yelled in pain while Peter swung his other sword to the neck, wedging the weapon in it too. By this time the leader had regained from his shock and closed the distance between them. He tried stabbing at the heart while Peter was stuck with his sword in the unlucky mace holder but Peter let go of the sword in the arm, keeping his grip on the other sword, and swirled to the side, narrowly dodging the strike from the Two Striker. Using his momentum Peter swung his sword out of the neck and aimed it at the bearded man¡¯s head which he ducked under.

    Peter was about to kick when the other mace holder and two more of the remaining sword-weilders attacked him from the back. Peter rolled to the side and took a two handed stance with his sword, shifting his sword¡¯s point from the one strikers to the two striker. His heart hammered as his legs shook from exhaustion. That¡¯s when they all attacked, simultaneiously.

    Peter jumped backwards and kept dodging their strikes, moving back and further back untill he ran out of dodging space and was backed up against a wall. His opponents smiled viciously when suddenly a yell caught their attention behind them; the younger guard was leading his fellows in a charge. The three one strikers defended against all their attacks and responded with their own giving Peter the opportunity he was waiting for. Feinting to the right, he caught the two two strikers off-guard and jumped towards the other mercenaries. He was able to stab two in the heart before the third one attacked him mid attack, forcing him to leave his other sword stuck in the sword-wielder¡¯s back. Peter rolled backwards as the mace wielder swung down and then gave chase while the other two strikers defended against the novice guards. Seeing that he¡¯d lost both his swords Peter took off running towards the watchtower behind him. He quickly reached the ladder and began climbing it with all his might and speed, anything he could muster after carrying Fliss up a hill and taking down 12 mercenaries was quickly burnt in his climb. From the shakes of the ladder he knew they were chasing and that they were close. Peter quickly scrambled to the floor of the watchtower and looked around when suddenly a mace wedged itself between his legs, narrowly missing his instrument of lust.

    Peter quickly stood up and reached for an arrow in its holder near the edge of the watchtower. He took out his bow and loaded the arrow as the mace-wielder began moving up. Peter didn¡¯t have time to appreciate the shocked expression of the man as he quickly fired the arrow at his head. By some miracle the arrow knocked straight into the mace wielder¡¯s eye causing an arch of blood to spurt out and stain his legs as the man fell. Peter didn¡¯t hesitate to load another arrow and aim down the ladder only to see no one climbing it. On the ground were two bodies of men sprawled atop each other. The bearded man was trying to push the mac wielder off of him when some guardsman stabbed him in the chest, stopping the mongrel¡¯s actions. The guard looked up and Peter immediately recognized him as the younger gate guard, it seemed that they were able to take care of the other mercenary.

    ¡°Good,¡± Peter sighed in relief. Grabbing a few arrows he began climbing down, soon he began to hear an argument brew beneath him.

    ¡°Oh fer the love of Saint Mina¡¯s bosom, I am not dead.¡± The old man said.

    ¡°I saw you get stabbed,¡± the younger man spoke.

    ¡°He stabbed the ground beside me, tellin¡¯ me to lay dead.¡± The old gate guard said as he looked at Peter¡¯s figure coming down. ¡°I¡¯ve got enough faith to last me another good ten years, so I ain¡¯t going anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Thank Martha,¡± the boy sighed.

    ¡°Oi! Don¡¯t use her name like that. You¡¯re crazy? You¡¯ll leave a bad taste in even the most forgiving saints with the amount of sins you¡¯ve committed,¡± The elder scolded. ¡°Now go see if they¡¯ve killed your sinner friends or not.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m not a sinner,¡± The guard huffed. ¡°It was that one time and I was forced in it.¡±

    ¡°That why I called them ¡®your sinner friends¡¯¡± the man smiled, ¡°Now get going, grown up¡¯s gotta talk.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re the same age,¡± the younger guards nodded to Peter who responded in kind.

    ¡°When you¡¯ve fought explored outside this fortress then perhaps I¡¯ll see you as his equal, now go away.¡±

    The guard huffed in exasperaton as he stomped off.

    ¡°Hey old man,¡± Peter said walking forth. ¡°Huh, you¡¯re still alive?¡±

    Peter squatted beside the struggling figure of the bearded man; he had a chest wound on his right and was gurgling blood out of his mouth.

    ¡°Why?¡± the man asked between spits of blood. Peter sighed before squatting next to his face with a smirk.

    ¡°Like you wouldn¡¯t have done the same,¡± he laughed. ¡°You planned to kill us all and take the money for yourselves, too bad smart people think alike.¡± Peter motioned to the dead bodies of his teammates. ¡°I used you to get here; carrying Fliss here while being protected by your own enemies. Hah! It doesn¡¯t get any better than that.¡±

    Peter scratched his own scruff before continuing; ¡°See that woman over there, I¡¯ve been promised something great by her so, yeah, I gotta protect her from whatever comes my way and you were just it. That¡¯s why; I got a duty as a man to protect that woman, my woman.¡±

    ¡°You fool,¡± the man laughed as more blood filled his mouth causing him to choke.

    ¡°Oh and another thing,¡± Peter said, standing up. He took the elder guards sword and positioned it above the man¡¯s heart. ¡°Fuck you; I know you said that shit ¡®bout Fliss.¡±

    Peter pushed down and pierced the man¡¯s heart, using his weight to cut through the thin gambeson. He struggled for some seconds, spasms ran through him before seeping out, leaving a lifeless body behind.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The old man said angrily.

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain later,¡± Peter said as he handed the sword back. Peter then left to gather his swords from the dead mercenaries, stabbing each incase the guards hadn¡¯t. Afterwards Peter went back to the fallen Fliss and carried him towards the wounded lying near the manor, very aware of how everyone saw him as a traitor to the big fight. But they couldn¡¯t do anything to him; after all, he could kill them before they get even a strike in. Peter placed his friend¡¯s body next to his red haired mercenary.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Brair said weakly. Her face was slightly green from whatever she had caught, but he was sure it was gonna pass.

    ¡°Hey girl,¡± Peter said, grasping her offered hand.

    ¡°Quite the speech¡±

    ¡°¡­How in the world could you hear that?¡± Peter joked. ¡°Only the best comes from this mouth.¡±

    Brair scoffed, before descending into a coughing fit, Peter tried helping but she pushed him away. So he busied himself with Fliss until the coughing subsided and Brair asked, ¡°What happened to him?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s¡­uh, um¡­bleeding?¡± Peter frowned and scratched his head.

    ¡°Where?¡± Brair said, noticing the shift in his demeanor.

    ¡°Fliss is a girl,¡± Peter said quietly.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Brair said trailing her hand over his arm. ¡°I¡¯m sure she had a reason-¡±

    ¡°You knew?¡± Peter shook off her arm.

    ¡°Knew what?¡±

    ¡°You, knew, Fliss, was, a girl?¡±

    *Sigh* ¡°Yes I did, but so did Volvo and he¡¯d told me to keep it a secret, for her.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.I¡¯m gonna go away now, before I lose it,¡± Peter said getting up. ¡°You rest in the meantime, I¡¯ll deal with this¡± He circled his hands over the two of them to emphasize.

    ¡°Later¡±

    ¡®Why didn¡¯t anyone tell me that protecting women comes with the heavy price of dealing with their bullshit¡¯ Peter thought, ¡®Is it worth it?¡¯

 Chapter 19- Lidias First Outing

    ¡°Quite the unexpected turn of events,¡± Lidia whispered.

    She stood in the hallway staring through the windows on the second floor at the commotion on the grounds. Lidia held onto a long staff with intricate designs made of a shiny metal. ¡°Your thoughts?¡±

    ¡°He is a churlish hathel of your region, this should be expected. Those walking corpses is what is not,¡± Natravi replied. She was standing a few feet away behind Lidia with her hands crossed respectfully. ¡°Fortunately he did not kill any of the guards.¡±

    ¡°Yes, fortunately¡­perhaps it¡¯s time to make our move,¡± Lidia turned around and looked at Natravi.

    ¡°A long time overdue since we join this fight,¡± Natravi nodded.

    ¡°Bertrand,¡± Lidia called. Suddenly the old butler appeared from behind the corner and briskly walked up, leading to a bow.

    ¡°Yes, my lady.¡±

    ¡°Like mother I too feel rather exhausted from tonight¡¯s ordeal,¡± Lidia said, emphasizing with a yawn. ¡°Please have the staff prepare my room.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Bertrand nodded and nodded to Natravi standing behind her. ¡°And your guest?¡±

    ¡°She shall keep me company, please see to it that she also finds a place within my chambers.¡±

    ¡°My lady-¡±

    ¡°Father insisted she accompanies me, she shall act as my guard until father returns so please,¡± Lidia placed a hand over his chest and leaned forward. ¡°See to it she find a place within my chambers.¡±

    ¡°¡­Very well,¡± Bertrand nodded quickly walked away.

    When he left, Lidia motioned for Natravi to follow. Natravi¡¯s lip slowly began to curl, mirroring Lidia¡¯s expression, before she caught herself and reverted to her default stone expression. She led them around the other corner, the one with the staircase leading to the attic, stopping infront of a room at side. The fiery shadows gloomed the atmosphere of the waiting room as they stepped in closing the door quietly behind them. It was similar to the other waiting rooms with three chairs neatly placed at one wall and another door to the left with ¡®W. von Solus¡¯ intricately carved into it. The walls were painted with rivers and hills stretching from one to the other, one such hill had men carrying heavy boxes over to it.

    ¡°Over here,¡± Lidia said as she pulled out a chair in the middle to reveal a small button underneath. As the button erected out of the ground she quickly pushed back down until a small ¡®click¡¯ was heard. The wall behind the chair began to open up, revealing a small spiraling staircase.

    ¡°My presence here does not worry you?¡± Natravi frowned.

    ¡°Worry? The mechanism changes regularly, luckily I remember the method from last time. You will not be able to use to the same technique twice. Otherwise you will fall victim to the traps father has set up.¡± Lidia frowned. ¡°Hopefully these will not become a bother.¡±

    She patted her hips which were covered with plate armor, emphasizing her already wide waist. Natravi¡¯s eyes slightly twitched as she looked at her superior before making her way towards the stairs, climbing down first.

    Lidia sucked in her breath and pushed in her butt with her hands as she tried walking sideways. With some effort she was able to fit through the narrow gap. Turning around she re-positioned the chair to its original position over the button and made her way down the stairwell. It was completely dark and they could see nothing, even what was directly in front of them.

    Relying on touch and smell Natravi led them down the low, uncomfortable steps. She would¡¯ve fallen on multiple occasions is not for the support of the railing. The staircase seemed to continue on for a long time and she was almost tempted to use illuminating magic when her feet suddenly touched the uneven surface. She was at the bottom.

    Feeling her way around, it seemed to resemble a cavern or at least a large tunnel and it was just underneath the manor. A change in the stale air and the sound of something slashing through it caused Natravi to side step away from the wall. A ¡®clink¡¯ sound and sparks illuminated the dagger and the wall where she just had been. Suddenly she felt someone pull her back as the wall before her, where she was planning to run to, was reverberated with ¡®clinks¡¯ and ¡®clanks¡¯.

    ¡°Careful,¡± Lidia said. ¡°There are traps here as well.¡±

    ¡°Did you step on a trigger?¡± Natravi hissed.

    ¡°I thought you had¡­?¡±

    *Sigh*¡°Thank you,¡± Natravi began moving again. ¡°The sounds suggest multiple areas from where the daggers were released.¡±

    ¡°Indeed they were,¡± Lidia took the lead. She took Natravi¡¯s hand and guided her down the large cavern. She tried squirming out of her grip and almost succeeded, but as she was letting go she realized that the girl was trembling to let go, without something to hold onto.

    ¡®She¡¯s afraid of darkness?¡¯ Natravi smiled slightly, thankful for the isolating darkness. So untill they reached the end Natravi held her hand, squeezing every once in a while for reassurance. If Lidia realized that she knew she didn¡¯t give any indication of it. So they continued until they came to a¡­wooden barrier? From the feeling it seemed like a wooden door, which Lidia set to observing after giving her her staff. Lidia started at one end and began searching for something while keeping a vice grip on Natravi¡¯s hand, leading her like a child.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    *Click*

    The sound of something coming into place reverberated in the empty cavern and a grey-like light illuminated the grounds in front of the wall, which wasn¡¯t a big improvement. Lidia had opened an even smaller door on the large wooden wall and leading Natravi outside, gazed upon the buildings in front of them. Natravi let go of her hand and retreated it within her robes as she looked at the large watchtower in front of her. Making their way towards the street left of the tower, they found it littered with bodies extending down till the street turned.

    Natravi¡¯s fear came true as Lidia hunched over and painted the ground with her disgust. Once the initial shock passed Natravi took lead, realizing how unnerved the girl was. However avoiding the bodies was impossible for whereever there was no dead mercenary or citizen, a decayed corpse or skeleton had taken its place, all broken, amputated or decapitated. Lidia made motions to throw up again but fortunately managed to keep her bile down while she steeled herself to follow Natravi.

    ¡°Please take care,¡± Natravi said, catching Lidia in another motion to vomit. ¡°They may still be around.¡±

    ¡°I¡­I will be fine,¡± Lidia said, placing a hand on her chest.

    ¡°Do you regret this?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lidia said, eyes widening.

    ¡°You planned to come out and help. Do you regret doing so?¡± Natravi said as she stepped over another body.

    ¡°No, No. I needed this¡­to strengthen my resolve, before I join my father.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Natravi nodded, annoyed.

    ¡®Couldn¡¯t you resolve yourself in the manor? It¡¯s like you haven¡¯t seen a dead body before, you live in Yikensworth.¡¯

    ¡°So Natravi,¡± Lidia said. ¡°Which kingdom are you from?¡±

    ¡°¡­The one in the north,¡± Natravi sighed and after some thought continued. ¡°I left home at a young age so I do not remember much but my uncle does.¡±

    ¡°Is he here with you?¡± Lidia asked.

    ¡°¡­Yes¡±

    ¡°Oh, I am so sorry. You must be worried about him.¡± Lidia covered her mouth in worry.

    ¡°Thank you but I know he will be alright,¡± Natravi said. ¡°He is a strong man; he will not fall to such enemies.¡±

    ¡°Can he also read the flow?¡± Lidia asked leaning closer.

    ¡°He claims to not have such ability, but sometimes I wonder if that is true,¡± Natravi said.

    ¡°Did he teach you how to fight as well?¡± Lidia said guestering towards the sword buckled around her waist. By now she was walking beside Natravi and was better at ignoring the piles of bodies they were waling over.

    ¡°¡­Yes he did,¡± Natrav allowed herself to smile at the pleasant memories. ¡°You seem worried.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­I am. This is so heartaching, waiting to see father during this makes me worried for his safety and it pains my heart,¡± Lidia clasped her hands over her heart.

    ¡°It may be that the armor is too tight,¡± Natravi smirked. ¡°But careful not to loosen it too much, your subjects will think low of you.¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± Lidia said in mocking offense. ¡°At least I am not the one hiding like mold in a dark corner.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, At least I am not a corset; silencing my mother¡¯s voice.¡±

    ¡°Hey, she had that coming. No matter, ¡®hmph¡¯ at least I know I don¡¯t stand out like a darkspot on someone¡¯s fac-AH.¡± She yelped as she rubbed her bruised side.

    ¡°A reminder of what is taboo to talk between us,¡± Natravi quipped. ¡°Now focus on thine walk, instead of thine talk. It may serve to save us.¡±

    They continued on in silence after that.

    ¡°T¡¯is good to worry about thine father,¡± Lidia said, breaking the silence.

    Natravi¡¯s accent changed as a slight smile began forming on her lips. ¡°I didst not knoweth mineth, seeing thee expresseth loveth for thy owneth maketh me very joyous¡­Sorry I mean-¡±

    ¡°It is fine,¡± Lidia said beaming proudly at Natravi. ¡°I may not understand your accented noble tongue completely, but I can understand its meaning to some extent. They share the same origin after all.¡±

    ¡°Thank you?¡± Natravi nodded, frowning.

    ¡°I think I we will be very good friends, Natravi.¡±

    ¡°I am pleased you say that, my lady.¡±

    ¡°Please, call me Lidia.¡±

    ¡°¡­I am grateful for your trust, Lidia.¡±

    ¡°OOOH,¡± Lidia squealed in delight.

    ¡°Please calm yourself Lidia,¡± Natravi said pulling herself out of the hug. ¡°We still need our concentration for the task at hand.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°Right¡­do you hear that?¡±

    As she focused; sounds of heavy footsteps being dragged across the rubble could be heard from around the corner and soon was accompanied by quite wails and hisses from the undead.

    Natravi motioned for Lidia to stay her ground, while she slowly moved to check around the corner with a piece of crude glass she found lying on the ground. It was too dark to see how many were approaching but if the slow movement and the foot steps were anything to go by, it was large group.

    Carefully, Natravi backed away and observed her surroundings. Inside her mind a whirlwind of ideas were flying, she grasped each as quickly as she let it go. None were suited for the situation; running? Another group of footsteps and wails behind her meant they were trapped. Fighting? Out of the question. Roof tops?...maybe. Natravi looked at the broken shop at the end of the street, the rubble creating a stepping stone leading up to the tiled roofs.

    ¡°There are nezhit''yus coming our way,¡± She said, motioning Lidia closer. ¡°We are surrounded and need to find a way up to those rooftops.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Natravi grasped her hand and led her to the end of the street. As she picked up the pace Lidia shook off her hand and overtook her only to freeze at the corner and face the undead. Though Natravi was annoyed at the noble¡¯s incompetency she couldn¡¯t show it as it required her to waste her already strained breath. She shook Lidia out of her shock and pulled her away from the incoming corpses, shoving her into the rubble.

    ¡°Climb!¡± With that Natravi turned towards the incoming enemies.

    She took out her sword dove into the horde; gracefully sidestepping the first attacker she used her momentum to spin and cut off the head cleanly. Another came from her right and tried going for her legs but she jumped and swung down to stab the undead at the base of its neck.

    *Rumble*

    She suddenly jumped back and saw that the rubble which had created a way to the tiled rooftop had fallen down. Though Lidia had made it Natravi could not do so by the same method. Before she could think of a plan her attention was suddenly captured by a wailing corpse that had gotten too close. Narrowly missing a fatal bite, Natravi distanced herself from them and began muttering under breath.

    ¡®I don¡¯t want to do this now,¡¯ Natravi thought. ¡®But I¡¯m cornered.¡¯

    Her mind instantly went to the incident that bore her her trump card.

    ¡®This isn¡¯t the time,¡¯ Natravi shook her head, as she finished her chant.

    ¡°[Parva fulgur]¡±

    The sword glowed blue and small tendrils of lightening began emanating from it¡¯s base, arching up to the tip. It began to glow a hue of orange before she swung, pointing the tip at her enemies. Thin blue lines arched across the air and struck the frontline of corpses. They trembled in their spot, convulsing as the lightning disappeared into their bodies, conducting through them and to the others they contacted. Though it only went as far as three waves, it still halted their movements long enough for her to do a run up at rubble and jump off of it to the shoulders of an unsuspecting undead before jumping to the roof. She quickly scrambled up the tiles moist tiles and only when she regained solid footing did she stand up to look at the crowd forming below.

    ¡°Here,¡± Lidia said as she offered her her sword. ¡°It was about to slide off the roof.¡±

    ¡°Would you, hah-hah, like to lead?¡± Natravi asked, catching her breath.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Lidia smiled. Lidia took the lead but, as she suspected, quickly asked; ¡°I have to know; how did you learn to fight like that?¡±

    ¡®Better keep it short,¡¯ Natravi thought.

    ¡°Hah..hah,¡­.hrrmph, I do not possess a strong body. Because it is very weak, I was unable to swing like a proper swordsman, parry and counter too,¡± Natravi explained. ¡°So my uncle taught me a way by which I could use a sword.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Lidia nodded as they ran.

    The two ran over the roofs, jumping from one to another, careful not to lose their footing for the slippery tiles. They made their way to the townsquare, moving around the large square yard littered with dead bodies and broken makeshift shops.

    ¡°Oh my,¡± Lidia commented.

    ¡°Uncle must have been here,¡± Natravi murmured to herself.

    ¡°How can you tell?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, excuse me?¡±

    ¡°You said your uncle must have come here¡±

    ¡°Did I?¡± Natravi tried, but when met with Lidia¡¯s determined eyes she caved in.

    ¡°See the smeared blood? And those bloody footsteps?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Now do you remember when all those survivors came to the manor? A fight recently ensued here and I think those survivors came from here,¡± Natravi said. ¡°They spoke of a man fitting him description helping them out here.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± Lidia frowned as they left the scene. ¡°Your uncle sound very interesting, is he really a noble?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, but what do you mean, ¡®is he really¡¯?¡±

    ¡°I mean my uncle is a noble, but he is just a lazy man who likes to eat a lot. Your uncle though, despite his title, acts like a commoner from what I am hearing.¡±

    ¡°He told me that once upon a time, he too indulged in the lavishness of nobility,¡± Natravi said. ¡°But after a¡­an incident in which he lost someone close to him, he left that life for travels and taking care of me. And as we both know, there is not much earned from travelling around.¡±

    ¡°I, uh, yes¡­umm, who did he lose?¡± Lidia said, concerned.

    ¡°My mother,¡± she said.

    The two followed in silence after that, whenever Lidia tried to stop, Natravi would push past her and take the lead reverting back to her introverted nature.

    ¡°Hey, listen I¡¯m sorry, Oka-Ahhh.¡±

    While Lidia tried to apologize a flash of darkness suddenly jumped infront of her. She took a few steps back as she tried to understand what she was looking at, but the creature was having none of it. It attacked with such speed and ferocity that Lidia barely had enough time to lean away, narrowly missing a nail to the neck. The creature was low bearing and had its arms and legs stretched out like a spider. It had hair hanging low to cover its face half it¡¯s face and wore a bloody and dirty night gown. Natravi turned around to see the creature approach Lidia with caution.

    ¡°Ss-Stop,¡± Lidia tried commanding it. Failing to see it work she tried striking it with her staff; ¡°I said stop!¡±

    Whatever she wanted to do did not work as intended. The creature caught the pole with its hand and pulled Lidia off her feet along with it. She screamed as the creature threw her to another roof not too far away, jumping straight after her.

    ¡°[Caelum ignis]¡± Natravi yelled, pointing her sword to the creature mid-jump. Blue tendrils of lightening made their way like flames and in a flash consumed the entire figure of the creature in blue. The lightening set the creature to fire, quickly turned it to ashes and felling it mid air. Once the spell was over Natravi inspected the tip of her sword and saw that it was slightly orange and had begun melting from the power it was conducting.

    ¡°Glad I didn¡¯t use my hands,¡± Natravi whispered to herself. But as she began to make her way towards Lidia three more shadows of similar structure suddenly blocked her path. Natravi jumped back and put up her guard as two of them attacked her with such speed that she didn¡¯t even have time to cast a spell.

    ¡°[Lux]¡± Natravi yelled out of instinct. However it did little to deter them from tackling her off the building. The force with which they attacked carried her to the other building. She kept rolling on the roof even after her landing. Finally she stopped, only two steps away from the edge.

    Natravi coughed up blood and felt it trail at the sides of her mouth as she forcibly craned her head to look before her. The two who had attacked were stalking her like a prey as they fanned out and slowly advanced, one on each slant of the roof. Natravi set to murmuring a spell and checking out her chest for any blood, grimacing at the spiking pain of broken ribs. She felt her hood fall, revealing her long black hair as she slowly pushed herself up with her sword.

    By the time she was on her feet, Natravi was alredy sweating profusely, a small patch of her robes on the stomach area was soaked with blood and her hair was getting in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away when they yelled in their raspy voices and jumped her together.

    ¡°[Maxima, Caelum Ignis]¡± Natravi yelled as she brought up her sword. A shrill cry rang out as the familiar lightening spread out like fire, consuming the two figures mid-air. However the lightening didn¡¯t stop there, it spread further and soon covered the entire half of the roof in blue. Tiles cracked under the heat and parts of the roof fell onto the floors beneath. The monsters burned up into dust so finely that when the lightening dissipated they were carried by the wind that blew her way. When the last of the light disappeared and the darkness returned to comsume it all, Natravi dropped her sword and clutched her side in pain as she looked at the half ruined building, burning away under her flames.

    Natravi tried looking around for Lidia under all the smoke but couldn¡¯t see any sign of the blonde or the wraith, human or whatever had attacked her. She took her slightly melted sword in her trembling hands and sheathed it before running away. She landed on the next building when her legs suddenly gave out causing her to fall on her face.

    Her hands slipped and despite her clamoring she fell off into the alley, the dead bodies beneath cushioning her fall. The pain felt as if tiny individual wooden spikes were being driven into her legs as she tried to gain some feeling into them. She felt pathetic¡­but she had to get away from here incase more of the monsters came. Mustering her strength she punched her legs till some of the pain gave response and they began moving again. She scurried away from the bodies and pushed herself against a corner facing the alleyway entrance.

    ¡°Hopefully that idiot receives my message,¡± Natravi heaved as she stumbled into unconciousness.

    .........(12 years ago).........

    ¡°It¡¯s alright Navi,¡± the brown haired boy said. He knelt beside her and offered the sword she¡¯d ruined. To her, however, it looked like he was offering a hug so she sunk into his embrace and wiped her tears into his many shirts. The boy traced a hand over her hair and whispered sweet things into her ears lightly kissing that ticklish spot at the side of her forehead. ¡°You are alright, you are unhurt and that is all that matter to me, rybka.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm ah-hahah,¡± Natravi smiled. She wiggled against his kisses and eventually pulled back, trying to control her giggling. But when her eyes landed on the sword the humor suddenly evaporated. ¡°But-but I ruined your sword.¡±

    ¡°Blah, this little thing?¡± he raised it over her head. ¡°I can get as many short swords as I want,¡± he sunk the sword into the soft earth, ¡°but I can only have one geniy. Alright?¡±

    She nodded as she hugged and rested in the curve between his neck and shoulders. She cherished days like this. Even when he was home, she could hardly see him so when they could spend time like this she wanted to be as close to him as much as she could for as long as she could. He said it was wrong but even after thinking for half the day she couldn''t believe that something that felt so good would be wrong. She liked Anna and the other children but she liked the moments with him even more. She was brought out of her thoughts when he grumbled and as if he knew what she was thinking Drac pulled her closer before ending it.

    ¡°C¡¯mon,¡± he said pulling her to her feet. She knew she weighed less than those three years her junior but it still annoyed her to know that he could still pick her up like she was three. ¡°Enough crying alright. Now tell me what you did to make this happen?¡±

    ¡°Umm,¡± she nodded, but then she noticed the stains on his shirts. Embarassed, she pointed at them; ¡°Sorry for getting them dirty.¡±

    ¡°The gambesons always going to get dirty,¡± he said, patting the brown coloured shirts. ¡°Now, tell me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was pla-practicing the sword moves you taught me yesterday when suddenly these, uh, these strings, these blue strings came out of the handle and the blade began to heat up. It really hurt.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± he said, kneeling once more. ¡°But I see no burns.¡±

    ¡°It did hurt!¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± he retreated. He picked up the melted sword again and began muttering to himself. Natravi couldn¡¯t hear any of it so she decided to stretch out on the grassy fields, feeling tired from the training and the horrific experience. Once her duties in the kitchen were over she was allowed a few hours until dusk to herself, during which she either played with Dima, Dimitri and Natsya or practiced with the sword or flow reading in secret. He wouldn¡¯t let her tell anyone what she could do and always made sure to give her a test for the next time he comes.

    Drac¡­uncle Drac was a guard for the baron¡¯s son so he was kept away from the kitchens and the house for most of the day. The only times he was able to come over was to eat or when the baron¡¯s son had his lessons which was how he was here, currently inspecting her failure.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he murmured.

    ¡°How is it alright?!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°I-I¡±

    Whatever she was about to say stopped in her throat as he motioned for her silence.

    ¡°Natravi, what were you thinking when you practiced with the sword?¡± he said, tapping his hand over his chin.

    ¡°Ummm, I was thinking about that thing I read in the book,¡± she said nervously.

    ¡°What thing?¡±

    ¡°Uh, it was a flow reading book. It talked about things like making those threads in the sky, the one¡¯s that make those ¡®hrmm¡¯ ¡®hrmm¡¯ sounds after. It talked about making those come from your hands. So I was thinking about that when the sword heated up and the threads ruined it.¡±

    ¡°Lightening¡­Navi, did the book have those threads moving throuht the front cover? Was the book brown and had metal bolts on its sides?¡± He leaned in with a frown.

    Uh-oh, that always meant she was in trouble.

    ¡°Y-yes,¡± she trembled.

    ¡°You!¡­well it doesn¡¯t matter, you would¡¯ve gotten it anyway. Now you just get it a little earlier.¡±

    ¡°Oh, then I¡¯m not in trouble?¡±

    ¡°No your not,¡± he looked displeased. ¡°But it means you¡¯ve already done the hardest part.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Navi, what will I do with you, those who can¡¯t read the flow rely on their weapons, right?¡± he continued after she nodded. ¡°Flow readers can either use a weapon or read the flow if they are good at it, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Well? Haven¡¯t you ever heard of a flow reader who could use a weapon and read the flow at the same time?¡±

    ¡°Sikkons!¡±

    ¡°¡­Good enough. That not her real name, but alright. Those who can use the flow are already rare, but those who are able to use a weapon and apply the flow into their swords or bows or sickles or otherwise are even rarer.¡±

    ¡°So¡­?¡±

    ¡°You just did it!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°You just let your mind wander around and let the flow take your energy without you knowing. Next time you just have to focus on it and you can have something even the baron¡¯s son will envy.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Of cours-¡±

    ¡°Drac! Where are you?¡±

    "Dang it, alright Navi, clean yourself up and come find me later."

    "Drac! I am waiting!"

    .......(Present time).......

    ¡°Hm!¡± Natravi¡¯s eyes fluttered open. She looked around and found herself in the same dark corner she''d fallen against. She gave a few test stretches and found that although the bleeding had stopped her clots threatened to tear with any overexerted pressure, shocker!

    With a slight huff she pushed herself up using her sword and began to make her way out of the alley. Although she was injured she needed to find Dra-Uncle Drac. She felt the safest aroud him¡­even after she got them chased out the baron¡¯s town.

    ¡°Hmph, stupid daddy''s boy. I¡¯m not a witch.¡±

 Chapter 20: Who to trust? (Peter) v.2

    Peter had just finished explaining his story to the guards, the failed attack, the retreat and his plan for betrayel, when Fliss stirred awake. It was almost unnoticeable but because of his good ears he could make out her stirring awake behind him.

    ¡®He¡¯s a boy, he¡¯ll tell me otherwise¡¯ one side of him thought, while the other said. ¡®Yeah right, ha, keep telling yourself that. Maybe then you can keep that friendship he ruined, hmm?¡¯

    He shook away his internal struggle and approached the resting bodies. Brair immediately awoke as he knelt beside her and without a word sat up, using his knee for support.

    *Cough*Cough* ¡°Go easy on him,¡± she said.

    ¡°You go easy,¡± Peter sighed. ¡°Sorry, are you alright? That cough wasn¡¯t a first¡­and those wounds-¡±

    ¡°Peter I¡¯m fine,¡± Brair said. ¡°I¡¯d much rather have you begin fortifying this place than worry about me, or her.¡±

    ¡°Him, and I won¡¯t start unless I know who I should to trust,¡± He said. That earned him a lazy punch from Brair.

    ¡°Who I should trust? This is Fliss we¡¯re talking about here*Cough*yo-you¡¯re more trusting of him than*Cough*Cough*¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey, take it easy,¡± Peter said as slowly pulled her closer to his chest. ¡°C¡¯mon Brair,¡± he tried being lighthearted. ¡°I don¡¯t need you dying from some small cough now.¡±

    -than me.¡± She finished.

    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t blow up when he wakes, okay?¡± Peter said. ¡°Just¡­don¡¯t do that, alright. Not now, I¡¯ve a promise to keep.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that promise,¡± she scoffed.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Peter grabbed her chin and pulled to face him when she pulled away.

    ¡°Rose,¡± Peter tried again, lighting guiding her chin to face him. ¡°The promise was that you will be another chance, it¡¯s not only your body I¡¯m after. It¡¯s you, all of you.¡±

    She finally met his eyes and held her gaze, even the darkness he could clearly make out those hazel eyes.

    ¡®She¡¯s hesitating?¡¯ he thought. ¡®Come on Pete, don¡¯t fuck this up now.¡¯

    He leaned so close he could kiss her, her lips were really inviting. But instead he pressed his lips against her forehead. He reveled in delight as he saw her frown melt into a pleasant surprise. She turned around and he let her lie back down.

    After that, a deafening silence descended upon them and they continued staring at Fliss; the young kid, whom Peter had known for the best parts of his life, slowly came out of unconsciousness. His eyes fluttered open and a painful realization struck Peter. Fliss had lied.

    The first thing that he saw wasn¡¯t relief in his face, but rather an acute fear that he she tried masking. Perhaps it was his scowl or the feeling of ripped clothes, indicating that her secrets were revealed or perhaps he remembered how Peter treated his ¡®wound¡¯, but he didn¡¯t look happy and his hesitation only solidified the grim truth.

    ¡°What¡¯s with that?¡± Peter smiled ruefully, trying not a yell. But he knew it was gonna come soon, his anger was rising too fast for him to contain it. ¡°Not happy to see me?¡±

    ¡°Peter, I-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Peter motioned with his hands. ¡°I realize now that this is just how its supposed ta¡¯ work. I save you, you save me. I share my meals, you share your meals. I give you my blankets, you give me yours. I share my secrets¡­but you hide them¡­for five. Fuckin¡¯. years.¡±

    Fliss stayed quite, fighting back tears.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the little boy Volvo came back with? Where¡¯s the kid we took in and grew up with? Where¡¯s that brat who always played with me in the taverns and shops, Huh?¡± Peter asked. ¡°Where¡¯re you hiding him, oh, no, no. You were hiding this behind him, my little brother is apparently a stranger.¡±

    ¡°Peter,¡± Brair warned. As if just realizing she was there Fliss quickly sat up and looked at them both. Peter ignored both of them and eased Brair off his leg.

    ¡°She is a liar, Brair. She¡¯s lied to me about who and what she, he or it is.¡± He pointed with both his hands in emphasis, his anger apparent by his rising voice. He walked circles in his spot, murmuring to himself before finally squatting to meet Fliss in the face. Tear line had wet her cheeks as she tried containing the sobs.

    ¡°Tell me,¡± Peter sighed. He scratched his head in frustration, which led to further frustration as the hair got in his eyes. Pushing them back he asked; ¡°When Volvo supposedly saved you from a goblin attack on your village did he save a boy or a girl?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Fliss gulped. She licked her lips before she answered; ¡°A-a girl. Volvo knew back-¡±

    ¡°Oh great, just another one of his ¡®plans¡¯,¡±Peter said exasperatedly. ¡°What¡¯re you guys lookin¡¯ at? Go back to your crying, ain¡¯t none of them coming back ya hear.¡±

    Peter shouted at the onlooking women and children while ignoring the glares from the surrounding guards.

    ¡°So Volvo sent me and you off fighting to probably die and probably has been down in the dirty; kissing the dukes jewels,¡± Peter spat. ¡°And this still isn¡¯t his biggest secret! He¡¯s done it again, lied to me and Luv¡¯ for five years.¡±

    ¡°It-it¡¯s not all his fault,¡± Fliss spoke up. Overcoming her fear with a growing she waveringly stood up. ¡°Why do you think he lied? ¡®Girls would ruin our team so we should keep it all men¡¯. Volvo had no choice but to hide it, he was ready to accept me, you weren¡¯t.¡±

    Peter squared her off and spat at her feet, but she didn¡¯t back off. There were a million things he could¡¯ve said to hurt her, just like she¡¯d hurt him, but none could make it from his mind to his mouth. He pressed his lips together as he watched tears roll down Fliss¡¯s face. He should¡¯ve enjoyed it, she hurt him, but he felt a pang of pain in him as he watched her fight the tears. He turned away as he felt his own vision blur and walked away.

    ¡°When you¡¯re ready meet me in the house,¡± he said. ¡°And Brair¡­help her cover up.¡±

    Peter quickly jogged up the steps and as he entered, wiped those stinging tears. Letting out a tired sigh he turned to the long corridor and slowly walked down the red carpet. The walls had the insignia of the von Solus family painted in neat patterns, mixing in with the occasional door frame to not seem chopped off. He could see the staff of the manor warily inspect him from the comfort of their hiding places behind jarred doors and he was not in a good mood.

    ¡°Hey cowards,¡± Peter scoffed. ¡°Get out there and check on the injured out there before I beat you outta here.¡±

    When no one moved; hoping to keep the illusion of their invisibility despite it being already broken, Peter smiled. His mind raced with what he could do to vent his anger at this given opportunity.

    ¡°Best do as he says everyone,¡± a man called out from behind him. Peter turned to see the butler standing at the end of the hallway. As per his instructions the people began moving out from behind the rooms lined at his side and filed through the hallway with wrappings or pails of water. Once they had exited through the front door Peter resumed his walk towards a certain door. He entered and quickly set to looking around the large center table, inside the cabinets on the sides, underneath he chair, carpet and everywhere he could reach a candle light.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me these old men had no map or plan drawn out?¡± Peter murmured to himself as he checked drawers. ¡°I know they¡¯re not that stupid.¡±

    *Cough*Cough*¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°What do you want butler?¡± Peter asked, without looking back.

    ¡°There¡¯s¡­I believe there is something you need to see, sir.¡±

    ¡°Hm,¡± Peter suddenly stopped, turning towards the man in the doorway he gave him a once over. His eyes were slightly sunken and beads of sweat were rolling down his forehead, getting caught in his large beard below. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°It is a letter, from your companion.¡± He said reaching into his coat and bringing out a folded piece of paper.

    ¡°How do you know it¡¯s from my companion?¡± Peter asked skeptically reaching for his sword. ¡°For all I know you could¡¯ve written it yourself and are trying to stop me from finding the-what I¡¯m looking for.¡±

    ¡°Now sir, let¡¯s be reasonable. Why would I do such a-¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Peter shouted as he walked closer. ¡°Why would I? That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking about right now. Why would they do what they¡¯ve done so far? Why would the duke leave all his subjects to die and handpick only a few to lead and command instead of sending for reinforcements and wait it out? Why would Volvo send us to die because of simple mistake? What¡¯s everyone hiding? I¡¯ve thought and thought of it till now and you know what? I¡¯ve stopped caring, so get the fuck out of here and do something good like helping the wounded instead of wasting my time.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I may not understand your problems but If I can-¡±

    ¡°No you cannot help,¡± Peter took out his sword and growled. But he didn¡¯t step forward, instead he shook his head and slapped himself a few times before shouting in anger. What he was about to do was wrong, he knew that and he needed to stop, so he continued shouting off on the adrenaline until it was all used up. When he was done he reluctantly sheathed his sword but hissed;¡°I told you to get out of here, so get the fuck-¡±

    ¡°It has a name!¡± the butler shouted, stopping Peter in his tracks. ¡°I do not know of your friends name but no mercenary or commoner in this city would have such writing skill as shown on this parchment. It came from one of the traveling mercenaries and no one has been closer to your group than that woman in the hood. She addresses it to ¡®Volvo¡¯s group¡¯-¡±

    ¡°Ugh, stop.¡± Peter said. He rubbed his eyes in frustration before running his hands through his hair. ¡°The way you speak is giving me a headache. Just hand it over and stand over there like a good man maid.¡±

    The butler handed him the parchment and followed his instructions without any emotion. Peter¡¯s eyes wizzed through the parchment reading at a surprising speed. One of the advantages of being with Luvrit most his life was that he was forced to learn how to read and write. Due to his friend¡¯s passion of copying the speech and aura of a noble he was exposed at length to his studies and had picked up quite a few things during the days they spent cooped up in a room due to their illnesses.

    ¡°Hah, shit,¡± Peter exhaled in defeat. Taking a few moments to compose himself he spoke again; ¡°Take me to your treasury.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± The butler¡¯s eyes bulged at his absurd request. ¡°Excuse me?¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°You heard me, take me to your treasury. Where you keep all your goods.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I-I can¡¯t. I do not have the authority to. Arhm, I still have a duty to my lord after all.¡±

    ¡°If this is right, then your lord¡¯s a madman and apparently the maker of this crisis. All those dead people outside are on him and many more are gonna follow if I don¡¯t do something. Do you want your loved one¡¯s to die like the rest of them?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± The butler hesitated. Peter could see his brain working behind that skull, checking to see if he actually did tell the truth. After some time he said; ¡°Please follow me.¡±

    Peter followed the man down the hall and behind the stairs where a small metal door stood hidden in the darkness of the shadow casted by the stairwell and the adjacent wall. The butler searched his attire for a moment before concluding to not have the key on him.

    Peter waved him off with a warning and decided to rest. He leaned against the wall and stretchd for a moment before Fliss¡¯s figure came into view. She cautiously walked over to the side of the steps, opposite him, searching for him. When she next came into view he could see that her robe had been patched up and she was visibly looking better than before.

    ¡°Down here,¡± he said lazily before she could climb the staircase.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Fliss changed her course and came to stand near the base railing, just a few meters away. She fidgeted her feet as she gathered her courage; ¡°Peter¡­I know this is too late but I want to say that I¡¯m sorry for lying to you for all these years. I-¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s that girlish voice,¡± Peter ruefully smiled. ¡°How did you hide that voice for soo long girl?¡±

    ¡°I¡­I had practiced with Volvo that one time he took me to learn how to collect the right herbs.¡±

    ¡°Funny thing now that I think about it, girl. You didn¡¯t speak before that, right? He took you alone that time, yeah and here the ignorant me thought he was gonna have the talk with you,¡± Peter laughed. ¡°I guess being a girl has its difficulties right? Especially one who was being forced to live in a man¡¯s team. Right girl?¡±

    ¡°Please stop calling me that,¡± Fliss said but Peter ignored her and continued. He was regaining some of that lost anger and he wanted nothing but to push out all he could before he felt sick of those feelings.

    ¡°But you could¡¯ve left the team, right?¡± Peter waved his hands as matter-of-factly. ¡°I mean there were other mix groups in the city, right? He must¡¯ve given you a chance, but you didn¡¯t take it¡­why didn¡¯t you take it? Why did you keep lying to us girl? Huh? Com¡¯on Speak-¡±

    ¡°My name¡¯s not girl!¡± Fliss shouted in a fit. ¡°It¡¯s Fliss.¡±

    ¡°No it¡¯s not!¡± Peter yelled back with greater force. ¡°Fliss was my brother, not some liar who¡¯s standing in front of me. Fliss was the boy, so what you I call you? A liar? Why not what you are, huh girl? ¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right, I have lied,¡± Fliss said sadly. ¡°I shortened my name to Fliss and have been using that for the last 5 years but I am as much of a Fliss as I am Flecity.¡±

    ¡°Flecity the liar, Ain¡¯t that the truth.¡± Peter said with a scowl. His adrenaline had run out, his heart was calming down and he was starting to feel the hollow-ness of it all. He despised it.

    ¡°Excuse me, mercenaries,¡± a voice came from the stairs. The butler was making his way down the stairs them with a key in hand and behind him was probably the longest and skinniest woman Peter had ever seen. She wore a long black maid¡¯s outfit with a large, tightly binding strap around her waist that wasn¡¯t doing her form any favors.

    ¡°Here¡¯s the key,¡± He held it up pas he walked past them to open the lock. ¡°Some light, my dear.¡±

    The woman hastily walked around the mercenaries and lit the lamp she was carrying, casting shadows everywhere. If the butler wasn¡¯t so comfortable around her Peter would¡¯ve actually believed her to be a real undead under disguise.

    ¡®If she smiles¡­¡¯ Peter¡¯s hand unconsciously went to his sword.

    ¡°There was something similar on the other side, too¡± Flecity murmured to herself.

    ¡°That would be trap, please refrain from touching that.¡± The butler calmly replied. The click of the lock resounded and the door creaked open. Taking the lantern from her he asked; ¡°Wait for us out here, dear.¡±

    ¡°No need for that. Flecity will keep look out, at least she can protect herself.¡± Peter spoke up, nodding to her.

    ¡°I-I¡¯ve had much too excitement for today.¡± The woman spoke shyly. ¡°I would like to accompany her if possible.¡±

    ¡°Sir, please. She¡¯s not well, let her rest.¡±

    ¡°No, she will not have her way just because¡­whatever, got that? Bending to their will hardly get¡¯s you anywhere,¡± He sent a scowl to Flecity before resuming; ¡°I¡¯m too tired to be the good guy now *Shling* so if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to see you two down those steps before me. And don¡¯t think about fighting, I¡¯m still confident I can still take you both if you turn on me like her.¡±

    ¡°...well then, we should be going then.¡± The butler took the lead, closely followed by the maid. Peter felt a nagging at his heart as he looked at Flecity turn to guard without a word, so before he joined them he tried appeasing it; ¡°Don¡¯t die, woman.¡±

    Peter sheathed his sword and joined the staff before anything could be said. He was led down a small spiraling stairway in silence. The butler began explaining how to avoid another set of traps lining the wall beside him. Upon hearing this; the maid almost threw herself against the pole holding the stairs, that situation took another minutes to diffuse.

    ¡°This place is cramped,¡± he remarked.

    ¡°..So the wealth cannot be stolen all at once.¡± The butler hesitated. He seemed to be gathering his courage for something.

    ¡°What d¡¯you want?¡± Peter said exasperated.

    ¡°If I may be so bold sir, I believe your argument with the young maiden is futile.¡±

    ¡°¡­You got some guts¡­Who¡¯re you again?¡±

    ¡°My name is Bertrand and she is Mathilda.¡±

    ¡°Hello,¡± Mathilda greeted.

    ¡°And what¡¯d you want to tell me again?¡±

    ¡°*Sigh* Sir, you argue under the pretense of anger and hatred, yet still speak with care to her.¡±

    ¡°One little comment to appease her, to make sure she doesn¡¯t run isn¡¯t speaking with care to her,¡± Peter scoffed. ¡°Besides, that¡¯s between me and her, you have no business interfering.¡±

    ¡°Then, perhaps, you shouldn¡¯t direct the anger you have for her at my wife. It really sends the wrong message.¡±

    ¡°And what would that be?¡±

    ¡°A cry for help, to simply speak. You are confused over what you¡¯re feeling; betrayal and love always brew the worst of confusions in one¡¯s mind, after all.¡±

    ¡°Just keep walking,¡± Peter frowned, ¡°don¡¯t need you falling cause your talking to me.¡±

    They reached the bottom of the step and Peter had just reached the last step when Bertrand spoke;

    ¡°Dear, can you give a few minutes?¡±

    ¡°O-okay,¡± she hastily walked away as he blocked his path. The doorway was so small that Peter couldn¡¯t see anything beyond the small spaces between Bertrand and the stone frame.

    ¡°What do we have here¡­?¡± Peter gripped one of his daggers.

    ¡°Sorry if it seemed rude of me to intrude but as a man and a husband I had to show that I can still protect her wishes, no matter how false the pretense might be.¡± He whispered. Peter gave him an odd look and asked what immediately came to his mind.

    ¡®Ugh, they¡¯re so nice I can¡¯t even find an excuse to beat them up.¡¯Peter thought.

    ¡°Why? Ain¡¯t she sickly?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sir,¡± Bertrand smiled slightly. ¡°No matter how much trouble she may bring with her I know that she is the only other person whom I can trust without fail hence she is my wife¡­and trust¡­that is a very important these days.¡±

    ¡®¡­I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve talking about her anymore?¡¯

    ¡°What if she lies to you? Huh? What if she betrays that trust?¡±

    ¡°I may never forget, but I can certainly forgive her mistakes,¡±

    ¡°But what if she does something too horrible to forgive?¡± Peter pushed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she would have a good reason,¡± Bertrand¡¯s smile wavered. He stepped aside and let Peter through. ¡°But¡­in the unlikely situation where I find myself torn up because of her lies and betrayal¡­I shall claim fault for choosing wrong and, taking my belonging with me, leave in search for someone else to share my trust with.¡±

    ¡°Heh, what if you find a man?¡± Peter joked as he began walking beside the butler.

    ¡°Then it shall be a man I share my trust.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡­.your a-¡±

    ¡°Dear god, No!¡± Bertrand exclaimed, seemingly aghast. Mathilda turned from where she was checking a few chests in the large room but another look from him kept her from interrupting. ¡°Nothing to worry about, my dear¡± then in a quite voice he replied, ¡°Sir¡­I can trust whomever I find worthy but¡­the carnal desires will can always be pleased by the another¡­uh, someone more appropriate.¡±

    ¡°hehe, alright thanks for the laugh,¡± Peter smirked. ¡°Alright, i¡¯ll try not to lash out anymore. Mathilda! Get over here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡±

    ¡°Uh,¡± He sent a sideway¡¯s glance at Bertrand who stared back with his poker face, ¡°How¡¯re ya feelin¡¯ right now?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine sir¡±

    ¡°Good, good¡­Listen, if you wanna go up now you can, only yer husband needs to be here.¡±

    ¡°I-I would prefer his company, sir.¡±

    ¡°Okay, now you two go over there and wait for my return,¡± Peter explained. ¡°I won¡¯t steal anything but I need my space.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir¡­.Bobolyne,¡± Mathilda mumbled as she leaned against her husband.

    ¡°I heard that,¡± Peter warned already searching the chests in near the small braziers, lit with the fire from the lamp.

    ¡°The fustilarian spoke to me sire. Please do not mind.¡± Bertrand spoke up.

    ¡®I can¡¯t tell if he was talking about me or her,¡¯ Peter frowned as he looked at the work before him. ¡®Well, if you gotta lose yourself in something it¡¯s better for it to be work than the thoughts in your idle mind.¡¯

    The teasure room was filled with dusty chests and old crates of different sizes. Sets of braziers holding metal bowls, some of which were already lit, aligned either side of the walls. Setting the room in a eery orange glow.

    Peter used his dagger to nitpick the locks before forcefully breaking them with kicks. All of them.

    ¡®He didn¡¯t mean her!¡¯ realization suddenly struck. ¡®You fop! Heh, he¡¯s not the only one privy to a noble¡¯s insults. Ah, there you are.¡¯

    Atop a few books in a chest was a large wooden box with etched designs and the symbol of the von Solus family in the middle. Pulling it out he broke the lock and revealed a bundle of scrolls neatly placed within. Peter took the one sealed with a blue wax and left the rest back.

    ¡°Only got one, see,¡± he held it up as he started walking back, blowing out the fires along the way. ¡°¡­How, did you know of these?¡± Bertrand asked, warily.

    ¡°Relax butler, Volvo told me.¡± Peter said as he shuffled through them. ¡°He received a scroll from the duke for one of our long quests for him. He had said that it came from a hidden treasury and since that box looks like the one he got it in, I took a guess. It¡¯s a flying scroll if I¡¯m not mistaken. What¡¯s it called?¡­vernas or something?¡±

    He stored the parchment in his clothes and followed Bertrand up. and Mathilda followed after Peter, sandwhiching him in the stairs. ¡®Perhaps it wasn¡¯t such a good idea¡­¡¯When they were in the middle of the stairs Bertrand suddenly stopped, causing Peter to press a dagger against his back.

    ¡°Bertrand!¡± Mathilda shouted.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you stop?¡± Peter asked quietly.

    ¡°I¡­*gulp* I want to make sure that once you have used it you will come back to pay it off under his lordship¡¯s service,¡± beads of sweat rolled down his face. ¡°I want your word.¡±

    ¡°The word of a bastard?¡± Peter laughed. ¡°Sure, why not. Once I use it up I¡¯ll repay it right after. Now move!¡±

    Peter shoved Bertrand forward and they continued up once more. Flecity was leaning against the stairs when they arrived but befre she could say anything Peter threw her the scroll and took her aside.

    *Sigh*¡°Listen, I¡¯m still realy mad at what you did,¡± Peter said, ¡°But right now I need your help activating this thing. From now on, until this thing is over I¡¯ll stop. But you got a lot to answer for once we¡¯re done. To me and Luvrit.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m really sorr-,¡±

    ¡°Uh-uh, Not now¡­and not like this,¡± Peter frowned, running his hands through his hair.

    ¡°Yeah, okay. So what are we gonna do?¡±

    ¡°I have a plan.¡±

    He explained to her his plan while showing her the letter Bertrand had found.

    ¡°What about the rest?¡± Flecity asked, having finished reading.

    ¡°Once reinforcements arrive they¡¯ll be taken care of,¡± Peter said, staring at the designs on the windows. ¡°If the letter is right then this might¡¯ve been all a trap from the begining, we¡¯re puppets in that madman¡¯s game. They don¡¯t realize it but i do, it was stupid to go against these things without any reinforcements.¡±

    ¡°Yeah but how are you going to get them to believe you? You look like a mercenary not a messenger,¡± Flecity asked.

    ¡°I thought I might chip out that thing for proof,¡± Peter pointed at the wall with that family symbol painted on it.

    ¡°Mercenaries, please don¡¯t make more of a mess here,¡± Bertrand stepped in. ¡°If you require identification of your authenticity then please take this letter for your meeting.¡±

    Bertrand took a letter Mathilda handed him and presented it to Peter and Flecity who looked it with confusion.

    ¡°It is a cry for help, in layman¡¯s terms. The duchess wrote it to her brother, the Earl of Sassaugh.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you send a messanger?¡± Peter shouted, snatching the letter from him.

    ¡°¡­It was the young lady that was meant to leave,¡± Bertrand spoke slowly. His face contorted in a worrisome expression and he licked his lips. ¡°Right now she is missing, presumed to have joined the fight with Miss Natravi.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡± Both Peter and Fliss shouted in unison.

    ¡°AAAAHHHH,¡±

    Their heads whipped to the noises coming from outside. Peter shoved the letter alongside his scroll and ran out the door, followed by the others. When he opened the door and came up to the scene he almost fell to his knees in despair.

    The wounded who¡¯d been lying in a vegetative state for the past half-hour were now running around. To an onlooker it looked as if the help from the house staff had allowed them to climb out into the world of the living once more and were just jittery from the happiness of being alive. The fog hid well, but Peter could see. He could see the black blood running down their mouths, their veins popping out to disproportionate levels and pieces of flesh of the staff hanging from their hands.

    The survivors who hadn¡¯t turned were running, but due to their excitement, most had fallen over themselves and were caught between the teeth of their attackers. Crunching sounds following by the thumping sounds of bodies falling kept ringing in his ears. Bodies covered in white linen, wrapped in blankets or sheets and clad in silver armor were the only ones lying on the ground. Peter could see that those who had become undead were the last batch of survivors¡­amongst which had been Brair.

    Peter¡¯s eyes quickly darted around to look for his friend and soon found the familiar form of her red hair. She was hunched over another survivor, the old woman that had been supporting her. Amongst all the chaos it seemed that all the undead avoided those two in the middle, that¡¯s when Peter found the reason. As if she had eyes in the back of her head, Brair turned around to show her face.

    Brair had bitemarks on her shaking forearms and a large chunk of meat missing from her left shoulder. Her skin was paler under the moonlight and she was in the middle of the fight, a fight which the undead were winning. She had gone over to the winning side and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

    ¡°No¡±

 Chapter 21: Getting Reinforcements (Peter)

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    Peter yelled as he pushed the undead into the herd they had created. There was no time to mop around, no rest for the good when half the people in their care had turned into their worst enemies. Peter had refused to move when he came across the sight of her turning into those lifeless monsters, thankfully Fli-Flecity had brought him back to his senses. He followed her instructions and was able to, alongside the remaining guards; force the undead into the group they were now trying to maintain.

    But like all good things, it didn¡¯t last. It took one feeble soldier to break the formation and fall from the push from the aggravated undead. As they began to pour out he understood one thing; they couldn¡¯t be contained.

    So, ignoring Flecity¡¯s orders he began to hack and slice. Blood fell in buckets as he lay out his anger and wrath on whatever he saw as not human. The others joined in and together they cut down the undead until only a few remained. As Peter moved in to the last few, sounds of women and children crying found their way to his ears.

    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Peter stared at the sky and bellowed with all his might. While he pushed back the undead he berated; ¡°Who do ya think yer whimperin¡¯ fer?! All of this is their fault! They turned and killed those you loved and then they turned and killed those I loved!¡±

    He could feel tears trickling down his face as he stared at the lifeless bodies around him. The bodies of mothers, fathers and children all seemed to stare at his figure as he spoke. He walked over the dead in embrace, around the legs and arms of children and away from the bodies before he could see even the green earth amidst all the blood.

    ¡°Peter¡­¡± Flecity said.

    ¡°Argh,¡± Peter said as he pushed against a particular heavy corpse, sending it tumbling before decapitating it. ¡°This is a massacre, Fliss. I see people dead because of their own stupidity and it is their stupidity that¡¯s cost us so much¡­unearned suffering. Sure people die all the time, it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t need whatever peace we had to last forever, but is, wishing for it to last until we¡¯ve both got what we wanted too much to ask? She¡¯s dead and I¡¯m still alive. This is their fault and those idiots, dare to mourn them like it isn¡¯t!? They deserve to hear this.¡±

    Peter killed off the last one infront of him and allowed himself to relax when he saw the guards closing in on the last ones, obstructing them from his view. Turning his attention to the crying girl he motioned for her to continue.

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s allowed to mourn whomever they want. You can¡¯t fault them for-¡±

    ¡°Peter,¡± the old guard interrupted as he came over. ¡°I want you to look for some bandages in the manor. Would you do that for me?¡±

    Peter was about to reply when the spray of blood caught his attention. The moonlight let up once again and the red hair of the remaining undead caught his attention. Pushing the guard aside he was able to catch a flash of her face.

    ¡®Brair¡¯ his core shook again. ¡®No, no, no.¡¯

    ¡°Hey, get away from her!¡± He yelled as he made his way over. Brair¡¯s decayed form jolted at his voice and turned in his direction, giving him full view of what he¡¯d lost. Brair was dead, replaced by a mindless slave of magic. Her bright hazel eyes were being replaced by an evergrowing milky colour. Her tanned, freckled face was also losing the colour it once held, turning paler by the second. The muscles around her face had slackened to a single bored expression as she gazed in his direction. All traces of the headstrong woman he had known before was gone.

    ¡°Peter, be careful,¡± Flecity said. ¡°You could still turn.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Brair¡¯s our friend. She¡¯s not gonna kill me just like that,¡± Peter replied pushing said woman back. By now the guards had opened up their circle and were being called back by the oldest amongst them, allowing him to take care of the lone undead, however one refused to obey.

    ¡°What¡¯re you doing? Kill her, she¡¯s one of them,¡± the guard, Hamish, shouted. ¡°What was whole rant just about?¡±

    ¡°Shut it, argh, you green horn bitch,¡± Peter said as Brair almost capsized him. ¡°Ha, ha, I have the strength to stop things like them, stop them from killing me. These people here, they leach off of my strength, they bum off of the safety I provide. I have the strength to do something about this so I can do this. They don¡¯t have shit so they keep their mouths shut. Learn from them green horn, if not fer that elder you would¡¯ve been dead for speaking like that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, fer the love of-she¡¯s an undead, an unholy being controlled by a flow reader. If you¡¯re not going to kill her I will,¡± Hamish stepped forward and attempted to strike her from the back.

    ¡°Hamish stop-¡± the old guard spoke out.

    However Peter reacted quickly and dodged past the flailing arms of Brair before punching the guard in the unarmored part of his body, pushing him back. The guard grabbed his broken nose and cursed a string of nonsensical words before attempting to attack Peter. Peter dodged the first slash and parried the second before unarming the guard on the third. He headbutted the guard before pushing him away.

    ¡°Hamish you idiot stay down,¡± the elder knelt beside the young man and held him down by the shoulders.

    ¡°Fliss keep her away,¡± Peter ordered before returning his attention to the guard¡¯s glare.

    ¡°All of them lying behind her were undead, you only killed them,¡± the guard spat. ¡°But now you turn into a coward when it comes to her.¡±

    ¡°Like Fliss said, she is our friend-¡±

    ¡°-SO WHAT!¡± the guard pushed out of his hold. ¡°What gives you the right to keep her like this, this monster when everyone else is dead? My aunt was amongst those survivors when they turned, I HAD TO KILL HER!¡±

    ¡°Hamish¡­¡±

    Only the growls of Brair were carried by the winds, that and the huffs of Hamish as he shakily stood up. Peter frowned at the insinuation but kept his mouth shut.

    ¡®What¡¯s so wrong about this? Why is he acting out like a child so much?¡¯ Such thoughts passed his mind as he awaited for the man to speak.

    ¡°Weak people like them couldn¡¯t kill their turned lovers,¡± Hamish pointed at their swordless audience. ¡°They had to watch us do it for them; they went through the pain. People with strength, like us followed through with our action and killed our turned lovers.¡± Hamish gestured to the soldiers beside him. ¡°And we went through the same pain. We all shared the same greif¡­but you! You want to stop it when it suits you ¡®cause what? You¡¯re strong? Because you¡¯re different?¡±

    ¡®Is it so wrong to want to be treated differently,¡¯ Peter thought. ¡®I¡¯ve suffered more than them, I¡¯ve given more of myself to get to the same place where he did. Don¡¯t I deserve more?¡¯

    ¡°¡­No. It¡¯s not ¡¯cause I¡¯m different. It¡¯s just ¡¯cause I don¡¯t give shit about any of them,¡± Peter gestured around him. ¡°She means something to me and that girl too. I don¡¯t care about any other undead to give them, special treatment.¡±

    ¡°Peter,¡± Flecity spoke up. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not such a good idea to keep her here.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± He approached Briar and she reacted by hoarsely growling in his direction. Peter tackled her with the shield which sent her tumbling back. He stood beside Flecity and the two shared a moment of silence.

    ¡°Butler!¡± Peter suddenly yelled. The man bounded to him from the steps of the manor, taking a crescent route to avoid all the bodies.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Yes?¡± he said trying to hold in his vomit.

    ¡°Open up the gates,¡± Peter said as he grabbed Flecity¡¯s staff and began pushing Brair back.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Flecity asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get her out of here. I also need to get this,¡± Peter took out an evelope and waved it around. ¡°To the Willus family so they send reinforcements-woah.¡±

    Brair was able to get past the stick and was only a few inches away from Peter¡¯s chest before he jumped back. He responded with a wack on her head and pushed her out the open doors held open by Bertrand.

    ¡°Close it!¡±

    Brair tried jumping back inside but the iron bars crashed into her, causing her to stumble back. She howled and growled without any real voice forming due to her decayed voicebox as she struggled to get past the gates. He held her on a pedestal and seeing her fall so far from grace sent a single tear down his eye. Flecity leaned against him for comfort and despite the fight they had a few minutes ago Peter felt obliged to forgive her under the circumstances. Bertrand went away, saying he needed to check on Mathilda when another individual joined them in their watch. The oldman stood beside them as he watched Brair¡¯s flow-controlled body smash against the bars, slobering everywhere as her hands tried reaching in the air to pull her prey closer.

    ¡°I¡¯m old¡­¡± the old man began. ¡°I¡¯ve travelled to Yikensworth from Barkilth when I was just your age. I rode in on a carriage with all my belongings from my father¡¯s house to get here. Along the way one of the wheels broke and I was forced to stop at the side of the road to fix it. Now soon after I had begun repairing that damn thing a couple of people rode in on horses. They were nice enough at first, chatted me up into believing I actually knew one of them from before while one of them helped me with the repairs. I became too relaxed around them and by the time I realized what was happening it had been too late. They took my carraige and horses and rode off with all my belongings, leaving me with just the empty road on either side. You know what I did after that? I laughed. I laughed because I refused to believe that all of this was just a coincidence. That my wheel would break at the same time as when they were passing by and that I would choose the exact moment to let my guard down when the repairs were almost complete. There wasn¡¯t anything that couldn¡¯t be replaced in there, except for the scroll I needed get into Yikensworth and lord knows that when those slimy Barkilth guards were gonna give me another permit. Even till now, I believe it was a play by god, a test of the strength of my fate in him. So I turned back and went home. I prayed for the next few months for my things to return; working in the morning and praying everynight. Things seemed ¡­bleak but I continued praying. On the fourth month, after I had finished praying, a man came to my house on horseback. He claimed to be a guard from Yikensworth but didn¡¯t wear any insignia for it nor did he have proper armor on. I gave him my name and then described the incident which caused me to lose my scroll of entry. Before I could ask him anything he handed me a scroll and rode away. That scroll was what was stolen from me four months ago. Anyways, What I¡¯m trying to say is; I had faith in my god and I was given my reward for my belief. God does things that are beyond our comprehension, but we gotta have faith and let things be as they are.¡±

    ¡°If you think I am going to let them kill her-¡± Peter began.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. God has allowed all of them to die but not one of us; the guards have not so much as a scratch on them from this. He allowed your girl to not get cut by the hands of Hamish because he knew you would protect her and others from her. God has a plan for you two, just have faith in him.¡±

    ¡°Listen-¡±

    ¡°Also,¡± he continued. ¡°Hamish lost his mother in the last war ¡¯cause of the undead made by the flow readers of Chimereans.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know-¡±

    ¡°Well now you do!¡± the oldman said gruffly. ¡°So I¡¯d like it if you could apologize for what you said, on a weak old man¡¯s request. Hmm?¡±

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s he to you?¡±

    ¡°His mother had been dear to me.¡±

    *Sigh* ¡°Fine,¡± Peter said and without turning around apologized to Hamish. Fortunately for him the oldman accepted it as it was and let the matter drop.

    ¡°God isn¡¯t picky with believer and non-believer son, not until judgement day anyway but that¡¯s a long way away. You just do what you can and have faith that he will help with the rest, that¡¯s all. Now what do you want to do with her?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Peter looked at Flecity. ¡°I want to save her.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s this talk about delivering an evelope?¡±

    ¡°I, uh, got this envelope from Natravi saying that the duchess has written a letter for help to her brother Baron Willus and this is it. I gotta deliver this to them so that we can get some re-enforcements here and stop this mess.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, you¡¯ll need a horse to get that far, a big one if you¡¯re gonna take her with you,¡± The old man grabbed his chin in thought.

    ¡°I need you to help out here Fliss. But I¡¯ll come back soon enough, with her cured.¡± Peter lazily held a finger pointing at Brair. ¡°Do you have a horse around here oldman?¡±

    ¡°Peter, don¡¯t you have a ventus scroll?¡± Flecity asked.

    ¡°Yeah but it can¡¯t get us all the way,¡± Peter took out the scroll he¡¯d taken from the treasury.

    ¡°Maybe I can¡­¡± Flecity said, deep in thought. After a moment she held out her hand and Peter, after raising an eyebrow, gave her the scroll and staff.

    *Sigh* ¡°Just¡­get be ready, okay.¡± She said nervously.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    But before he could ask further Flecity began murmuring a spell. The winds suddenly picked up around them, clearing out the fog. The scroll suddenly lit up as blue light began flashing from within and when she unscrolled it Peter saw the light turn from a blue one to a dark green one. Flecity kept on murmuring the spell, even as her figure began to shake and beads of sweat began rolling down her face.

    ¡°[Fluunt in, vim Ventorum]¡±

    The wind¡¯s suddenly stopped and Flecity fell down to her knees. She leaned against her staff for support as she tried to stop herself from puking. Peter quickly knelt beside her and helped her up but with her knees so wobbly like lard he had no choice but to set her down. The scroll she held in her hand began to burn in green flames, turning into black ashes as the winds picked up around him.

    ¡°Hey what did you do?¡± Peter asked as he began to panic.

    ¡°Get her,¡± Flecity whimpered before she puked at his legs.

    ¡°Hey! What do you mean-¡± Peter said as he felt himself lift off the ground. ¡°Oh shit!¡±

    The oldman held open the gates just as Peter began running towards Brair, but the further he travelled, the more he levitated untill he was just free floating in the air. Fortunately, Brair met him half way or was it unfortunately. She rushed him and grabbed his left foot just as he was beyond reach. Before he could react she chomped down on the leather shoe, digging her teeth in.

    ¡°AHHH Fuck!¡± Peter yelled. He held his leg as he kept rising and glared at Brair still chewing on the leather. ¡°Marian ¡®tumbleweed¡¯ Brair Rose, when ya get fixed I¡¯ll be the first t¡¯ kill ya for that, hear me!¡±

    *Whoosh*

    The same whirlwind that had flung them towards Yikensworth appeared beneath him, except this one was much bigger and was pulling in the fog around them making it look like they were standing on clouds. A loud sucking sound emanated from beneath them as they were slowly lowered to ground, dangerously slow. Hamish and the other young guards tried to restrain Brair but Flecity¡¯s shouts rooted them to the ground. In the short time they¡¯d touched the ground, Peter was able to kick Brair off and restrain her by locking her arms behind her back.

    ¡°Not now Red, we¡¯ll do this when you¡¯re cured.¡± Peter smirked as he dodged Briars attempts to bite his face. ¡°Hey, Fliss! What ha-¡±

    *Shhhaaaw*

    Without warning the winds suddenly blew Peter and the corpse off into the sky, shooting him into the distant east. Though the man was gone his curses still lingered, layered alongside the ringing in everyone¡¯s ears.

    This, again, pushed Flecity over the edge and she was forced to paint the grassy courtyard with her sickness. While her ordeal was still afoot the remaining guards came over to help in whatever useless manner they could; patting her back or just standing close by. The oldest guard amongst them called for Bertrand to fetch water.

    ¡°That idiot!¡± Flecity huffed. She was hunched over in exhaustion and coughed vehemently as she tried to pull herself together. ¡°Marian-tum? Orientum? *Sigh* He went the wrong way.¡±

    Hamish quickly pulled her up as she fell unconscious, narrowly missing the vomit beneath. The senior guard looked her over and sighed in relief as he directed his attention at the dissipating fog in direction of Peter¡¯s flight.

    ¡°If that fool went where I think he did¡­then may the lord have mercy on him,¡± he said.

    ¡°He took an undead with him to the baron¡¯s doorstep, right? He doesn¡¯t need the lord if he¡¯s stronger than he is stupid,¡± Hamish frowned as he princess-carried Flecity. ¡°Everything¡¯ll be fine here now that he¡¯s gone.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you idiot. You, fucking, idiot,¡± The old man gave Hamish one look and exasperatedly yelled at the skies in despair. ¡°God! Why am I stuck with this buffoon? Why must you test and torment me so?! ¡®Cause of you! I¡¯m certain we¡¯re doomed. Haven¡¯t I taught you anything, boy? ¡®Don¡¯t tempt fate!¡¯ You said ¡®nothing happens around here¡¯ and then this happened. ¡®Everything¡¯ll be fine here?¡¯ You want us going to war? God almighty, Hamish, just leave, alright. Go, shoo, go, go help Betrand in the manor.¡±

    Hamish hung his head in obedience as he carried the boyish girl by the pile of bodies. He stopped at a particular corpse and offered a prayer to the heavens before continuing. The butler and his wife were sitting at the bottom of the stairs deep in conversation. He had to stomp close to them before they noticed his presence. The butler quickly took the girl and retreated to a room in the east wing, accompanied by the headmaid. Hamish exited the manor soon after and looked at the reforming fog before joining the old guard atop a watchtower overlooking the city.

    ¡°Why did you defend him?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t defend him. I criticized you and tried to stop you from commiting the sin of hypocrisy. He helped us with those bastards and you turned on him because what? He did the same thing you did before I killed her in your stead? Haah, lets hope you didn¡¯t jinx us with what you said before. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to survive another war.¡±

    ¡°If a war does happen, sir,¡± he spoke in a somber tone as the old guard clasped him on the shoulder. ¡°I hope my old man doesn¡¯t have the chance to see it.¡±

    ¡°Heh, thanks for caring son.¡±

 Chapter 22: Last Goodbyes (Peter)

    ~A few hours later~

    ¡°Argh, ya bitch¡± Peter shouted as Brair slammed the back of her head into his nose. Blood began to trickle down, but the fast winds pulled it to the sides in form of a thin bloody mustache. ¡°It better be worth all this!¡±

    Peter ducked his head behind Brair¡¯s shoulder and began to wipe it with the dirty leather while keeping a vice grip of Brair¡¯s hands behind her back. It was the only thing he could do to prevent her from grabbing him and making his her next meal.

    Since he was travelling at such speeds that the winds whistled in his ears, Peter had to duck multiple times behind her frame to catch his breath. As the winds carried them past the darkness and into a true blue sky that Peter, for the first time, noticed how strange it looked considering he was going east.

    ¡®Volvo said most of Ansdrovea was grassy hills and forests,¡¯ he thought. ¡®So why are there so many rocks?¡¯

    A cavalcade of rocks was beneath them; slowly increasing in size the further they went. Peter could see a range of mountains approaching them and, quite in his right, panicked when he felt the winds slow down.

    ¡°Shit! Not now,¡± he yelled. ¡°Higher, c¡¯mon higher! Dammit, what¡¯d she say...Altior. Huh? Altior Altior Altior¡­WHY IS NOTHING HAPPENING?¡±

    ¡®Why did it work with Natravi?¡¯ he thought.

    Peter almost lost his grip on Brair¡¯s hands but the rigourous wiggling and scratches were able to pull him back to reality. The closer he approached the mountain, the more he began speculating which edge or rock he would be flattened against. He braced himself as he laid himself almost completely behind her body.

    ¡°God, if there¡¯s a god, if you¡¯re watching down on me, if you think I deserve a second chance¡­help, please,¡± Peter whispered. He was only a hundred meters away from the wall of the mountain when he laid his head against the back of Brair¡¯s and thought of the best moments in his life. Everything seemed to slow down after that.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­A few years ago¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    ¡®This was such a stupid plan¡¯ he thought. ¡®Hiding from a stronger opponent isn¡¯t cowardice, it¡¯s instincts. I¡¯m not a coward.¡¯

    Hanging behind the jagged rocks of a nameless cavern Peter could hear the cries of his fellows, his friends fighting for their lives against an enemy he knew was too much for them.

    ¡®I told Volvo. I told him the Liche was too powerful for us,¡¯ tears began to well up, blurring his vision. ¡®He just had to show off infront of that noble bastard. I told him to turn down that fucking contract and now everyone¡¯s gonna die because of it. Can¡¯t they see they¡¯re gonna lose? Hide you idiots!¡¯

    He¡¯d fought with them for almost half an hour, breaking the skeletons and decapitating those still carrying their skin. His sword was chiped and his shield lost, only Volvo still had all his equipment completely intact, despite taking the lead. When it looked like they couldn¡¯t win he tried to argue that they should run but they didn¡¯t listen, they never did. He¡¯d reached only walkway to the exit when the attack from the Liche sent him flying over and off the cliff.

    Fortunately, he¡¯d grabbed the edges of the rocks and stuck himself along cliff edge. The battle raged above him while he cowardly waited for it all to end. Below him a small stream ran by, but the fall was too large and the stream too narrow to risk anything. He wanted it all to end so the Liche would leave them alone, why wouldn¡¯t they listen to him?!

    His team was cornered at the edge and their cries reverberated through the cavern. Images of bloody bodies bend and twisted in unnatural angles, their souless eyes and pleas plagued his mind. They were outmatched from the start; they knew nothing of what lay in the cavern except for the Liche and they weren¡¯t familiar with the place. They should¡¯ve brought more, they should¡¯ve-they should¡¯ve turned down his request. They had the chance!Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    *Fwoosh*

    A thread of orange suddenly glowed beside him and only because of his instincts was he able to escape the fire that only moments later consumed the rocks beside him. ¡®Gotta move¡¯ following that thought he made his way around the side of the cliff he had latched onto.

    ¡®One rock, two rock, 3-4 rock, c¡¯mon Petey boy, you can survive, you always do.¡¯

    He was able to climb across to the other side almost opposite to where the Liche had cornered the others and once again considered running. There was nothing he could do so why try. His sword was lost, his shield too far for him to get and his team running on their last legs. He was fast, he could escape and get help before the day was out, yes, he could do that. He would do that.

    ¡°Volvo, how do we do this?¡± he heard Luvrit ask. The cavern bounced his voice over the crackling of fire around the stage.

    ¡°Get Fliss close enough,¡± the man yelled. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to douse it with the phial we got from those UNASA guys.¡±

    He could hear it all as he climbed up he peaked over the ledge just in time to see the orange thread graze over the rocks just a few feet away from his fingers. From where he was he could see it run around sides of their stage and he knew that when it joined up with its other end the whole place will be engulfed in fire.

    ¡°Now!¡±Volvo said as he pushed Fliss forward before joining Luvrit in kneeling behind their shields. Peter saw Fliss trip, FUCKING trip over a CRACK in the stone, before the whole place was engulfed in flames. He jumped down to the lower level of rocks as the flames expanded out, sending dust and debris his way.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± that accursed girly shriek soon followed. He was getting ready to climb again when he saw Fliss flying off the edge. His eyes widened and his heartbeat quickened as he saw the boy fall into the chasm below. Time seemed to slow down and he saw the boy¡¯s look of horror morph to a mixture of many emotions before they faded to unconsciousness under the orange hue of the flames. Peter¡¯s body moved on its own before he could make sense of it all. His hand missed grabbing his shoulder, but not his elbow. His fingers dug into the rocks he was holding and his nails pushed into his skin, breaking in the worst way, to keep the jerk of the boy¡¯s added weight under control.

    ¡°Argh,¡± he growled and bit down on the pain. Blood trickled over the rock and down the sides of his mouth as he pulled Fliss up into a hug. It hurt, the soles of his feet tickled almost as if they were about to let go but he held on.

    ¡°Its okay kid, everything¡¯s gonna be alright.¡±

    Peter looked down and saw the boys face; bloody, ashen and unconscious. His only saving grace was that he was able to notice the slight rise and fall from his chest.

    ¡®They¡¯ll lose if I leave¡­I don¡¯t them to die,¡¯ Peter shook his head. ¡®That thing doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m alive, I can do this.¡¯

    Pulling Fliss along with himself up the ledge Peter was relieved to find that the Liche hadn¡¯t noticed them yet. He searched the boy and found the crackled phial tightly gripped in his hands. Wrestling it lose Peter stood up and slowly approached the monster. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, his hands felt weak but one look to his oldest friend, that rare and ugly look of desperation, gave him enough courage to march a few more steps forward and throw the thing at the back of the unsuspecting undead.

    ¡°YEEE!¡± The creature screeched to the heavens as the liquid began melting its shoulders. Its arms fell off first, then followed the ribcage and that completely melted into a weird liquid. The legs were the only thing left standing as its head fell between them.

    Peter didn¡¯t feel smug, nor did he feel prideful as he looked at their shocked expressions. He felt ashamed and angry. Angry at the undead who made him run away. He marched up to it and sent another leg between the two, smashing the skull to smitherines.

    He was huffing and sweating profusely as he looked up to meet Volvo and Luvrit¡¯s eyes. Shame set ablaze to his ears as tears threatened to break out. The sudden coughinh from behind him was a welcome distraction. Racing to him Peter helped the boy sit up, asking stupid things like where it hurt and if he was okay.

    He didn¡¯t want to face the two approaching figures behind him.

    ¡°Peter? You came back,¡± Fliss¡¯s cracked voice, his beaten face and his own fear sent him tumbling. He held the boy close as he assured him of his safety, hugging him tightly. Luckily Fliss didn¡¯t question it and held on just as tightly, sobbing into dirty coif so that it disguised his own grief.

    Peter felt a hand squeeze his shoulder and looking up saw Volvo¡¯s face, illuminated in the torches light. He smirked down at him and Peter felt his stomach twist at the next words.

    ¡°Welcome back to the family son¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..Back to the present¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    ¡°Goodbye, everyone¡± Peter whispered with a smirk. He laid his head again Brair one last time and awaited death.

 Chapter 23: Behind Enemy Lines (Peter)

    [Peter¡­he might be useful in finding her]

    The being raised its hands for the second time ever since its loss. Its vertical slits adorned atop its head hidden in the walls opened like an alligators and read the flow, little threads of all colours , for the power it desired. It followed the thread with least prominent colour of them all; a pale red tucked underneath the golden thread of reality. Using its long nails the being caught onto the thread and after separating it from the rest began to read the words that were inscribed on it. Unlike most it could read the thread instead of the random words the thread would discard to a sentient being.

    Having done what it desired the being let go of the string and leaned back into the rocks it had long occupied, ever since the loss of its companion. It rested and waited till she would come back and if she didn¡¯t¡­then it had an eternity to find her. One of the greatest the perks of being immortals.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    ¡°Goodbye, everyone¡±

    -Rhum-

    A thundering sound spread across the open, clear skies as an invisible force slapped the two struggling bodies downwards. Though they were still moving at a dangerous speed, their direction had drastically changed to the base of the mountain; a linchpin for the many small streams converging into a small waterfall upon a noticible gorge. A small forest covered the area around the water fall and the evening sun had set its rays on beautifying everything before they drowned in the glimmering waters.

    The loud splashing sound entered his ears before everything was muffled by the water. The feeling of Brair¡¯s shaking body vibrated his bones as the cold stabbed him. For a few seconds he sank, slowly entering the state of nothingness until his foot contacted the floor, anchoring him to the realm of the living. Peter pushed with all his might and swam to the top with a struggling Brair restrained in his hands.

    ¡°PAH-urk-plegh¡± *Cough**Cough*

    ¡°AAAAAAH¡± The loud shrieks caught his attention as he blinked away the water. He decided that if there had been any upside to the ride then this moment was it. Peter had accidently came upon four beautiful, completely naked, mature women, who in their moment of fear were scrambling towards the shore of the small lit cavern behind the water fall giving him a nice view and bad headache.

    ¡°RAAA¡±

    Brair bucked her head backwards and caught Peter on the nose once more, causing her to break free of her restraints and slip away into the water. Peter cursed out and dove beneath the surface, grappling with the armor of the woman. Brair quickly turned around and caught Peter¡¯s face with a backhand before grabbing his armor and pulled him in for a bite. Peter bucked backwards and used his legs to kick her away, but Brair wouldn¡¯t have it. She swam back as soon as she was pushed away and began the grappling anew. They struggled in the water, flipping and twisting as they punched or grabbed the others face.

    Eventually the exhaustion began to wear down on Peter and the effect of adrenaline began to slowly subsid. But in that fleeting moment, as a last ditch effort Peter did something risky. He followed along with Brairs movements and pulled her in towards his neck. Lost in the frenzy of her soulless mind Brair¡¯s corpse loosened its hands from his sides and began to reach up for his neck. Peter took the opportunity and thrust his balled up fists upwards. They wedged themselves against their chests, sending Brair slightly back while knocking away her approaching hands and landing a double uppercut to her jaw. Simultaneously, Peter pulled up his knees and double-kicked her away into the waters, using the time to swim away to shore.

    ¡°<u>Send for the guards</u>!¡±

    When he came up the water surface he heard one of the girls yell something in a language he could not understand. Though the thick accent told him he was somewhere east.

    Grabbing onto the rocks he climbed out and crawled away on his back, propped up by elbows. Brair was struggling to get to shore as she mimicked his movements but failing everytime. Peter stood up with as much haste as he could and looked around for the ladies, whom he found brandishing weapons in a corner. They had their clothes laid on a large rock beside them and an empty basket underneath the rock. None seemed to care for the article of modesty behind them as the three pointed their sword and daggers are him.

    *Cough**Cough*

    With the adrenaline gone, Peter began to gasp and pant for air as his body stabilized. The coldness from the water had seeped into his bones and the clinging wetness did not help the case that he feared a cold settling in.

    One of them began to run towards him with her sword but Peter quickly twisted around and unsheathed his own before poiting at the approaching woman. She stopped in her tracks and he could see her considering her options so he decided to help.

    ¡°You attack me, I send us both in there with her,¡± He gestured towards Brair. ¡°I push ya ta get eaten, while I swim away and *Cough* take care of those other wenches before the guards get here.¡±

    She snarled as he smirked and reluctantly obeyed when he gestured for her to go back.

    ¡°Now, where, *Cough* where am I?¡± Peter asked when she joined the others. He unabashedly stared at their bodies while addressing them. Hey, if they wanted to show off then who was he to deny them. But Peter was a seasoned man and so didn¡¯t react to any of their bodies despite the clear view and no matter how nice their assets hung. After all, he had work to do.

    The tallest amongst them, who¡¯d made the first move, seemed to be in charge with the way she held herself and the fact that she was the only one that had a sword while the others held a dagger in each hand. ¡°You, lady with the-¡± Peter motioned with his free hand, ¡°twisted hair, answer me.¡±

    ¡°You are in my lad-my cavern,¡± the tallest and seemingly strongest amongst them spoke.

    ¡®God that accents harder to understand than one of Luvrit¡¯s ramblings¡­cavern she said?¡¯

    ¡°Ha, well oh well, thank goodness then!¡± Peter sighed sarcastically. ¡°I thought this was a brothel for a minute there.¡±

    ¡°Listen here, you vulgar perverted shcum-¡±

    ¡°No, you listen to me you shameless, ugly, pervert of a woman,¡± Peter struck out his sword. ¡°That over there is going to kill you all, I¡¯m the only thing standing between her and her meal. You will tell me which nation I am in or I¡¯ll make sure that the guards find your bodies defiled.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    The smaller plump woman audibly gulped before shifting closer to the taller one.

    ¡°¡­This is Zuerst, the city of Chim?re¡± the tall woman interrupted.

    ¡°Chimera? Fuck!¡± Peter shouted. ¡°How did I go the wrong way.¡±

    ¡°Wh-who are you?¡± The scared woman on the left asked. She had light auburn hair and milky white skin with an arched nose as the most discerning feature, other than her short height and plump figure.

    ¡®She¡¯s faking it,¡¯ he realized. ¡®¡­Wait? Where did that come from? Instinct is that you?¡¯

    ¡°¡­¡± Peter frowned and continued staring at the three.

    ¡°Hey! We answered your question now answer us; who are you?¡± The tall woman shouted.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one you¡¯re gonna let go and forget you ever saw,¡± Peter said slowly getting up. ¡°Now then, if you¡¯ll escuse me LadAAAH!¡±

    While his attention was on the women Brair had managed to climb onto the rocks and latch onto his legs.

    Peter jumped forward instinctively and almost tripped had he not used the sword as a cane. He pushed up and began kicking the hands but she hung on as he struggled, nails digging in in the process. When her hands finally came free Peter had but a moment to glance at her fingernails, holding his flesh and leather, before the sounds of approaching footsteps drew his attention.

    Giving Brair¡¯s head a strong kick, which sent her falling back into the pond, he spun around and barely parried an incoming strike, the clash of metal rung out in the cavern as he was pushed to a crouch. The tall woman continued her strikes from all directions as Peter was steadily pushed back. His back leg trembled and he attempted to roll sideways. But the woman anticipated it and struck a kick to his jaw before parrying the sword away.

    *Splash*

    Peter gurgled and chocked before coming to the surface with a loud gasp of air. To his side was Brair, slowly making her way towards him and to his front were the three girls, dagger in hand. A quick check on his persons drowned any hope he had of defeating them. He didn¡¯t have his bow, nor his swords and barely any strength to fight both Brair and three other women with the only dagger he had.

    ¡°I give up!¡± He shouted, raising his hands in surrender. Peter swam to the far-side of the cavern holding onto rocks for support as he showed his free hand. The girls cautiously followed his movements, swords at the ready as they came closer.

    ¡°Stop moving,¡± the tall woman ordered. Peter obeyed and remained afloat in the waters. She bent low, unconsciously giving Peter a full view of her hanging breasts and brought her sword to his neck. ¡°Answer. Her. Question.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m a mercenary, Three Strike.¡±

    ¡°Name?¡±

    ¡°Peter, ¡®m an orphan so no last name.¡±

    A look of understanding passed the woman¡¯s face before she reclaimed her angry scowl and instead pointed her sword to Brair¡¯s moving corpse.

    ¡°Why is an undead with you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Peter stretched his lips in a thin line as he mulled over his answer. ¡°She¡¯s my partner. She was bitten badly and changed into an undead-¡±

    ¡°Frauliene!¡± A shout came from behind them; four soldiers in silver armor donning yellow colors on their underclothes burst in from the cloth-door. The well hung amongst them shrieked in surprise and the men shouted in response drawing the tall woman¡¯s attention for a split second.

    That second was all Peter needed to strike her hand with a chop and pulled her in with him by the arms. The woman resisted slightly but Peter used the rock walls to kick back and pull her in the rest of the way.

    They grappled under water for a while, each punching and kicking the other in whatever way they could. When his lungs pounded in his chest he was forced to let go. She kicked him deeper down as she made her ascent. Meanwhile Peter brought out a knife from its sheath and swam to latch onto her leg. Before she could wriggle and resist he pressed the knife beside her thigh as warning. The woman didn¡¯t react and continued to fight forcing him to stab her leg. When he heard her muffled shriek Peter made his way back up and pressed the blade beside her neck, drawing blood.

    ¡°Frauleine!¡± One of the shoulders shouted when he saw her resurface with him. His face went red with anger and he yelled; ¡°Schei?kerl!¡±

    ¡°Easy! Easy now, let¡¯s take it slow,¡± Peter said, trailing his knife around her neck. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to do this but she wouldn¡¯t have any other way. Right woman? Now then, I need everyone here to leave this cavern right now; you¡¯ll come back when I tell you to-¡±

    ¡°Wir nehmen keine-¡±

    ¡°HEY! I am speaking! Your, Fraulein is bleeding right now and right now I hold her life in my hands. No scratch that, I hold her life loosely, so you better do as I say if you want your leader to stay alive,¡± Peter smirked as he pecked her cheek. ¡°You can thank your underling for telling me.¡±

    ¡°You bastard,¡± she gritted her teeth. ¡°M?nner, mach dir keine Sorgen um mich. T?te ihn.¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± Peter pressed the blade closer. ¡°One step closer and she dies. Get back! What did you tell them?¡±

    Peter carefully cut on her shoulder, showing off the blood that trickled down afterwards.

    ¡°Tell me or I continue.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Peter whispered.

    ¡°Meine Dame, es war eine Ehre, zu dienen -¡±

    ¡°Let her go!¡±

    It took Peter a moment to realize that it wasn¡¯t the plum woman who spoke but rather the skinny one. She fiercely looked at both the soft skinned and tall woman before addressing.

    ¡°I am a noble and Helga is my guard,¡± she said with displeasure. ¡°You expressed your desire to escape in everyone¡¯s absence?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I cannot grant that.¡±

    ¡°You wanna test me,¡± Peter frowned.

    ¡°I request to mantain my presence in this room while you escape.¡±

    ¡°What? Request to maintain?¡­Why? Can¡¯t leave your very own guard? Afraid daddy¡¯ll replace her with another one if I kill her?¡±

    ¡°¡­No, even if her last moment must be within this lit cavern I would accept it as it is. However I will not forgive myself if I let myself succumb to the threats from a deviated peasant and miss the final moments of a much more honorable one.¡±

    ¡°Ha, man you nobles and your tongue-¡±

    ¡°I will not leave, even on your account,¡± she said stoicly.

    ¡°How noble-like,¡± Peter gave a dry laugh. ¡°True friend¡¯s worth is found in war, go find hers with Alexandria. *Cough*Cough*¡­Ugh, Fine!¡±

    Peter wiped his bloody mouth with her shoulder as he waded away from the incoming Brair. Meanwhile the noble ordered the others to leave and when the last one left, said; ¡°I have delivered, now it is your turn.¡±

    Peter nodded and began swimming backwards, forcing himself to keep upright. Seeing its prey change course Brair also began following him. Finally they were able to reach the edge of the lake, where the small water fall covered the face of the cave. Brair had almost caught up.

    ¡°Okay, miss leader, move past the dead killer unharmed and you get to live another day.¡±

    ¡°I will find you-¡±

    ¡°And I will be waiting. I owe you for this after all,¡± Peter popped his jaw which was slowly turning blue. ¡°But now ain¡¯t the time and I certainly don¡¯t enough energy to deal with two women at once, yet.¡±

    Peter shoved the lady into a tangent as Brair lunged for him. She narrowly escaped from the corpse¡¯s hands before swimming away, acutely aware of it disappearing behind the waterfall after that mercenary; Peter. Fey made her way to the shore and gingerly knelt before the noble-woman. Her face was slightly crimson and her hands were clutched to her sides while her head hung low. She felt a small hand place itself on her shoulder yet she didn¡¯t look up.

    ¡°<u>It¡¯s alright Helga</u>,¡±came the soothing common tongue. ¡°<u>You are alive, well and still by my side. I consider this a win</u>.¡±

    At those words, everything was being undone; Fey met her master¡¯s eyes and her fists uncurled, though the red anger didn¡¯t leave her face till much later. She gratefully stood to receive a hug and quickly apologized after.

    ¡°<u>It¡¯s</u> <u>alright. Come now, we have much to do now after this interruption</u>,¡± she said. Fey nodded and the two walked over to get dressed. ¡°<u>Helga, the guards have seen my true appearance please take care of them. Also send word to the duke of this region and father at the capital¡­Ansdrovea¡¯s Iron Wall Yikensworth is in an inner conflict, it is weak, now will be the best time to take care of them once and for all</u>.¡±

    ¡°<u>Excuse me my lady, but¡­how do you know Yikensworth is weak</u>?¡±

    ¡°<u>He spoke of his partner being turned; there have been no such incidents around here. Also he spoke Ansdrovean, not Alexandrian, infact he encouraged us to attack Alexandria so it seemed to suggest he didn¡¯t want us to attack Ansdrovea</u>.¡±

    ¡°<u>I shall relay your orders and ensure that the guards make up the vanguard for the upcoming battle. Everything will be, as you wish, Princess Hannah</u>.¡±

 Chapter 24: Perfect Exterior, Broken Interior

    ¡®My god, you have a fever,¡¯ he gasped. Retracting his hand the young man threw blankets over her and wrapped them around her. Then he picked her up on his back and began running away from the camp. She could feel her strength leaving her as the blurs of trees passed her by. Her tear stained face was too tired to voice the pain whatever this ¡®fever¡¯ brought her. ¡®Navi¡­¡¯

    He spoke in that voice he reserved only for when he was really angry. She didn¡¯t know what she did, but she must have angered somehow. They¡¯d been travelling in the forests ever since they¡¯d left Anna and the kids. Drac called it adventuring but she knew that it was anything but. There had been a lot of angry people yelling at them when they¡¯d left, they called her names and even tried attacking her before he¡¯d stepped in.

    He always called her a genius, it seems Drac always forgot that part when he had to tell her something bad¡­Her eyelids were getting heavy and she could see the stars above¡­maybe it¡¯s time to sleep.

    ¡®You¡¯re almost there, Navi. Wake up!¡¯

    ¡°Ha,¡± Natravi gasped for air as she regained conscious. Her eyes instantely fell upon the shadowy figure crawling towards her in the darkness. She retracted her legs as her hand lunged for the sword lying nearby. Using newfound strength Natravi plunged the sword into the skull of the undead with her full weight behind it, stopping its movements completely.

    When the threat had been dealt with she began to take in her surroundings. She found herself in a dark alleyway, leaning against a grimy wall and seemed in some questionable fluids. It seemed like she¡¯d fought a few undead before falling unconscious in the middle of the battle grounds¡­alley with the way the body¡¯s were pointing towards her.

    After the waves of nausea passed her over Natravi began to walk towards the lighter areas of the darkness that was her surrounding. She felt her way out of the alley, but before she could take another step, a spike of pain stabbed her sides.

    The pain spread deeper in and pushed to the middle. She clutched her mouth and stomach simultaneously and resisted the urge to puke. Slowly she began to stumble her way onto the street and looked for any signs of danger.

    ¡°§¤§Ý§å§á§à§Ö telo,¡± she muttered to herself as she began inspecting the wounds. The bleeding had stopped and the flesh wounds had healed pretty quickly leaving not even a scar. However still, she could feel the burning and aching sensations of her broken ribs drive in deeper with each breath.

    ¡®Like always, I¡¯m damaged from inside,¡¯ She thought.

    ¡°§¶§Ñ§â§æ§à§â§à§Ó§Ñ§ñ §Ü§å§Ü§Ý§Ñ §ã§ß§Ñ§â§å§Ø§Ú, §ß§à damaged goods,¡± Natravi scowled as she felt up the broken ribs. Gritting her teeth Natravi pushed forwards and forcing the pain and bile down wobbled her way onto the street. She half-stumbled her way to reach the cornershops before breathing a sigh in relief when she saw that most of them had been demolished like the rest of the city.

    ¡°No corpses,¡± she concluded.

    Soon she found herself stumbling upon the familiar site of a large black building blending in with the surrounding darkness. A string of small squares lined atop the large gate from one end of the wall to the other. Light escaped from those windows and illuminated the small clearing in front, acting similarly to spotlights. She had found the prison.

    She could make out some dark figures piled atop one another in those spotlights and before she knew it her body had drifted halfway towards the black building. She could now see several bodies litering the large clearing she traversed. Piles of charred corpses lay scattered around as well as some unburnt ones with arrows sticking out. What caught her attention the most was the small group of the burnt bodies that looked like the creatures that had attacked her and Lidia. They lay, cut up in a semi-circular shape, reaching for another charred corpse not too far.

    Natravi¡¯s attention was encaptured by the display so much that she almost missed the arrow flying towards her. The sounds of it cutting through the air, however, caught her attention and on instinct she twisted to the side narrowly missing the arrow. Natravi snapped her head back to the wall and squinted to see the shadowy aggressors atop it.

    ¡°I-I¡­¡± Natravi tried speaking but since her mouth was so dry from the lack of water that all she could do was huff in a cracked voice. She was sure that to any casual observer, like the archer that sent the arrow, it would look like an undead struggling to make its way. She was proven correct when it came as a matter of course that another arrow was knocked back at her in the following seconds. Natravi took out her sword as a meager shield as she dodged the arrow once more.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you Ginn?¡± a voice came from atop the wall. In the eery quite their voice could be clearly heard even from such a distance. ¡°First ya shoot Miss Mina in the dark half the plaza away, now you can¡¯t even shoot a lit up undead? Give me that!¡±

    Another series of arrows were shot at her, she dodged as much as she could before her injuries began bearing down on her. She got ready for another arrow when pain suddenly spiked in her abdomen, causing her to freeze up and letting the arrow drive into the musculature cut between the bicep and deltoid.

    She chocked on her cries and began to wheeze instead as the burning pain spread through her left arm and weighed it down. It was then that her strength failed her and she fell to her knees, cradling her injuries.

    ¡®Why do I have to be so weak?¡¯ Tears stung her eyes.

    A cry from atop the wall came, loud enough to pierce through her pain filled thoughts.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a corpse! Stop this, please!¡±

    ¡®A woman?¡¯

    ¡°YOU WHORESONS!!!¡± A gruff voice bellowed from behind the walls soon after. As Natravi awaited a verdict; an arrow, doused in fire and oil, landed beside her, clattering on the stones. She hesitated before she slowly picked herself up and held the arrow above her head, letting the light on her. It seemed her idea worked when the gates opened and a small group shadows came running out.

    It looked like a group of angels, glinting in their armor under the rare moonlight passing through the passing clouds. Natravi let a sigh of release before her voice hitched in her throat and she violently coughed at their calloused touch. After the episode with her trying to control her adverse reactions to pain their touch began to soften and she was more carefully carried over to imitation of a castle.

    Passing by the gates they brought her to a small room on the right side, just beneath the stairs leading up the wall. The room in which the men sat her resembled a pantry or a storage room before it had been filled with the injured. In her half consciousness her eyes drifted to the others who shivered in their sleep. Most of them were young men, not much older than her and some even younger. Seeing them wrapped up to such a degree brought some¡­unpleasant memories to resurface.

    ¡°Hope you¡¯re doing better than I,¡± She mumbled, clutching a puppet in the pockets of her cloak.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± A voice came. A woman carrying a basket on her hips hurriedly entered. Squinting, Natravi noticed a large bald man wearing a gambeson follow shortly after, closing the door. The warden stood behind the lady, whom herself sported a bandaged injury and was currently placing all types of bandages, wrapping and ointments on the blanket she had spread before her.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Natravi replied. The lady wore a tunic and pants too large for her size with a belt that unkemptly held everything together.

    ¡°I know what you must be thinking,¡± she smiled. ¡°And yes these are a men¡¯s clothes. The other ones were too ripped to be considered proper.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Natravi frowned. ¡°Have we met before?¡±

    ¡°Ah well, I am the receptionist at the mercenary guild,¡± she said. ¡°So perhaps we have if you are a mercenary? I¡¯m Mina.¡±

    ¡°Natravi.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know you,¡± Mina exclaimed. ¡°You¡¯re the one who started that large brawl about about a week ago.¡±

    ¡°Not-ugh¡­not my fault men have poor self control over their lust,¡± Natravi said, directing her pain of the alchohol at the large man. Mina followed her line of sight and frowned.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that unfair to the rest?¡± Mina pushed the arrow through another point illiciting a cry from Natravi which she promptly ignored. ¡°I mean, he¡¯s better than most men. After all, I picked him.¡±

    The man grumbled, clearly not happy with her revealing their relationship. After clipping the feathers behind the arrow Mina pushed the arrow completely through the new puncture wound and cleansed the wound with some alchohol. Natravi gritted her teeth and dug her nails into the pouch through the whole ordeal, welcoming the distraction over the burning sensations on her stomach. After Mina had finished applying the bandages and the wrappings on her arm she began inspecting Natravi for any other wounds before stopping at the cuts on her robes.

    ¡°Uh¡­,¡± Mina said lightly pushin against the fair skin. A look of bewilderment took over as she followed along the broken ribs, protruding here and there to see Natravi¡¯s reactions. Finally she asked, ¡°What, uh, *gulp* what happened?¡±

    ¡°Nothing much,¡± Natravi said guardedly. ¡°A monster attacked me and broke my ribs.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­then why isn¡¯t your skin bruising?¡± Mina pointed out. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to show blue-black skin and itch that place. Instead your skin isn¡¯t blue and there isn¡¯t any sign of cuts or-or anything. Your ribs are broken and bent the wrong way underneath your skin. If you push yourself too much, it can cut your innards. How¡¯s this possible?¡±

    ¡°Blue and black? My skin isn¡¯t white enough like you coloured people and I¡¯m strong enough to ignore the itch,¡± Natravi mused; she then mumbled something Mina could bearly make out.

    ¡°I-I need to cut your skin and align your ribs,¡± Mina said reluctantly.

    ¡°You can¡¯t, the skin will heal faster than you can cut and fix the ribs,¡± Natravi said.

    ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll have to keep it open.¡± Mina replied. Turning towards the large man she said; ¡°I¡¯ll need Strompf¡¯s help with this, he knows more about cuts than me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine!*Cough*Cough*¡± Natravi doubled down and only Mina¡¯s quick thinking kept her from puking overself.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± The man spoke up, ¡°I¡¯ll send for Strompf after I get some answers...we may not get a chance after the surgery.¡±

    ¡°You-*Cough*,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the warden; we met yesterday,¡± He explained. ¡°Now I¡¯m going to ask you some questions, alright?¡±

    Natravi didn¡¯t trust herself to speak yet so she nodded instead.

    ¡°Good. Now, what happened to you after the streets flooded with corpses?¡± And so began Natravi accounts of her perspective on the grim events. She paused many times and more than once broke into gut wrenching coughs, the receptionist lady tried help to help and stop her but the warden remained stoic and patient, asking her to continue every few seconds after her coughs had subsided. When she got to the part about the soon-to-be duchess¡¯; she left her out of the story, calling her ¡®mercenary¡¯ instead. When she was done the warden gave her a waterskin to drink from before moving onto to the next question.

    ¡°Who did the duke bring with him?¡±

    ¡°He-ugh, he brought almost a dozen guards and 20 mercenaries, with about 10 being of Strike three positions.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, 10 three strikers?¡± The warden scratched his chin in thought. Before Natravi had a chance to ask anything he suddenly turned and left.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to set them straight before we can let you be,¡± the receptionist said apologetically. Natravi closed her eyes and rested her head in wait for whoever ¡®Strompf¡¯ was.

    ¡°What¡¯ve you got there?¡± Mina asked.

    Natravi tilted her head in confusion before realizing that she still had that pouch in a death grip. She slowly loosened her grip and accepted the pain with gritted teeth. Her stomach still hurt.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°You know, if you talk about something-anything-you¡¯ll soon forget about the pain.¡±

    ¡® ¡®Why don¡¯t you tell me about those blue flowers you found, maybe the pain will go away if you talk about them¡¯¡­That was a nice memory,¡¯Natravi thought.

    ¡°You thought of something pleasant?¡± Mina said, packing up the linen, scissors and alcohol. Seeing her frown, Mina elaborated; ¡°You were smiling. Although, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen a smile so small. So, what¡¯s in the pouch?¡±

    ¡°Why this pouch?¡±

    ¡°Well, granted I haven¡¯t been a receptionist for too long but I¡¯ve never seen one so small. Usually those of this size are supposed to hold salt or coal dust but the way you¡¯re holding it tells me it¡¯s something different?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing too special,¡± Natravi proceeded to loosen the knot. ¡°See, just a toy.¡± She held up her hand to show Mina.

    ¡°A puppet?¡±

    ¡°Nothing special¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve kept it for a while considering it¡¯s ¡®nothing special¡¯. Maybe it¡¯s it from ¡®someone special¡¯?¡±

    ¡°It was given to me as a present when I was younger,¡± Natravi said. ¡°We were growing up too fast for our liking, duties and the like were keeping us separated. Soon the friend I¡¯d spend almost the whole day with became almost a stranger.¡±

    Natravi closed her eyes resting her head back against the wall.

    ¡°We learned to savor the few minutes we got to play and for sometime, it was alright. It wasn¡¯t perfect but we learned to live with it. But then one I day I didn¡¯t see him the entire time the sun was up. I didn¡¯t see him the next day, nor the next and like so two months passed by. His duties and my own would always interefere one from the other, more so for him than me.¡±

    Natravi grinned as she held up the puppet to observe it in the lantern light.

    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t him who was to blame for it. Unknowingly I had begun to avoid him, avoid a lot of people actually. I guess I was just acting childish at the time and everyone knew about it, except me. One night he asked me to join him for a walk, the way he asked that¡­I couldn¡¯t say no to that. I¡­had some worries about what it would mean, growing up. He gave me this puppet to help. So that, if I ever grew into this person with so many worries and burdens that it could change who I am, I would have this puppet to remind of the childhood, of the simpler times to help make the decisions and give me strength to which wouldn¡¯t-uh¡­¡±

    She felt heat rise to her cheeks when she realized what she¡¯d been sayin¡¯ and that Mina was intently lisening to all of it. Mina fervously nodded for her to continue and Natravi was certain that she was blushing as she tried to hide her face under her hood.

    ¡°Continue,¡± Mina asked with baited breath.

    ¡°No, I think I¡¯m alright now. The pain¡¯s passed now,¡± She said embarrassingly.

    ¡®What¡¯s gotten into me? I haven¡¯t spoken like that to some stranger since I was six. Is the pain making me lose control?¡¯ She thought.

    ¡°I take it you haven¡¯t talked like this someone for a while, huh?¡± Mina smiled seeing her expression. ¡°I¡¯m a receptionist; half of our job is noticing what people are thinking.¡±

    ¡°Not since I was a child.¡±

    ¡°Who have you been talking to recently? Gotta pass the time somehow if Strompf is gonna take some time, also I¡¯m very curious about how you¡¯ve never had a girl talk before.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve talked to girls before. But I usually talk to uncle or Vlad when they¡¯re available.¡±

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t-talk to them about this-I mean,¡± Mina smiled when she nodded hesitantly. ¡°Well that explains it.¡±

    ¡°What does it tell you that I can¡¯t figure out myself?¡± Natravi frowned she felt a sense of relief when her face returned to it impassiveness.

    ¡°You¡¯ve probably have been raised by only men if you can¡¯t. Since you¡¯re just surrounded by men all the time you bottle up the things that you can¡¯t talk with them and latch onto the next woman that comes along-¡±

    ¡°-So this happens,¡± She realized. Her frown deepened and she began to slip back into silence before Mina asked;

    ¡°Why childhood?¡±

    ¡°Why childhood what?¡±

    ¡°You said you used that to help remind you of childhood to make the decisions, why childhood?¡±

    ¡°All stories claim children to have the most innocent and pure souls, their judgements are simple. Sometimes I find falling back on the shadow of my younger self helpful to deal with certain judgements.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a weird way of doing it, using a puppet I mean.¡± Mina smirked.

    ¡°This is the only method I know, it has helped before so I think I¡¯ll be keeping to it.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, I had thought it was to help remind you of your friend,¡± Mina fixed with a look that Natravi found unsettling. ¡°That friend you like.¡±

    ¡°It would be stupid if I didn¡¯t, considering all that he¡¯s done for me.¡± Natravi said, confused.

    ¡°Haahaha,¡± Mina¡¯s giggles caused some stirring from the sleeping wounded and she fought with herself to control her laughs.

    ¡°Hmph, I never understood why everyone reacts like that,¡± Natravi muttered to herself.

    ¡°M-maybe because they don¡¯t expect such an answer from someone like you. I mean, you look so calm and clever that no one would expect such a straightforward answer.¡±

    *Knock*Knock*

    ¡°Miss Mina,¡± a child¡¯s voice caught their attention. Natravi stared with narrowed eyes as the door creaked open to reveal a little girl of no more than 10 years. Mina had stood up and after embracing the girl in a awkwardly asked; ¡°Did you have a nightmare Mina?¡± Mina moved cover the girl¡¯s view of the injured.

    The little girl nodded, drowsily leaning againt the older woman for support.

    ¡°You are married?¡± Natravi said, raising an eyebrow to the girl.

    ¡°Oh, no-no, she isn¡¯t mine,¡± Mina said. ¡°A mercenary brought us here and left the children under my-our protection.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, he was warm,¡± the girl smiled. ¡°But he smelled like ash. Hey miss Mina, do¡¯you think that maybe his armor was really silver but because of all the dirt and ash it looked*yawn*black?¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon Mina,¡± Mina patted the girl. ¡°that¡¯s your sleep talking. Let¡¯s get you put to bed.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± the girl shouted, startling the women. Colorful shouts for them to ¡®keep it quite¡¯ came from down the back of the room to which Mina apologized with a bow. She knelt beside the little Mina and asked; ¡°You have to keep it quite, Mina. Some of the brave men are resting back there. Now, tell me why don¡¯t you want to sleep?¡±

    ¡°I-I had a nightmare,¡± Mina said with a shiver. ¡°If I sleep I¡¯ll meet them again, I don¡¯t wanna meet them.¡±

    ¡°Who did you meet?¡±

    ¡°¡­them. The¡­uh,¡± the little girl looked over to Natravi and Mina¡¯s gaze followed her but before any of them could say anything Natravi spoke up.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright I don¡¯t judge, nor do I snitch. You two can talk freely in my presence.¡±

    ¡°No that¡¯s okay,¡± Mina said standing up. ¡°Come on Mina.¡±

    She left with the girl in hand, leaving Natravi in the symphony of snores and whisps of the sleeping. She waited one, three, five minutes before the two Minas returned looking defeated. The older one offered her an apologetic look and explained; ¡°Everywhere is busy.¡±

    She nodded and returned to looking at the opposite wall impassively.

    ¡°Alright, so tell me. Who did you see in your dreams?¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°I-uh,¡± Mina glanced at her way and hesitated.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, she not going to say anything,¡± Mina reassured.

    ¡°I*Sigh*see those Alexandrians.¡±

    At the mention of that Natravi frowed but remained where she was, stealing a sideways glance to see Mina frowning at Mina.

    ¡°You mean those men you tortured in the dungeons or those men who you enjoyed hearing screams from?¡± Mina said with a scowl.

    ¡°Mi-¡± the little girl¡¯s voice was lost in her throat as she took a step back.

    *Sigh* ¡°Wait, I¡¯m sorry saying that,¡± Mina said. ¡°I¡¯m just, ugh, Mina you know what you did was wrong, right? You¡¯re just a little child, you shouldn¡¯t be doing that.¡±

    ¡°Bu-But sis and brother Zach did it too! They killed my parents!¡± When Natravi stole another glance she saw that tears threatened to fall.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you should kill them too, and Rina and Zach weren¡¯t the ones smiling after that,¡± Mina said coldly. ¡°What you did was a sin; these nightmares are a sign from god that you should repent for what you did. Now, do you feel bad about what you did?¡±

    ¡°¡­yes¡± She said something inaudible.

    ¡°Mina?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know I did bad. Waah!¡±

    Natravi looked over and saw the little girl crying in Mina¡¯s shoulder, her sobs wetting the woman¡¯s garmet in a matter of seconds.

    ¡°Shh, shhh, this is good Mina, accepting is good.¡± After a minute the cries subsided but the girl didn¡¯t let go. In a quivering voice she asked; ¡°Wi-will they go away?¡±

    ¡°Yes, now that you have accepted your wrongdoings you won¡¯t see those men in your dreams anymore.¡±

    ¡°Th-they aren¡¯t the only ones I saw.¡±

    ¡°Who else did you see?¡± Mina said, caressing the girl¡¯s face.

    ¡°I saw mum and dad. They were shouting at me.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, well the next time you see them apologize for what you¡¯ve done. Say your sorry, accept and mean what you say. Then maybe they will leave you alone.¡± Mina nodded. ¡°Now is there anyone else you see?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he didn¡¯t say anything but I think he wasn¡¯t happy with me.¡± Little Mina¡¯s face crinkled. ¡°I don¡¯¡¯t get it, he was mad at me but he told me I could do it, so why miss Mina why do I keep seeing him.¡±

    ¡®She¡¯s enjoying playing dreamreader¡­and now she feels guilty for it,¡¯ Natravi assessed, observing the slight changes in the woman¡¯s face.

    ¡°Uh, was this person Drac?¡±

    The little girl nodded.

    ¡®What?! Uncle Drac was here?¡¯ Natravi¡¯s mind raced to the beginning of their conversation as she carefully observed the clues that hinted this.

    ¡°He told you to do it...but then didn¡¯t like you for doing it. It seems like he¡¯s the devil in disguise.¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be right.¡± she spoke up drawing both Mina¡¯s attention. "I read that differently, I thought he was just angry at what you did. Tell me little Mina, did he really tell you do it or was it more like he didn¡¯t say anything when you did it.¡±

    When little Mina bowed her head, hiding her face behind her hair the older one asked;

    ¡°Mina? Is what she said true?¡±

    ¡°I-I told him to keep his promise and-and he just said if I was sure he won¡¯t stop me. Isn¡¯t it his fault as well, he didn¡¯t stop me when he knew it was sin.¡±

    ¡°Little girl,¡± She said coldly. ¡°You are blaming others for your own fault. You have nothing left to defend, only accept and even now you can¡¯t accept when your wrong. Was it not you who forced him with a promise he made in different circumstances to suit yourself? Did you not force him to keep quite while you went about doing what you pleased? And now are you not blaming him for your mistakes!? It is you who is in the wrong-¡±

    ¡°Natravi!¡± Mina¡¯s glare drew her attention and she saw the girl once again on the verge of tears. ¡°I think she understands.¡±

    ¡°¡­Good¡± she said, returning back to staring at the wall.

    ¡°Come on Mina let¡¯s get you to bed,¡± Mina picked up the girl and carried her out, closing the door behind her sharply.

    ¡°Hehe, damn wench,¡± someone spoke beside her. Glancing over to the bodies of men lying in rest she saw the eyes of one bearded guard glint in the firelight. Ignoring him she returned to stare at the wall in wait. ¡°I promise ye me lady I¡¯m a lot more interestin¡¯ than that wall.¡±

    ¡°The wall is more accommodating than you, it does not speak,¡± She responded.

    ¡°Psshhh, I¡¯ll show you what can¡¯t speak-¡±

    ¡°Oi Marx, shut up some of are actually tryin¡¯ ta sleep here. And leave that woman alone, she¡¯s taken.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, she¡¯s a bitch anyway,¡± Marx said before turning his back to her. Natravi¡¯s attention now was on the man who had spoken up.

    ¡®How did he know I¡¯ve a fianc¨¦?¡¯ She thought. She revised what she¡¯d said before but couldn¡¯t come up with anything. Eventually curiosity got the better of her and she asked;

    ¡°Excuse me, how did you know I was ¡®taken¡¯?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Ha, sweety you aint never gonna hide anything if your such a poor liar,¡± he laughed before curling up in pain and hugging his sides.

    ¡°So that was why?¡± Mina said from her left. She snapped her head to the side and saw a smirk playing on the woman¡¯s lips, behind her stood a large man wearing a black plated armor. The most distinguishing feature about him was the curved mustache the semed to insinuate a contant smile. The man walked over to her and offered his hand.

    ¡°He¡¯s Strompf, Karl¡¯s second in command,¡± Mina explained as Natravi took his hand. He pulled her up and gave her face a long awkward look before smiling.

    ¡°That lucky bastard,¡± He said to himself, walking out the door. Mina motioned for her to follow but before she could say a word in edgewise Natravi walked forth and slapped the back of his head.

    ¡°He is not a bastard,¡± She said coldly. She heard a collective gasp from behind her as her audience waited, with baited breath, for his response. Strompf stared at her for a moment before suddenly back handing her across the face, she could¡¯ve moved out of the way but took it with a defiant (hopefully) look. Backing down now would mean she couldn¡¯t defend his honor infront of these scoundrels.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, now follow me so I can fix ya up already and ye can get out of my hair.¡±

    Without another word Natravi followed. She had to control herself as she walked past Mina¡¯s open-mouthed stare and away from the ¡®whoo¡¯ and ¡®whoops¡¯ of her injured audience. The rain had stopped now, leaving everything smelling awfull. She rubbed her nose and caressed the spot where she was slapped, it hurt imensly but her skin showed no signs of it. She was led up the stairs to a small room at the end of the balcony.

    The room had two other doors by the side and long table with a cushion over it. Another smaller was placed next to it with a few tools she vaguely recognized from when uncle Drac was injured back home. Strompf stood beside the little one and asked for her to remove her robes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me yer naked underneath,¡± he teased when she didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Can you not do it through these cuts?¡± She guestured to the long cuts on her robes which showed off the skin.

    ¡°Can¡¯t do that. Don¡¯t ¡®ave enough hands ta keep the robes open, now strip!¡± he smiled.

    ¡°Strompf!¡± Mina said, appaled at his wordings as she came in. ¡°Decency. Come on, Natravi you can borrow some of the space clothes.¡±

    *Sigh* ¡°It will take too long,¡±Natravi began pulling up her robes. She stopped and glared at Strompf; ¡°Don¡¯t ask stupid questions.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed ta mean-oh shite.¡± Strompf stared with wide eyes as Natravi took off her robes in one full swing, depositing the garment off to the side. She immediately frowned at his words and looked down at herself to check her decency.

    She still wore the doublet with forfitting sleeves and the hoes, without the attention to the middle piece. Other than the cuts showing her skin she wore it properly.

    ¡°Which noble did you steal those off of? Are you trying to get killed?¡± Strompf exclaimed. ¡°Mina, I ain¡¯t treating her if she¡¯s gonna die of breaking the laws.¡±

    ¡°The sumptuary laws only affect those who are found incriminating it and for fortunately for you I am not violating the laws, only the social laws of a woman wearing a man¡¯s cloth.¡±

    ¡°You, you can¡¯t be¡­but you talk like that and dress like that! I¡­I slapped a noble,¡± Strompf paled, his voice barely a whisper. ¡°I¡¯m getting executed, ain¡¯t no way around it.¡±

    ¡°Natravi is that true?¡± Mina asked hesitantly.

    ¡°I told you to not ask stupid questions, now will you help me or should I leave?¡± Natravi said, miffed.

    ¡°No, no my lady, please lay down. I¡¯ll be sure ta-to, I¡¯ll be sure to work on, I mean help you,¡± He stammered.

    ¡°I am no noble, I am merely a mercenary. Nothing more.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lady. Of course, my lady,¡± Strompf licked his lips and wiped away some sweat as she began lying down. ¡°Oh, wait my lady. Drink this, please.¡±

    Natravi looked at the offered bottle and shook her head.

    ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s alright, see¡± Strompf took a gulp from the bottle, cleaned it with a cloth and offered again. Seeing as it was not poisoned she took the bottle, it was never bad to be too cautious what did she have to lose. Taking a few mouthfuls of the thing she suspected was alchohol, she waited a few moments before lying down for the experiment.

    Natravi knew it was a risk to trust these people, especially now that they knew of whom she was but her situation couldn¡¯t be helped. If the wound was left unattended it could cause greater damage. She could feel herself slipping away as the lower part of her doublet was unbottuned. Before she could go though, Natravi sent a prayer to whoever listened to watch over her. She wanted to believe in the gods but since uncle Drac always argued it was only one who could create all she accepted it and prayed to it.

    ¡®If God needed help from others like him to make us and everything we know around us, then he isn¡¯t powerful enough for my worshipping. Do what you will, but I believe there is only one god, only one being powerful enough to make us all. I don¡¯t need a river god or a land god or a sky god to worship separately; too weak on their own and in the face of a true god, my god.¡¯

    ¡®My god is great. He is true. I pray to him so he may watch over me in my time of weakness.¡¯

 Chapter 25: Your Castle of Sinners

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. 16 Years ago¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Hold on, little zaichik,¡± Drac shifted underneath her before wrapping his arms around her once more. They were lying down on the hay stacked up in the stables, staring up at the stars. He was telling her about star patterns but her mind was somewhere else. ¡°-And those ones over there¡­what is on your mind, Navi?¡±

    ¡°Mm? Nothing much¡­¡± how could she tell him? He had told her not to let her weird healing show but she did, she let everyone in that room see all because she didn¡¯t pay attention to her surroundings. When she¡¯d run out of there she could already hear them talking about it. They¡¯d seen and soon everyone will know. Anna had seen.

    How will he react when he finds out? Will he be angry? Will he not hug her anymore? What will they do? Will they leave? No, she won¡¯t tell him. She could fix this on her own. Yeah, she could tell them not to tell anyone or make up a story about the food they ate and the things they saw, Kobitz said the food tasted funny so that could work too.

    ¡°I think I know what¡¯s bothering you,¡± uncle said, tightening his arms around her.

    Does he know? No he can¡¯t know. Did Anna tell him? Did anyone else?-¡°Your thinking about your mother¡±-yes!

    ¡°Did I ever tell you about how, before she met your father, your mother and I chased a cat through the whole house for the whole day? That thing was quicker than even these horses, yeah yeah go to sleep you ugly beasts,¡± he said, slapping a mare who¡¯d stuck her head in their room to chew some hay. ¡°In the end I was able to catch it and it made her soo made that she screamed her lungs out, saying; ¡®I did all the work, Mr. Fluffy¡¯s my prize.¡¯ Hahaha, like I didn¡¯t chase after her the whole day too.¡±

    ¡°Mmmhmm, you did tell me, many times actually.¡±

    ¡°Well that was the only time I won over her so that¡¯s why it¡¯s my favourite story to tell.¡±

    ¡°Why am I not like her?¡± She felt him stiffen beneath her so she hurriedly explained. ¡°I mean all the stories about her tell me that she was always playing or chasing after things, sneaking out of classes or sparing with you and other uncles. I don¡¯t do those things, why?¡±

    ¡°I sometimes wish you wouldn¡¯t grow up so fast,¡± he said deeply. ¡°You are smart Navi, too smart for me to tell you are like her. But I swear if you could see her face, you are an exact copy of her¡¯s. Everything from those brown eyes to your arched nose to those pinchable cheeks, all remind me of her.¡±

    ¡°What about my colour?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he stiffened.

    ¡°I mean, I have a different skin colour than Kobitz or Anna, just like you,¡± She turned around and looked at him where his eyes might be in the shadows. ¡°Is my skin like mother¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°¡­Hold on,¡± Drac shifted once again moving his arm to it was next to hers. ¡°Natravi, why do we speak in this tongue?¡±

    ¡°So other can¡¯t understand us?¡±

    ¡°Are we different from others by speaking to them in our own language?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡±

    ¡°We are different too. The difference between me and you is¡­well-uh¡­¡±

    ¡°What we carry between our legs?¡± she supplied.

    ¡°WHAT!¡± He shouted. Drac pulled her around and stared into her eyes before whispering. ¡°Where did you hear that?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­Kobitz said that¡¯s why he and I can¡¯t play in the bath together,¡± she¡¯d never seen him pale so much.

    ¡°Natravi, you are to never even think about playing with a boy in the bath. Understand?¡± After she reluctantly nodded he continued. ¡°Never repeat what you told me to anyone else, ever. Okay?¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± he sighed deeply, laying down once more. ¡°Anyway, so are we really all that different¡­do you understand what I am trying to say?¡±

    ¡°I think so, you said we have a lot of things in common with others. But I looked at what was different between us and picked on those little things like my language that divided me from the rest. Right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ri~ght.¡±

    ¡°Just like how I don¡¯t think you and I, a male and female, are very different from each other when we share the same color I shouldn¡¯t pick on the little things between me and the others and think them the same as myself, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, good,¡± he relaxed beneath her and she snuggled closer. After a few minutes of simply staring at the sky she asked; ¡°But just¡­was she the same as me.¡±

    ¡°¡­*Sigh* No, she was different than all of us. She had the same skin colour as a chamomile; smooth and fair.¡±

    ¡°Was there anyone else like her in our family?¡±

    ¡°Yes, for the short time I knew mother, your grandmother, she was also like your sister but only in beauty and fairness of skin and like you I adored her greatly.¡±

    ¡°Did she die?¡±

    ¡°No, she left willingly. After your mother turned of 16 years, grandmother was never seen again.¡± Drac squeezed her tighter. It slightly hurt to move about but she knew not to voice her concerns, for if she did then he would scold and punish himself for potentially hurting her just like how he did in the forests after the fire. Whenever he thought she wasn¡¯t sleeping; he would talk to the winds, maybe they were spirits that haunted him, she remembered reading about hauntings in some book in she¡¯d found. They fed off of the flow through people; they took them away and sucked off their flows till they died. Will he leave if she told him what she did?This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Drac, I-I will never leave you. I promise, ¡± She wanted him to return her feelings.

    ¡°Mmmhmm,¡± he said.

    ¡°If you leave me,¡± she snuggled closer. ¡°I¡¯ll find you and make youcome back. If you leave me I won¡¯t forgive you-¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey, shhhh shhhh. It¡¯s alright Natravi,¡± she held back her tears, she needed him to say it.

    ¡°We are family, we stick together.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t have it anyother way.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Sleep¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Present ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    Natravi woke up feeling nauseous, it felt like her insides were wiggling around which, considering what happened to her, wouldn¡¯t be too far from the truth. She turned her head where she could hear Strompf rambling about execution and other grotesque¡­¡®penalties¡¯ to Mina. Deciding that the paintings he described wasn¡¯t worth the little comfort she felt lying there, Natravi tried sitting up.

    ¡°-What if she never wakes up? I shouldn¡¯t have drunk that, god save me, mistakes were made Mina, and don¡¯t you wrap it under lies; she may never wake up¡­Tell Karl it¡¯s been an honour serving him.¡±

    ¡°Strompf your worried for nothing-see she¡¯s waking up right now. How do you feel Natravi?¡±

    ¡°...,¡± She looked herself over and then the bloody tools to her side. ¡°Any complications? Strompf?¡±

    ¡°Oh dear god, uh-well during the surgery we were, um, interrupted, I was startled and I may have uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Please be direct.¡±

    ¡°I may have cut something in there,¡± Strompf paled as Natravi began squeezing and prodding her stomach. Her skin had healed up pretty quickly and after she had removed the stitches, no scar was there. The pain had lessened and moving it around didn¡¯t create anything new so she let it go.

    ¡°How long was I out?¡± Natravi began re-dressing. Fortunately, the robe was stitched up.

    ¡°Uh, half an hour. Um, by the way, Karl wants to see you at the wall.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for this and your hospitality,¡± Natravi said, clasping the sword around her hips. ¡°But I can¡¯t talk to him right now, I will but only after the upcoming battle.¡±

    ¡°Upcoming Battle?¡±

    ¡°The duke has a plan to stop this by killing the flow reader that controls those undead, they¡¯re moving at the cemetery.¡±

    ¡°Then I think it¡¯s all the more important for us to talk,¡± Karl spoke as he walked in through the side door behind Strompf. He fixed her with a look and motioned for her to follow. She obeyed. ¡°I know some of the people William keep close to him, all better fighters than you and some even better than me.¡±

    ¡°I am more than just a sword user.¡±

    ¡°A flow reader needs time to read their ¡®strings¡¯, time in which I can thrust my sword through your throat. Or shoot an arrow and stop for chants,¡± He took her through the rooms untill he walked out to the balcony. In each room were a few men, either getting treated or sitting in wait. ¡°You guys need concentration to read those things, with a sword or an arrow I will be your better, noble.¡±

    Eventually they reached the top of the wall where she could see two neat rows of bowmen standing at her sides. Karl came to a stop in the middle and began speaking what she ignored. Her attention was caught on the men. Finally she voiced;

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised there are so many that survived, warden, you plan to join the fight anytime soon.¡±

    ¡°¡­We¡¯ve already joined the fight,¡± the warden frowned and came forward. ¡°Every moment my men stay alive, we are fighting against the undeads.¡±

    ¡°¡­So¡­you are fighting this by hiding in your house,¡± she said with venom in her voice, though her expression remained contricted. ¡°I¡¯ve been through the city warden, the undead are hiding. They are besieging you.¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you attacked by the a an undead? Isn¡¯t that how you got here?¡±

    ¡°The city was overridden with undead only a few hourse ago, they swarmed everywhere and kept on coming. The piles of burnt bodies are evidence for that. However, in the last hour alone, while I was travelling through the city over the rooftops I only saw a few small groups of undead patrolling the city and was attacked only twice, by small groups of no more than seven. Before I even came close to this place not a single undead attacked. They¡¯re hiding warden, biding their time until you¡¯re tired, then they will attack and kill us all, kill you all.¡±

    ¡°My men are protected behind the walls; they keep what lurks at night out,¡± the warden insisted.

    ¡°The only danger is that of death and it comes to us all,¡± Natravi said. ¡°It all depends on how you treat it, hide and cower like a spinless and gutless man or fight it with all your anger and will. The duke knows this and at least he¡¯s chosen the latter with his men. He¡¯s leading the best mercenary teams out to fight the monsters at their origin, where the flow reader is. I plan on helping; even I may not do much, I can at least help which is more than what you are doing. Will you help him or betray him? Like what you did the last war.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Karl had a dangerous look on his face as he leaned forward. ¡°Could you repeat that?¡±

    ¡°Volvo likes to share stories with his team, lucky for me I slept with one of them before all this started,¡± Natravi smirked slightly. ¡°Your home, these walls, they aren¡¯t for your protection. They are your cage, your prison. You¡¯re bound to your castle of sin because of what you happened last war and you owe Volvo for saving you from him. I am not that greedy suka¡­but I think he would want you to honor what you owe him, considering everything.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve paid my debts, in full.¡± He returned to look at the dark skyline. ¡°¡­Drac, is he yours?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes he is family, but I do not own him.¡±

    ¡°Well Drac, he saved my lassie¡¯s life and brought her to me. For that I was indebted to him,¡± Karl turned towards her, ¡°I repayed that debt by granting his request. I allowed children to torture spies in my dungeon that was their request, not safety from the undead. I paid my debt and now went beyond that by protecting them while they mooch off of me. I¡¯ve even healed his woman and protected her. Now tell me, who is indebted to whom?¡±

    ¡°¡­We aren¡¯t rich, nor are we resourceful,¡± Natravi frowned. ¡°What would you gain by indebting us to you?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re strong, well he is anyway,¡± Karl smiled as he stepped closer. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him kill off three of those things that attacked you all by himself and I don¡¯t think that¡¯s all he has to offer. I want his strength in exchange for my help and all that I¡¯ve done for you.¡±

    ¡°What will you have him do?¡±

    ¡°That will be something between us; messengers don¡¯t need to concern themselves with it.¡±

    ¡®He is definitely quoting someone,¡¯ she thought.

    ¡°Thank you for that.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Now that I know what you want I can remind you that I¡¯ve already given you information of what is happening outside. Meaning, I am no longer indebted to you Mr. Warden and if you try to force me¡­well I believe you and Mina can have a nice chat about it later. For now, I bid you farwell,¡± Natravi said as she turned, leaving the way she came.

    ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t do that!¡± Karl shouted behind her. ¡°You¡¯re in my castle, sinful or not, you will not do as you please! I control what happens in this prison and I¡¯m hereby declaring you my prisoner as a person of interest. Guards sieze her at once!¡±

    Before either line of guards could reach Natravi, she twisted around and delivered a strong kick to the man to her right. As he was sent stumbling into his colleagues she used the opportunity to jump over the wall. For a moment she felt the fingers of the soldiers¡¯ graze of leg, but then gravity took over and fell. Natravi took out her sword, still in its sheath and stuck it a window on her way down. A jerking motion upset her fall, slowing it a good bit, but she was still a good 10 meters off the ground.

    Natravi rolled a few times on the ground before pushing herself up with a cry and wobbled her way off into the maze of empty, destroyed houses beyond the small clearing.

    ¡°Boss, should we shoot ¡®er.¡± The idiot who shot Mina spoke up.

    ¡°Idiot we need her to go there, she¡¯ll weaken the enemy so we can make our move,¡± Karl said. ¡°YOU HEAR ME! You won¡¯t survive a single moment out there. You¡¯ll die before you even reach him at the CEMETARY!¡±

    ¡°Karl! What¡¯s going on here?¡± asked as she climbed the steps.

    ¡°¡­Ah Fuck,¡± he whispered. He felt his strength escape as he prepared for their ¡®chat¡¯.

 Chapter 26: The Ghoul of the Graveyard

    The cemetery was the largest place in Yikensworth. Northside of the city, the cemetery lay outside of the walls with only one way through the walls. The iron gates, now broken and bent stretching outwards in the air remained as reminder of the hell it had unleashed half a day ago. The undead, now properly dead lay infront of the gates, defeated under the foot of their sword-wielding successors.

    A blond man observed his handiwork with a grim expression, glancing more than once to whomever walked near, away or anywhere at all. He leaned against the stone wall and waited for further instructions as his mind replayed the events of the hour prior.

    There were Five groups in total that accompanied him and Volvo; two ¡®Three Strike¡¯ mercenary groups, two ¡®Two Strike¡¯ ones and one large group of soldiers, probably the cr¨¨me de la cr¨¨me from the duke¡¯s personal guard. His companions were good, clearing out the undead before he could even sweat. However their resourcefulness also meant they were meant to be kept wary off, their sharp edge too close meant they could slice him open before he¡¯d have a chance to react. Thanks to what he and Peter did at the manor a heavy atmosphere of mistrust had descended around him, it must¡¯ve been worse for Peter who put himself out there. Volvo taught him better; to never trust those who were his equal or superior unfortunately that also meant Peter.

    He may be his junior in age but that did not mean he was anyless dangerous. A long time ago, before that fateful encounter with in the plains of Duurkin he had trusted Peter to watch their backs. Volvo advised against it but he didn¡¯t listen, his blind trust almost caused a falling out between him and their wise leader. However after the incident at Duurkin he realized his folly. Only Volvo had his best interest at heart and anyone else who claimed so was a liar.

    Sure, a couple of years and a team change later he had forgiven the blond fool but he could never trust him as much as he did before. After the incident with the liche he was willing to give Peter the benefit of the doubt but even that he squandered when he disobeyed one of Volvo¡¯s taboo instructions; never spy on him during his meetings with the Duke. It was a serious offense and Peter knew it well, though he had been punished and he had no doubt that he would survive it, Luvrit could no longer trust him like he did before.

    Only Volvo had his best interest at heart. He could not trust anyone except the man who raised and protected him.

    However the man in question had integrated himself amongst his old friends and stuck himself at their lordships side like sap to bark. From under the cover of his long hair Luvrit glared at their ¡®big boss¡¯; that one man who had Volvo within the palm of his hand, the man responsible for both order and chaos of Yikensworth, self contructed to control the populace. Within his own dukedome that man was god.

    His benefactor and lord; Duke William Von Solus.

    Their Lord currently read a map of the cemetery while Volvo held the lantern. Under the mist and darkness it shone much more brightly than usual, clawing at his fears of attracting additional undead like the beacon of Galdavor in the country by the water. But he couldn¡¯t voice his concerns, not when time was of the essence.

    ¡®I¡¯m a lot like his lordship?¡¯ Luvrit thought, remembering a time when Volvo had spoke of their similarities. They were narcissistic and flaunted their knowledge and power for satisfaction?

    He merely commented on what he knew, he did not flaunt it. He worked to please others; any good man would do that. However for the duke, he knew it to be just a charade, an act to seem good while the reality of the situation was much grimmer. Of course being a part of that reality meant he would be privy to that knowledge. The only thing he was willing to admit they shared was that both of their fathers died because of war.

    He still remembered the time he¡¯d spent with his father. No matter how small or how bad that memory was, at least that was something he had over Peter who couldn¡¯t even remember calling someone by that name. The proof was in the first time he tried pronouncing ¡®father¡¯, a sad sight it truly was. However he wasn¡¯t much better off himself; the only thing he retained about his father after all these years was how much he hated the nobility and how he was killed.

    His father was a deserter-turned-thief from the last war or so he suspected from the personal research he¡¯d done. His father like many others joined the war with great excitement to climb the ladder of society, but after more than one failed champains and the harsh truth that his life was as dispossible as a handkerchief to William¡¯s father he deserted the army and turned into a thief. That¡¯s probably when he met his mother in the same profession and a few years later they¡¯d have him. Mother likely died in Wallowing Gallows; a purge led by William von Solus against crime when his own father was killed in an assassination by a thief. His father was¡­very open about his views on the nobility, something that got him killed in the end.

    If he tried hard, he could still remember the dampness and the smell of sick he¡¯d felt living in the hut wedged between two taverns, hidden under the alleyway trash. Luvrit would always wake up to see half-eaten food waiting for him on the upturned basket they used as a table, but never would he see his father come back before he went to sleep. All except for that one fateful night when he did and Luvrit could remember every detail of the night he died.

    He remembered being shaken awake and being thrown out the back window when he was. He didn¡¯t remember much of what happened after, but he knew that he¡¯d run away from the when the sound of his father dying filled his ears. That was the last time he¡¯d seen his home, the hut, crumbling under the downpours of the roof drainage system that had been created overhead, that and it was the last time he¡¯d seen his father. Probably killed by whoever his father dragged into that house that night. Luvrit didn¡¯t look at this memory with anger, but joy, for after that moment his life turned for the better. He met Peter, a fellow orphan and after a few years of working together through childhood they were met with Volvo, under whose wing they learnt their trade and grew up into fine men.

    He¡¯d tried everything to dig up anything he could on his parents but after a couple of years of searching more of what he knew were assumptions than facts. But after joining the inner circle of the ¡®big boss¡¯ though he didn¡¯t get the truth about his parents he did find out that it was because of his lordship that so many orphans roamed the streets.

    Did Duke William kill his father that night? Did he order his own and Peter¡¯s parents to die because of fear of another assassination? Is blackmailing Volvo into doing this for him?

    ...Those thoughts he¡¯d been punished for were beginning to manifest again. Who was he kidding? They never went away in the first place. With the city devoid of most its residents his mind was turning to its darkest corner the further he travelled with the man in question. But there was the matter of saving themselves that took pre-prece¡­precedance over whatever he was thinking. He pushed himself away from the wall, adorning the calm and emotionless persona once again before addressing the approaching Volvo.

    ¡°Did his lordship make a decision yet,¡± he whispered unable to avoid the sarcastic tone.

    ¡°Careful,¡± Volvo warned tiredly. ¡°His lordship¡¯s deciding upon whether to send a scouting team or cut time and advance all together.¡±

    ¡°How preposterous,¡± Luvrit folded his arms and continued in a hushed voice. ¡°Does he not realize how much time he¡¯ll waste by just deciding this simple, uh, strategium?¡±

    Volvo narrowed his eyes at Luvrit as he too folded his arms and confronted the youth.

    ¡°First of all, stop with the words. You¡¯re making more of a fool of yourself trying to speak out of your character and standing than you are achieving respect. They laugh behind your back, calling you an idiot rather than a genius for speaking a half-broken noble tongue. Secondly, he is the duke and he has every right to do what he believes right in his region. Have faith in him, I¡¯ve had it for almost two decades and it hasn¡¯t led me astray yet.¡±

    Luvrit reluctantly nodded. Volvo smiled and continued.

    ¡°All of your stupidity aside, it¡¯s nice to see how well your speech has matured. A few more years and you¡¯ll learn the basics of noble-tongue. That¡¯s sure to impress him and then you can act as his spy over at the other fiefdoms.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Volvo, but¡­,¡± Luvrit hesitated. ¡°Why did you stop practicing it?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have the motivation for it,¡± Volov smiled. ¡°Also, I started late. If I had started at the age I came under his lordships employment I would¡¯ve been this old by the time I¡¯d learn the basics and what good would¡¯ve that done me by then? I¡¯m too large and well known to act as a spy. It¡¯s much better for you to learn it than me and when you do become one then you will understand why I tell you to not trust anyone even your own family-well except for me that is. After all, I¡¯ve your best interest at heart Luvrit.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your kind-¡±

    ¡°Gather around!¡± Duke von Solus announced, interrupting his conversation. Everyone immediately converged at his position and created a defensive circle around him, with the team captains in the front and their members behind them.

    ¡°We¡¯ll send a scouting team to clear out the small fries,¡± he said grimly. ¡°They¡¯ll take up positions around the von Solus Mousaleam and send one to relay the situation there while they await our arrival. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Hoo-ah¡± they whispered.

    ¡°My lord, it shall be my honor-¡± Volvo began but was immediately silenced by the Duke¡¯s raised hand.

    ¡°You shan¡¯t accompany them Volvo. I need my best by my side,¡± he said. Turning towards the ¡®two strike¡¯ mercenaries he smiled. ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t do this, but I think it is about time I expand my circle of trust. My young mercenaries; consider this your initiation. If you complete this task I vow to place a good word for you in the mercenary guild and support you in the guild for as long as you remain in my dukedom.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­thank y-you my lord, ho-how-however my team is still very inexperienced in large battles¡± The taller team captain bowed. ¡°So we can¡¯t accept your request, my lord. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡®Wrong answer,¡¯ Alarm bells began ringing in Luvrit¡¯s head as he saw the duke transform into the ¡®big boss¡¯.

    ¡°¡­tell me captain, will you bleed for me?¡± He asked in a deadly serious voice.

    ¡°O-of course my lord,¡± the man shivered and held his head in shame.

    ¡°Do you speak for your team as well?¡±

    ¡°Ye-Yes my lord.¡±

    ¡°Then bleed buckets,¡± he said.

    It took only a few seconds for realization to descend on his face but by that time, their heads had already fallen off. The few guards closest to that teams stabbed their hearts and carried their bodies away from their lord. While the man himself turned his attention to the shorter captain.

    It gave Luvrit a slight warmth in his stomach when he saw the surprise on their lords face at the mercenary¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°Hehe, he was an idiot to begin with. My Lord,¡± the smaller team captian eagerly stepped forward. He was a good two head¡¯s shorter than the previous one and wore a chainmail over his clothes, worts swarmed his face and the pointy metal shoes did not help his already jester-like image but none of that seemed to bother him much as he continued; ¡°If you¡¯re grace is willing, I would like to offer up my group¡¯s services for this task.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­Min¨²s yes? Very well, your services I accept,¡± The duke nodded. He banged his staff to the ground as he stepped aside, pointing to the foggy graveyard behind him. ¡°Your task is simple; scout ahead and secure my family mausoleum. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± the whole group bowed. Everyone on that team bowed their heads in fear, still shaking form what happened to the other team. Except for Min¨²s¡¯s who looked out into the fog as if he was discerning something. He looked over at his direction and the glint in his eyes told Luvrit that whatever he wanted, he will not like.

    ¡°My lord, may I have ¡®three striker¡¯ Luvrit¡¯s help,¡± the midget smiled in his direction. Luvrit looked at the man with a scowl and he understood the meaning behind his infamous ¡®slave-smile¡¯.

    ¡°Hmmm, alright, now go and get it done,¡± William von Solus ordered.

    ¡°As-you-comaand, my lord,¡± the midget exaggerated. He led the way for his team over the trampled gates and Luvrit followed closely after. He trekked slowly into the graveyard, readily surveying the land before them and listening for sounds of any approaching being, while keeping his sights on the people around him. They were far into the graveyard, where the fog had become the thickest; forcing only what was within arms length of them to be seen, when the midget suddenly laughed.

    ¡°Funny ain¡¯t it?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Not at all, you¡¯ve always been a thorn in my side, Min¨²sculo,¡± Luvrit responded with a rueful smile.

    ¡°Oooh, nice. Did you read that line from another one of your books?¡±

    ¡°Quite so, Min¨²sculo,¡± Luvrit smiled. ¡°Glad to see you alive, I much prefer to travel with the evil I know than the evil I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Heh, evil?¡± Min¨²sculo giggled. ¡°You¡¯re in the same boat as me buddy; don¡¯t think the rest of us down here don¡¯t know what you do for your duke. But this is my chance, I¡¯ll meet you up there and then we can start this thing for real.¡±

    ¡°Not if you die right now,¡± Luvrit glanced at Min¨²sculo.

    ¡°¡­We don¡¯t joke about these things, Luvrit.¡± Min¨²sculo said threateningly as he gripped his sword tightly.

    ¡°Heh, man you really must be stupid to not understand advice,¡± Luvrit smirked.

    ¡°With you, advice and threat might as well be just the same.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of threats; when did you change teams?¡± He nodded to the people following them.

    ¡°Ahhh, those other guys were really slowing me down,¡± He said with a sigh. ¡°So I ditched ¡®em for something better. Atleast I can¡¯t beat this whole group by myself, those other ones were soo weak.¡±

    ¡°Alright Asterix-*Snap*¡± Luvrit head turned to their left from where the sound of a twig breaking came. Everyone seemed to stop breathing as they waited, until nothing happened for several slow minutes. ¡°Hey Min¨²sculo, how¡¯s your curious cat?¡±

    ¡°Sleepin¡¯,¡± he answered, stretching his free-hand¡¯s fingers. ¡°It must be cause I haven¡¯t had to urge to search through my team¡¯s pouches since I left my old one. I¡¯d rather live thank you very much.¡±

    ¡°Good because I don¡¯t want you looking for valuables this time and getting us killed in the process. We all know there is a Mausoleum and it¡¯s surrounded by undead and that duke will kill you if he finds you with your hands in the till,¡± Luvrit turned to the others. ¡°Everyone, follow me.¡±

    The fog was too thick to see anything clearly beyond a few meters, however they only needed to see the black figures stumbling in the white fog to know of the undead¡¯s locations. There seemed to be a multitude of them circling the mausoleum and even after a long moment of observation Luvrit couldn¡¯t see them leaving the site. He stalked forwards and found that the tall, well-ornated gravestones of the house staff belonging to the von Solus family plot had caged them within. They tried moving out yet only got as far as the next gravestone before stumbling over it. With no flesh and soulful vessels to entice them with, they aimlessly stumbled through their corrupted afterlife, much like Luvrit leaving the RoyalRoads bookstore without finding a good book.

    ¡°Oh yeah, the flowreader¡¯s down there alright,¡± Min¨²sculo a nervous smile.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Luvrit ordered seriously.

    ¡°Follow him boys,¡± Min¨²sculo licked his lips. ¡°You might actually live through tonight.¡±

    Luvrit unsheathed his second sword and led the assault between the gravestones. He didn¡¯t run, like most would¡¯ve, instead he opted to slowly stalk through the gravestones. The undead, noticing their presence, clumped towards the gravestones in their direction.

    ¡°Spread out and surround them,¡± Luvrit commanded.

    ¡°You heard him,¡± Min¨²sculo said as he led two of his teammates to the left while the others went to the right. Luvrit kept moving forward, swinging his swords to warm up his arms in the chilling environment. A corpse finally made its way through the gravestones and stumbled towards him. When it was within striking distance Luvrit quickly slahed both his swords towards the head, decapitating it in a single strike, with it¡¯s controller gone the body writhed in a pointless struggle as the flowreader¡¯s control left its body and a small pool of black liquid spurted out its neck before it ceased motion completely.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Luvrit smiled as he saw the herd in front of him slowly thin. The two-strikers must¡¯ve drawn the undead around the whole mausoleum as the large clump infront of him was getting smaller by the second. Luvrit¡¯s expression was quickly replaced by one of determination as there were still many more that needed to be taken down before him. So Luvrit picked up the pace and started culling.

    The further he moved in the thicker the fog got, by the third graveston layer he could only see at an arms length. Luvrit could recognize the undead because of their contrasting skin colour to the surroundings but that didn¡¯t mean they were completely visible. A few more corpses were able to get past the gravestones and were moving in a pincer formation towards him, due to their slowness however, he was able to quickly maneuver in and out of their reach stabbing their throats each time he came in close before jumping back and swinging with all his might to decapitate the weakened organ. Thusly he advanced into the last two gravestone layers, just out of the incoming corpse¡¯s reach to catch his breath.

    A hand suddenly popped out of the ground and grabbed his foot in a vice grip. Instinctively Luvrit jumped back but the weight of the body supporting the hand kept him in place, so with his upper body going back while the foot was held firmly in place, made him fall. Luvrit, feeding off of adrenaline, swung his sword and cut off the hand that grabbed his foot. Getting to his feet he squinted at the ground and realized that similar hands were wriggling their way out of the earth. More corpses were unearthing from their graves while they were busy fighting those cropses still out in the open.

    ¡°Check your feet,¡± He hissed, hoping that he could be heard. ¡°Their coming out from the gro-¡±

    And as if on cue; one of the mercenary screamed from the back of the mausoleum, sending everyone on high alert.

    ¡°Plebeu!¡± Min¨²sculo hissed. When no response came he shouted; ¡°Check your surroundings you idiots!¡±

    What followed was an awkward stomp-fest. The undead couldn¡¯t move through the gravestones by more than a few finger-lengths and the unearthing process took too long to complete, allowing them to stopm them back down before they could come up. They were stomping on the new-born undead¡¯s skulls when they weren¡¯t dealing with the incoming ones. It didn¡¯t take more than a few seconds to deal with each undead so by the time the others had arrived he had bought himself enough time to give them his undivided attention and by the sounds of the others it seemed as they shared his success.

    Slowly but surely they advanced into the inner sanctum of the mausoleum, eventually killing off the last of them. While the others took to a break to catch their breaths, Luvrit and Min¨²sculo took watch of anything else appearing out of the ground.

    ¡°That was¡­unexpectedly easy,¡± the midget commented.

    ¡°We lost Plebeu,¡± one of the two-strikers said.

    ¡°Yeah, we did¡± the small man sighed. ¡°But this job is for the exceptional, we can¡¯t have commoners amongst our soon-to-be three strike team, they¡¯ll slow us down. Better to die early and alone because of your incompetence than to live longer and kill us all because of it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a sick man Min¨²sculo,¡± one of them spoke and spat on the ground, his friend keeping him back.

    ¡°Yeah and this sick man can kill ya before ye could even blink. Now, get back before I slap the shit out of ya,¡± Min¨²sculo threatened, showing off an intended swing. ¡°Something none of you seem to understand.¡±

    ¡°I can see why you switch teams a lot,¡± Luvrit silently nodded to himself.

    ¡°Oh Ha dee da. Minas, deliver the message that it¡¯s all clear.¡± Min¨²sculo said. One of the angry men jumped off his resting spot on the mausoleum and disappeared into the fog where they¡¯d come from. ¡°Keep alert you three, I can¡¯t have you die before he comes. I know it¡¯s hard but try not to kill yourself from stupidity.¡±

    They all stood up and after some talks; took up positions at each cardinal point around the mausoleum but he didn¡¯t miss the glares they gave the small man as they got to work.

    ¡®I hope this doesn¡¯t turn into another Duurkin,¡¯ he thought before burying his worries for later.

    Luvrit took up the point facing back to where he¡¯d come from hoping to enjoy some time alone when he was joined by Min¨²sculo, who copied his stance and stood in silence.

    ¡°The flowreader seems young,¡± Min¨²sculo commented.

    ¡°Or he¡¯s inexperienced.¡± He replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I meant, but even all of us being there didn¡¯t change the outcome, the flow reader had numbers on his side and now more than half the city¡¯s dead.¡± A tense silence formed between them until Min¨²sculo spoke; ¡°Anyways I wanted ta ask if ya if ya would mind putting in a good word for me to yer lord and when I become a three striker?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so uncouth and speak properly¡­and for what? You¡¯ll be one of the elites, what more do you want?¡± Luvrit frowned, looking down at him.

    ¡°You know what I want, I want in. What are you looking at me like that fer? People talk Luv,¡± Min¨²sculo smiled, scratching his beard. ¡°All hushed and quite of course, but nothing stays hidden¡­not from the worst of the lot your lord is brewing in the underbelly of this city. It was funny, to be honest with ya. The men I saw hanged out in public, I find a few months later walking amongst us in the alleys, sewers and of course atop the buildings at midnight. So I awoke that curious cat and finally got around to catching one of them; a brown haired woman with two ugly scars leading up her arms. You know her?¡± the short man must¡¯ve seen his reaction because a smug grin soon began spreading across his ugly face. ¡°Would you believe the tales she told me?¡±

    ¡°Throw your cat in a bag and forget this, this is no time to be distracted.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not distraction if we both know what we¡¯re talking about,¡± the midget waved his hand in uninterest. ¡°The city¡¯s underworld boss, the big man, controls the guards and keeps peace within this city. Protects it from outside problems; invading spies from our good neighbors, merchants creating money problems and such. But what caught my interest; was learning about how the big man had a hand in the mysterious destruction and disappearances all over town. Now I thought to myself, how could something that has been happening since my childhood be controlled by an underworld boss whom I didn¡¯t know about till I was already growing a beard?¡±

    Min¨²sculo clasped a hand behind his back and placed his hand, still holding onto the sword, on his heart.

    ¡°But you know me, I¡¯m a clean-ish guy. I don¡¯t mix with rapists or fu-fugitives, so I didn¡¯t think about it further¡­and probably that would¡¯ve been it for me, I¡¯d have let her go after that much if the beauty didn¡¯t have a mouth on her the size of her head,¡± He smiled, trying to gouge Luvrit¡¯s reaction. ¡°She said it all so fast that I almost missed it. Apparently she was pretty upset at a certain blonde enforcer working for ¡®the big man¡¯, a blond with a very favorable position in the mercenary ranks of this city. She said he didn¡¯t give her enough of a good time for all she¡¯s done for him, said she should¡¯ve just done it when she had the chance. Hahaha, can you imagine it or have you already experienced it? So there I am about to interrogate this woman and she¡¯s rambling on about her life like that will help her¡­well in this case it did. Now being the good holy man that I am, I just couldn¡¯t help but pity the sex deprived woman infront of me. So I did something to her that her blondie couldn¡¯t ever do. I gave her what she wanted most and we both left pretty satisfied that night.¡±

    ¡°What did you do?¡± Luvrit tried masking is anger but the sound of his gloved fist being balled up betrayed his efforts.

    ¡°Relax, I wouldn¡¯t stoop to taking advantage of a woman in need,¡± Min¨²sculo backed away. He stopped and thought for a moment before saying; ¡°Fine, I would. But she wouldn¡¯t let me so good fer you in finding a devil with tits. Said she¡¯s saving it for her man, ha, like that cunt¡¯s gonna get better with age. It ain¡¯t like wine ya know, it gets all saggy and uughgh. ¡±

    While Min¨²sculo exaggerated his disgust, Luvrit crossed his arms and gribbed his biceps, letting the anger out on his arms.

    ¡°¡­Fine,¡± he sighed in defeat. ¡°After my failed¡­venture, is that what that¡¯s called? Anyways, so I helped her get out of the city away from her lord. And you know what? I risked my life and limb for that theif and she only gave me a smile, a fucking smile¡­.can¡¯t complain though, I got to cope a feel of those magnificent mountains before she left, hehe. You chose well my friend, you. Chose. Well.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re trying to get a rise out of me then you¡¯ve failed, idiot.¡± Luvrit sighed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t hang out with a thief and criminal condemned by the duke. The only reason I¡¯m even invested in this is because I don¡¯t allow this type of behavior to happen to any helpless woman-¡±

    ¡°-Oh she wasn¡¯t helpless.¡± He chuckled.

    ¡°And I would¡¯ve probably cut your thing right here if you did rape her-¡±

    ¡°Hey, I show people a good time! They don¡¯t call me Asterix for my fighting skills,¡± Min¨²sculo puffed his chest with pride. That pride quickly deflated when Luvrit placed the tip of his sword against it and pushed to return it to regular size.

    ¡°There are quite a few of people matching that description in the mercenary ranks. Why would his lordship be the big man?¡±

    ¡°No, no, of course not. It¡¯s obviously his dead mother,¡± Min¨²sculo said sarcastically. ¡°I never said his lordship was the big man.¡±

    ¡°You said ¡®her lord¡¯-¡±

    ¡°Why are you trying to prove it¡¯s not him?¡±

    ¡°You implied-¡±

    ¡°And why would you care for what happens to a criminal? If you are so against sinful things then you should have no trouble accepting what happens to a murdering, thieving woman. Admit it I¡¯m right Luvrit. I¡¯m not that same idiot who tried to rob you¡­I¡¯ve grown, man. Now cut the bullshit and tell it to me straight, I deserve more than this, don¡¯t ya think?¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re still that shorty Peter beat half to death that evening you stole his bread. Then decided to mooch off of us for the next couple of years so I think you¡¯re getting what you deserve,¡± Luvrit smirked, returning to his star into the fog.

    ¡°Cut the horseshit, Luvrit. You¡¯re the enforcer that woman was all crazy about.¡± Min¨²sculo said. ¡°I know it! If you value our friendship then you will tell me this.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s a good thing I don¡¯t trust even my friends¡­.I¡¯ll answer one day and my answer¡¯ll depend on what happens to you after tonight,¡± he said with pressed lips.

    ¡°Hmm, alright it¡¯s not like I¡¯m completely clueless. I know that you took over Volvo¡¯s previous position, you acting and speaking like that just means I was right with what I knew,¡± Min¨²sculo scowled.

    ¡°Why would you think that?¡±

    ¡°C¡¯me on,¡± He gave Luvrit a deadpan look. ¡°He isn¡¯t the oldest mercenary living here, yet he has the most influence than any of us, over the guards, tavern owners and that warden¡¯s lot. Given how much our jobs gets us it just seemed wrong how he¡¯s able to afford all those weapons and armor when we first started. By the time he cut me loose rumors were already flying about him and one thing led to another till I found that woman. I connected everything after that. So¡­you took over from Volvo right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he gave me leadership of our group-,¡±

    ¡°I knew it-¡±

    ¡°-Nature¡¯s Call, that is. Volvo, Fliss and Peter, I lead them now. Of course there is the odd day when Volvo takes control in meetings but that just abou-¡±

    ¡°Stop,¡± Min¨²sculo gestured. ¡°You¡¯re, ugh¡­oooohhh, you¡¯re as annoying as that idiot muscle midget my replacement in your team knows so well...Well it doesn¡¯t matter if you tell me, ¡®cause i¡¯m gonna confirm that on my own. Once I get into his inner circle I¡¯ll know everything and then it¡¯ll be the easy life for ya boy¡­oh, you hear that, my heart hasn¡¯t jumped this much since the first time I picked up the sword.¡±

    ¡°Was that before or after I saved you from those two?¡±

    ¡°Uh-uh, we fought together and each killed one of ¡®em, if I remember it right.¡±

    ¡°If I remember it right; Peter owed you after that, right?¡±

    When he didn¡¯t speak up, Luvrit looked over and saw him tracing his wrist, seemingly lost in thought.

    ¡®Where did he get that scar?¡¯

    ¡°¡­saving that idiot¡¯s ass probably got me the biggest favor I could¡¯ve asked for.¡± Min¨²sculo muttered. Then he said in a whisper Luvrit strained to hear, ¡°He saved me from myself¡­fucker.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯d you save him? Back then you hated him and on more than one occasion tried to kill him too.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, it took you that long to ask?¡± he giggled. *Sigh* ¡°You know what Luv? Sometimes, I think you¡¯re the stupid one in the group¡­Sure I hated him for what he did when we first met eachother, but I never wanted to kill him. Defeat him maybe and sometimes we fought ¡®cause I was bored but I never wanted to kill him. Before it was Luvrit, Peter and Fliss there was Luvrit, Min¨²sculo and Peter and I ain¡¯t one to forget those days¡­Even though Volvo replaced me and you all did nothing to stop him I still consider you my old friends. Old goody-two-blondes.¡±

    ¡®Volvo did that?¡¯ Luvrit thought. ¡®I really forgot such a thing? What¡­have I become? He told not to trust anyone but¡­this is Min¨²sculo we¡¯re talking about if he was really planning something I would know before he does. He¡¯s as open as anyone of those books on display. I can trust him¡­right?¡¯

    Silence¡­and then;

    ¡°¡­This type of work will not suite you,¡± Luvrit said grimly.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You say I¡¯m the enforcer, but you¡¯re wrong. I¡¯m not what the rumors say I am. I¡¯ve heard some say that this enforcer job is the worst out of all of them, isn¡¯t as glamorous as it¡¯s made out to be¡­ sleeping with the rats; that what this job is. You hide amongst the garbage of the town for days, sometimes weeks before a certain whisper comes your way. You report it and then wait again for the du-big boss¡¯s orders¡­or so I¡¯ve heard.¡±

    ¡°So what? There¡¯s a lot of waiting around, I get it. But atleast you get paid well and are allowed to go to the, uh, rich places whenever you want,¡± Min¨²sculo frowned. ¡°The guards don¡¯t bother you and the church backs your descisions.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you think?¡± Luvrit rubbed his head, tired from it all. ¡°And here I thought you got smarter.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I guess all the rumors are really just about Volvo, cause those aren¡¯t perks of the job,¡± Luvrit began. ¡°Volvo¡¯s achieved all of that by himself. The guards know and respect him because he used to be one of them¡­for a short time at least, the best out of his batch. The church backs him because over the past decade he¡¯s been paying charity every other week without fail and the pay you think is soo much¡­a few pouches of gold a year I¡¯ve heard.¡±

    ¡°No¡­you¡¯re lying.¡±

    ¡°I said this before; this job isn¡¯t all it¡¯s made out to be. You have to kill the people whom the big boss deems worthy, spend sleepless nights spying in the sewers and constantly keep watch on all the criminals he¡¯s released in this town. This job isn¡¯t worth the risks but Volvo is too blinded by...by whatever makes him so-what¡¯s the word¡­loyal to the big boss to see it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Wait, if you hate it so much why did you agree to it? No I¡¯m not pretending we¡¯re talking about some unreal situation, if you got an answer say it to my face, tell me the truth.¡±

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t, I save the people not kill them, not all,¡± Luvrit smiled, despit the sorrow in his eyes. ¡°I use Volvo¡¯s name to get those people out of this city, because if I don¡¯t then we won¡¯t have any decent folks left. Just corpses. We don¡¯t need anymore of those, do we?¡±

    ¡°No, we all know what that get us,¡± Min¨²sculo murmered. ¡°Hmm, fuck¡­¡­¡­*Sigh* Fine forget about it then.¡±

    ¡°Already did.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. Hey you three, all right over there?¡± the midget asked without looking back. When no response came he warily turned towards the nearest person¡¯s location and stalked towards it, waving at the fog to dissipate.

    ¡°Everything alright?¡± Luvrit asked. He unsheated a sword and held it in a two handed grip as he stalked towards him.

    ¡°No,¡± Min¨²sculo said as he squinted into the fog. Suddenly a squealching sound came from under his boots and he jumped back. Short-sword in hand, the midget crouched to the ground where he¡¯d jumped from and examined the soil. He was almost on his knees when he began to see a red and white mixture in the ground. Poking the thing with his weapon he skewered something on his swordtip and pulled it back up to observe. It was a deflated, burst open eye.

    ¡°Fuck! Get back!¡± He yelled. Luvrit stopped in his tracks when suddenly a large figure dropped from above and almost crushed the midget had he not been expecting it. The little man rolled to the sides, coming to a stop on the back of the gravestone. After checking on Min¨²sculo, Luvrit looked back at the creature, taking in the form of the beast through the dissipating fog.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    The creature in front of him seemed to be a mixture of multiple bodies melted together. The creature had five heads; two of which were embedded in the shoulders, another two were attached to the back and chest and the final one was rooted between the shoulders looking up like a tulip bud. The rest of the heads were extended on long necks, swaying slightly, while those on the shoulders were embedded deep into the flesh.

    Unlike the top head sporting black hair the others had white, fortunately covering a part of their face. The chest-head facing Luvrit had its mouth sewn shut with a black thread. Its eyes were lidless, mutilated by pikes jutting out of them.

    ¡®Pikes of the cemetery gate¡­¡¯ Luvrit unconsciously thought. His arms began to tremble as he looked for a weakspot.

    The monster¡¯s body was covered with rags like most undead; however they were much thicker and larger. The part uncovered by the rags, the stomach, seemed to be hollowed out and only the thick spinal cord, almost as thick as four more than normal, seemed to be connecting the top of the monster with the bottom¡­

    The top body had 10 arms protruding out in random directions, while the bottom was more¡­complicated. Five of its legs were connected to the waist, supporting its large weight and the other five were bent and curled around its stomach, hanging limply. There were a lot of opening in the creature, but none he could exploit. He was too weak, so survival instincts took over and he franctically began looked around for an escape. Meanwhile Min¨²sculo had regained himself enough to slowly take out another sword.

    ¡°EEAAA!¡± The creature noticed him and bounded towards the screaming midget. He threw a sword aimed at its chest and without hesitation jumped over the gravestone to run away. The sword struck the chest and pierced it, but that didn¡¯t stop in in the least. He should¡¯ve ran right there and then, but something about the way one of it¡¯s heads kept its neck craned towards him told him that if he tried he was as good as dead, he was rooted. Luvrit saw Min¨²sculo get as far as the fifth layer of gravestones before he was caught. It grabbed his shoulders while the other arms began latching onto his legs.

    ¡°Mausoleum!¡± Min¨²sculo shouted as his sword fell, piercing one of its legs on the stomach. He struggled for a moment before the monster¡¯s strength overpowered him. His left arm and leg were discolated with a pop before they were ripped out. The fog was thick; all he could see was the blurry red colours fly out of the stumps.

    ¡®Min¨²sculo¡­I¡¯m next.¡¯

    That thought alone was enough to get Luvrit going. He didn¡¯t think, he just ran. Soon he would be protected, up the steps and through the gates. He¡¯ll be safe. He only reached the second step. A large shadow covered his own and only out of instincts did he jump back, narrowly missing the hands of the monster as it grabbed thin air. But he didn¡¯t escape completely; the legs attached to its waist kicked out and pushed him off into the gravestones.

    Luvrit fell to his knees and out of instincts jumped to the side, nearly dodging the creature again. He saw the head on the monster¡¯s left shoulder shriek out at him. Despite having pikes running through its eyes it seemed to know exactly where he was. Its two feet on the stomach had broken the top of the gravestone and were supporting its bent position. As it shrieked those feet kicked the body back upright and it wobbled towards him.

    Eyes widened, hairs stood on end and reactions exploded.

    Luvrit yelled at it before throwing his sword and without hesitation, he turned around and ran. It was a sickening realization that only after the first turn two fingers, proded his shoulder and slid across his back. It was a miracle that he was able to keep running and soon he¡¯d come full circle. Glancing at the open door of the Mausoleum he saw the open door and just behind him heard the stomping of several feet. He jumped in.

    Luvrit sailed through the air, over the stairs, feeling the fingers poke his feet as he landed into the tomb. He quickly propped himself on his elbows and crawled backwards till his back was completely against the wall. The monster repeatedly slammed into the door, its frame too large to fit. The stones began chipping away and at that moment Luvrit knew he was hanging by a burning thread.

    ¡°Kurva, Kurva, motherfucker, motherfucker, fuck, fuck fuckitty bitch, fuck, motherfucker, oh god!¡± Running out of incoherent curses Luvrit picked himself up and let the shivers run their course. The tips of his fingers and feet felt so sensitive that even the slightest motion of air sent shivers through them.

    ¡®No matter how many times I face it,¡¯ Luvrit thought. ¡®It still feels like I¡¯m falling with dead weight pulling me down.¡¯

    Suddenly the creature stopped its rampant assault and backed away from the door and for a moment, that weight lifted off him. Then doubled when the monster rammed into the door; breaking off the concrete edges and widening the entrance enough to slowly push through.

    The building shook with tremors while Luvrit unsheathed his other sword, ready to go out fighting, when his attention was drawn to a large rock with an unobstrusive carving falling off the wall and to his side. Muffled sounds of rocks grinding against each other followed afterwards and he felt the wall behind him move back. Jumping up he realized that the wall behind him was actually a stone coffin that was moving to the side revealing a dark passage. It merely took him a few seconds and another tremor to decide his fate.

    He entered the darkness.

 Chapter 27: The Clash of the Ghoul and the Noble-Part 1

    ¡°Very good, young man,¡± Duke William smiled. The messenger was in a low bow and out of breath but still looked up to give a bright smile, a sign of a true social climber. He would¡¯ve trusted a smirk or even anger more than that bright smile the mercenary sported but for now he let it go.

    ¡®No matter, I¡¯ll soon wake up anyway,¡¯ He thought.  Duke William looked upon his subjects and nodded; ¡°The time has come; let us depart under the cover of this fog.¡±

    Thus began the agonizingly slow progress to his family¡¯s Maousaleum. Despite the report that the passage was clear Duke William ushered his men to approach quietly, for an extra precaution he had everyone slather some guts and blood on their armor, prioritizing stealth over speed.

    The work of his late father, Ruben Von Solus, had taught him what carelessness could do. Overseeing a land far smaller than his, Ruben kept the stick much closer to hand than the carrot and was never one to shy from flaunting his wealth to the suffering masses. Looking back at those times, William was ashamed to admit that he too far off from his father. Throwing around his weight to the poor and ordering them for entertainment. It probably would¡¯ve led to the same fate his father suffered had he not decided to change after his death.

    It was a quick quiet event all together juxtaposing with the chaotic aftermath. His father was killed by the same men and women he¡¯d deemed beneath care; those weak and meager looking workers who apparently were quite skilled in using the dagger. On one of his regular trips through the city he would flaunt his wealth and bully, abuse and commit all manner of vulgar acts unbefitting of his title, during war time! So it came as little surprise when it seemed that the common-folk had had enough. They joined together, formed a small group and overran the small number of guards protecting him at the time; it was a woman who stabbed him, a total of 15 times. At the time he was off fighting the war in his father¡¯s stead so he wasn¡¯t present for their execution after the failed coup.

    Though he had ordered their hanging in letter, had he been there he would¡¯ve probably congratulated her before sending her off to her death. When a man, floating on death¡¯s river, had committed more violence than charity, no one mourns for him. Such was the atmosphere; while the nobles cried and their faces dampened with water droplets substituting for tears, the commoners danced in the alleyways and drank at the good riddance in the taverns. Even if his father didn¡¯t know, that was the most important lesson he¡¯d left him. What happens to a man blinded by power?

    A certain sense of responsibility came to him after he¡¯d pondered on the matter once too often. After that realization, that epiphany, he saw the actions of the actions of his actions, aligned together to the ultimate theoretical effect. He saw what could be, should he let it happen not only for himself but for the small populace under him at the time. Upon confidation; his peers and family called it ¡®a noble¡¯s intuition¡¯ but to him it sounded like something else. Something he¡¯d found some other commoners, discuss during his time as commander of his father¡¯s troops. It was his first war and he¡¯d found a few of them who showed knowledge of the same intuition. It was rare sense to the nobles but common sense to their subjects, many of whom lived on the sharp end of the sword. For almost two years he shared the same tables and grounds yet he didn¡¯t realize this skill until after his father¡¯s death. Pathetic.

    After his death, war ended abruptly¡­and unjustly. The troops were immediately ordered to retreat because some old man hated by everyone died and a ceremony to hail his departure had to be done. This gave the Alexandrians the victory they did not earn and boosted their morals so much that conflicts near the border were almost onesided, with his men always getting the sharp end of the stick.

    That was when he assumed control of his father¡¯s failing dukedom. Having learnt from his failed predecessor the first and foremost thing he did, was do his subjects better. A better house, better food on their table, better clothes and more money to aquire it, all the better to run his kingdom with. However, such a goal was not achievable without some setbacks. The first few years were the worst; people rebelled and slanthered his name, his father¡¯s wrongdoings hung over his head like a butcher¡¯s knife he¡¯d have to avoid every night as he went to sleep. But soon he made good on that promise, with the few people he could trust he raided his enemies, taking what was rightfully his.

    He targeted the main resource cities deeper into Alexandria, as he made his way alongside his men under the cover of the nights and hiding in the forest during daytime. Before word could reach both kings he¡¯d taken as much as he could and hauled it across the border where he could easily deal with the chasing dogs.

    Expecting punishment, he was pleasantly surprised when the king not only did he not punish him but also congratulated him on the haul. It probably had something to do with how close in age they were. The king was 18 years of age and advantaged by god since he was the only male heir to the throne. The young man took the opportunity and claimed prize to his accomplishments, paving way for his rule.

    For his work, William received additional land and the right to have a quarter of the resources he¡¯d publically amassed. From everyone fighting tooth and nail for everything, he was able to change it to only a select few fighting while the rest knocked the nails into wood and cleansed their teeth.

    Even with a lacadaisicle lifestyle, however, he did not stop. He gave out charity and showed modesty towards the poor in hopes of proving himself his father¡¯s better with each and every nod of acknowledgement. With each display of power his subjects revered him and slowly but surely he earned his own reputation. But life like all things, wasn¡¯t all good times. There were times when failure came and went occasionally and it was during those times he realized how little control he had over his subjects. They could change from proclaiming him a saint to bickering and gossiping behind his back.

    ¡°Let those peasants speak ill of their lord behind the cover of their homes, but do not let one man proclaim it publically.¡± His father had let these kinds of things run. He was not his father.

    So, big boss was born; an underground lord of thievery, murder and arson whose love for the city rivaled that of Duke William von Solus. Through his darker persona he was able to create a functioning system of spies through whom he could take out the undesirables without any political backlash from the other earls and dukes. All this was financed by the heavy taxes paid by the ashen merchants, traders whose products fell under ¡®questionable origins¡¯, whom he¡¯d allowed entrance to his city.

    Unfortunately, the increase in ¡®crimes¡¯ in his city forced him to create the infamous guards. Conscripted men and retired soldiers who were brought back to duty to appease the angered populace. He gave the guards power and freedom rivaling that of a baron. It was a dangerous game he played but a game it was nonetheless. The William of that time didn¡¯t know what true horror of war was and he paid dearly for it.

    Not seven years after he had begun conscription the order to prepare for war suddenly came from the capital. The king had decided to go to war with the Chimerans, probably revenge for that nearly a decade ago¡­. The war was long; a lot happened during that war and it was a miracle they didn¡¯t repeat that decade old mistake. By the end of the ten years, after continual wastage of resources the kingdom was held out on the figurative edge of a cliff, when they had won. Luckily, no other nation joined after giving them enough time to recover form the backlash of the war. A lot of good men and women were lost during the war; most of those were from Yikensworth. An army of orphans was what the war produced, aside from improving his reputation.

    During the war he had distinguished himself as a powerful Magus de Elementa and for his efforts, given control over the free villages which separated Alexandria¡¯s Alexandropolis from his Yikensworth. The morale had been falling by the day so eventually a time came when he had to bed greed, hiding behind the mask of smiles and love.

    The time had come for him to marry and his mother¡­she had picked someone from the Willus family. Seeing her as just another woman he had kept his guard down around her, doing as he pleased and thus unaware of the jealousy that had begun to brew from her. On their marriage day, his so-called peerage congratulated him, sang long convoluted praises in his name or fame and had him strut around like a peacock, ignorant to what the future held for-.

    ¡®My thoughts are drifiting too much,¡¯ he thought. ¡®Thank goodness this all isn¡¯t real or else I would¡¯ve had to have been more alert. So, back to reminiscing¡­¡¯

    ¡­On one sunny day, his ignorance caught up and it wasn¡¯t holding back any force.

    He had been training his control of the flow when he noticed Mathilda appear out of the corner of his eye. Mathilda and Bertrand were the servants that had come along from with his wife and often kept him company during his hours of training. So when she approached him during an incantation with her hands around her back he paid her no mind. Unlike most practitioner of the strange language commonly known as ¡®Flow¡¯, he¡¯d added some medium of physical excertion during his chants and it was due to this extra training that when he went into a horseback stance the knife his plum maid had thrusted at him, did not pierce his heart.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Out of instinct he¡¯d attacked her with the morbum incantation he¡¯d been practicing, deteriorated her body until her skin sunk to her bones and she vomited uncontrollably. After taking care of her he sought out that Willus woman to whom the maid belonged to, his guard was now up.

    Having awoken from his swim in the lake of devotion it wasn¡¯t very hard to see through her poorly constructed lies. It wasn¡¯t until after he¡¯d punished her for attempting his murder that he found the truth; it was all jealousy. He had married the eldest daughter of a superior house, before he taken over Yikensworth and turned it into the dukedom she now lived in. That constant reminder of how poorly her family did in comparison to his, coupled with her loses in the self-implied contest of flow reading led to her forcing Mathilda to kill him. He didn¡¯t know about the contest and she never talked about her feeling with him, unless it included lust or duty; his marriage was void of many emotions.

    But he did his duty. He¡¯d taken care of her, given her food, a home and the best clothes he could afford. He took her to the borderwall like she always wanted; showed her the beautiful ponds and forests in his region. He did his duty and she betrayed him. He didn¡¯t talk to her and she tried to kill him. Looking back, he felt justified in the actions he took next.

    He spoke to no one about it, only Betrand knew and he had prostrated himself so deeply in asking forgivness for his wife that he wasn¡¯t sure that the man even cared about what had happened to his mistress.

    In those following days the duke did not appear to the public which led to rumors circling the city on the reasons why. Rumors which he lay to rest after announcing that his wife was expecting, unfortunately the very next day of the announcement she had been assassinated and he had reverted behind his house¡¯s walls to mourn.

    From the incident he had gained two very loyal servants, though losing his wife was unfortunate it was nothing that could not have been replaced. After some political tension between the Von Solus and Willus family he was provided another wife, another flow reader, a smarter flow reader.

    Fortunately, she was not one to pursue revenge, for when she found out knowing who was in the wrong she kept silent and did her duty. Even though he¡¯d never touched his new wife, in six months¡¯ time his daughter, Lidia, was born and his previous wife was properly buried back at her family plot.

    Almost all his ¡®friends¡¯ recommended a maid or two to take care of her, but seeing the effects of such practice first hand during his own childhood he forced himself to live in the undignified manner. Taking care of his daughter and making sure she did not grow with anything usless filling up her brain. He raised her with the love his mother lacked and the discipline his father forgot. The Willus woman helped from time to time but she knew her place and kept to it most of the time. A child needed both a mother and father to raise her, anything less could be harmful.

    This undignifying method was truly a blessing in disguise for where his popularity dropped amongst his peers it was raised amongst his subjects. Although the problem of his marriage had been solved he had never distrusted people more than he did at the time. Fortunately for him, just a few months later he would meet his enforcer; the man who took up the sword to the neck and didn¡¯t falter when he gave his soul.

    William ducked under the cover of the tall gravestones and watched the back of the man, who made everything possible, who laid his life before him and took the lead. He couldn¡¯t help but smile at that gesture, if it was anyone else he would¡¯ve asserted his dominance but since it was him he let it happen without consequence.

    His first enforcer; Volvo Inkertan.

    The man¡¯s life was as twisted and complicated as the curles on his beard. Upon their first meeting, despite the rumors of his ruthless persona, which the mercenary obviously knew of, he had offered himself at his service. At first William cautiously sent him to do the worst and riskiest tasks he could think off but each time the man would return back to his side, asking for another one and then some more. Task after task, the man remained underterred.

    William then sent him to pillage a village by himself thinking a suicide mission would surely reveal the man¡¯s true nature. He judged wrongfully. The man knelt before him and offered his life in his servitude and after a week had accomplished the task with more cuts and bruises than one could count while keeping his manchet bread in his stomach. From then on whatever William deemed too dark to delve into personally, he would send Volvo and for a good ten years this served him well. Eventually his circle grew, as more and more strong joined him every year until it had become what it was today¡­or what it had been a few hours ago. However even after they all joined not one was more or even as faithful as Volvo Inkertan. But it would matter not to dwell on reality, he needed to find a way to wake up from this dream, a way that did not require a sword through his heart.

    He himself was unclear of his own reasons to act as the way he did during the meeting, but what was done had been done and only a future action could mend what he¡¯d done. Why did he so vehemently go against his plan, William could not figure¡­why? It was like watching himself in a dream, yet he couldn¡¯t control what he saw himself doing. He valued the man¡¯s word yet he acted so poorly against him that he felt guilty. Perhaps that was another he kept the man so close to him, backs bent and statures crouched, under the cover of the fog and gravestones he followed Volvo¡­until they met the monstrosity.

    It did not speak, nor did it screech instead it seemed to seethe with anger as it mindlessly pulled out chunks of broken rocks off of what he feared was his family¡¯s Mausaleoum. The creature had two heads from what he could tell; one on the back placed in the middle of four shoulder blades poking out and one between the shoulders pointing upwards all mounted atop a mountain of legs and arms. He looked to his men and noticed them fidgeting, amongst them only the real loyal men crouched in serenity in front of such beast.

    Volvo met his gaze and pointed to another grave to their far left where the shadow of an arm and leg could be seen through the fog. Scouting around William found the short enthusiast that he¡¯d sent a few minutes ago laying against a grave with his his back to them. He seemed to have died writing a smudged message in blood on the gravestone.

    Volvo motioned for them to follow as he slowly circled around the beast, coming over to the dead body. The midget had died smiling, being able to write only as much as a ¡®Lu-¡¯ before his breath was taken away.

    ¡°Luvrit?¡± Volvo whispered.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, two-strikers, take the lead,¡± he ordered. Before anyone could move Volvo pointed his spiked mace at the team captians neck, re-enforcing the duke¡¯s command. They gulped audibly and slowly approached the beast, hoping to catch it off guard at it¡¯s blindside. William kept the others back while the two-strikers waded deeper in the fog.

    He watched them move closer before one of them suddenly yelled and fell down. The rest began stabing at their feet and around their fallen comrade. If William squinted really hard, he could see small hand-like figures emerging from the graves. It seemed that the magic was only affecting a certain area around the Mausoleum.

    Sweat broke out on his forehead as the beast¡¯s two heads turn to five as its attention was drawn to the idiocentric dancing of the two-strikers. It simply jumped from the steps, easily passing over the fence and smashed the leader into red goop. Blood flew everywhere, covering the graves and those struggling in the ground with streaks of red.

    They didn¡¯t stand a chance. The taller of the remaining two members jumped and stabbed the beast in the shoulder, losing his head in the process. As the blood showered over them the only standing mercenary made a blind run for it. The beast smashed the head of the fourth person being pulled into the ground before making its chase.

    William took this opportunity and ordered his three-strike men forward. They reached the rumble and began clearing it out as quickly as possible while he and Volvo stood guard. The man had reached quite far before the beast caught him, ripping him to pieces in the seconds that followed.

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s clear,¡± Olly said.

    ¡°Protect me,¡± William laid down his hands and looked at the stone coffin housing his great ancestral bones. The machinery was worn down and had been recently chipped off because of the beasts anger however there was still a chance. William could hear the yells and shouts behind ascertaining his suspicions on the beast¡¯s speed. He took a quick look behind him and saw Volvo smashing one of the beast¡¯s arms off of Olly while another took hold of him from the back and dragged him away. He set to starting the mechanism as sounds of stabing and hollowed screeches of being sabbed blew past him.

    The familiar sounds of grinding stone were welcoming. William grabbed his metal rod and turn just in time to see the beast finally screech out and run towards him, his men were scattered and none could reach fast enough¡­he didn¡¯t need them to anyway. Pointing his staff William began read the words coming out of the blue thread he''d chosen.

    The beast came up the stairs, it''s hands were only a few meters away when he shouted; ¡°[Ignis Maxima]¡±

    For a second nothing happened, during which the beast scurried up the steps and was a mere foot away. Then came the ringing in his ears as the metallic rod glowed orange and sparks flew out. The beast grabbed the end of the pole and attempted to pull him closer before it howled and jumped away. It flailed around in vain, trying to estinguish the blue flames on his hands yet only succeeding in changing its colour to orange. The thing ripped off its arms as it screamed. This was no beastial scream he had heard before, but the wailing cries of many females in synch.

    William, however, did not hesitate to push forward and press the staff to its exposed spine. Out of fear or understanding, the creature jumped back, narrowly missing the attack. It stared at the duke atop the stairs before something caught his attention elsewhere in the cemetery. Screeching out it turned around and ran away from the Mausoleum, leaving the group bewildered.

    ¡°Everyone!¡± he yelled, slamming his staff to estinguish the blue flames at its end. ¡°Let us depart. We are to face the root of all this evil and I swear to you, after this we shall celebrate with only the best food and drinks in us.¡±

    So they descended; a proud duke, a man lost in love and four of the strongest mercenary teams Yikensworth had to offer. They approached the dark chasm, unsuspecting of the trap lying beneath.

 Chapter 28: The Clash of the Ghoul and the Noble-Part 2

    ¡®Some of them passed through here¡­Then they must be after that necromancer¡­is that her footprint? No, Good.¡¯ Drac stood up from examining the muddy foot prints at the cemetery gates. Half an hour ago most of the fog that covered the city had disappeared. Following the thin trail of decapitated bodies Drac had found his way to the cemetery where he saw where all the fog went. It was packed in the land of corpses.

    Drac fixed his swords slightly as their straps pushed the armor into his neck. A major problem with carrying such large swords was that it decreased his mobility, or atleast caused pain in the most basic motions such as crouching. He had to constantly adjust them so that he wouldn¡¯t be inconvenienced when the time came to them to be put to use. But they were family heirlooms, he couldn¡¯t just replace them.

    Drac lifted his visor and squinted into thick fog that was concentrated in the cemetery, the displacement of the fog confirmed his suspicions that whatever caused the dead to rise again was housed in the cemetary. Almost as if the eyes were luminous, Drac¡¯s normally shadowed face was washed with a flash of red light. As soon as it came the light disappeared and Drac abruptly shut his visor. Without care for his left or his right he began trekking across the land of the disturbed dead.

    When he had passed the fifth line of gravestones Drac reached to his back and unclasped both his swords. Slowly and caustiously Drac made his way in deeper, stopping only to recheck wether the foot prints led to where he was going, they were.

    ¡°Ugh,¡± Drac suddenly ticked his head to the side, shuddering for a moment. When the vibrations died down he let out a small sigh and spoke; ¡°She¡¯s not dead, stop sinning.¡±

    Drac continued walking, as if nothing was wrong, until his head ticked to the sides once more.

    ¡°I die, you die. Stop talking so I can focus, unless you want to die.¡± Drac growled. He swung his swords in a circle before continuing onwards. Suddenly he came upon a corpse of a sneering midget¡­or atleast half a midget. The small man had spent his last breath writing a few characters on the gravestone for those who came after him, evident by the many pair of footprints that he passed by. Careful not to disturb the body any further Drac moved over the pool of blood and examined the wound.

    ¡°Yes, he was ripped in half,¡± Drac said to no one in particular. The base of the body was messy to say the least. Fortunately the leather armor kept the ripped meat and bones hidden for the most part. As he examined further he saw small holes near the base of the wound, showing off the muscles beneath the stretchd skin. The holes were surrounded by stretch marks of a loose skin that hung lamely on the spilled entrails. With the muscle wrappings torn off like decorated paper on a gift box the contents inside, such as the liver, stomach, and intestines were all spilled out onto the red earth underneath.

    After a moment Drac suddenly stood up and peered in the fog surrounding him. His grip on the swords tightened as he took a step away. The midget¡¯s organs would have been encased in a small layer of fat, had they been left as they were, but they were bitten into¡­and the bites were fresh.  Taking another step away from the dead body he suddenly tripped into pressed soil. The marks he saw on the dented ground showed at least 10 footprints, each different from each other and all directed in different positions as if the creature couldn¡¯t maintained its balance while feasting.

    ¡®It had been so large that it had to bend over the gravestone to eat out the organs of the small man¡­and judging from the blood it had only happened recently.¡¯ Alarm bells rang in his head at the though. Normally one would deter to their instincts but after years of his own, betraying him he¡¯d decided to rely on face value.

    He waited for a moment, turning on his heel to check his surrounding until the sounds of thumping feet filled the air around him. A large shadow began to phase in and out of the foggy cemetery from Drac¡¯s view to out of it.

    ¡°Just when I need you¡¯re help,¡± Drac murmered to himself. Afte a few second he spoke again; ¡°Well fuck you too.¡±

    *Whoosh*

    The sound of something cutting through the air caught his attention and he turned just in time to see a sword coming down from behind him. Drac grabbed the wrist of the sword as he took the hit on his pauldron and squeezed, hard.

    *Cruch*Fuss*

    The sound of crunching bones and spilt blood was soon drowned out by the cry from the monster before him. Instinctively Drac jumped forward and tried jabbing the creature in the position of its head, or so he suspected. Drac missed his target and felt his chest piece push against his body, cutting into his shoulders and stomach as he was lifted in the air before being slammed onto a gravestone behind him. In the split second before he met the sturdy rock with his back Drac saw the beasts face, or atleast one of its faces, whip towards him and screech.

    As soon as Drac was thrown into the gravestone the creature once again disappeared into the fog.

    ¡°Another one of those things,¡± Drac said as he shakily got off and took out one of his swords. Holding it in a two handed grip Drac began shifting his weight between his legs, keeping his face pointed in the one direction.

    ¡®Someone has a sick mind to think up a monster such as this, no doubt there were repercussions due to its power,¡¯ he reasoned.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    The sounds of clambering feet once again filled the air as the creature got closer. In the thick fog Drac only concentrated on his movements, slowing them down once the creature seemed almost upon him.

    It came from the side this time, just out of the corner of his eye. Though it made no sound from its many heads, the cutting of the air and the stomping of its feet gave him a pretty good idea where the attack was coming from. But his weight had just shifted on his other leg, away from where the creature was but directly in line of its attack. Without thinking Drac crouched lower and swinging his blade at with his full weight behind it. The monster took that moment to jump with a gravestone in hand and though Drac missed his intended mark the creatures legs fared less well.

    ¡°YAAAAAHHH¡±

    The large sword chopped through them like twigs until it eventually got stuck in the middle. Drac didn¡¯t waste time and pushed himself forward, grabbing whatever came to hand, which just so happened to be the spine. It was only then that Drac noticed the burns on the screeching monster. In his moment of hesitation the creature swung down and slammed the stone on his back.

    Drac fell to his knees as the stone crumbled. But he didn¡¯t shout, nor did he loose his grip on the spine, instead it only got stronger. The creature kept screeching and began swinging at him with every small rock it could catch off the broken gravestone, but he was undeterred. Drac used his other hand and in a two handed grip began to lift the creature up.  In his slow pick-up the creature began to incessantly kick and punch the armored warrior.

    ¡°AHHH!¡± Drac shouted as he reached his full height. His knees shook violently and threatened to buckle but before he could fall he pushed his arms forward and slammed the beast down with all his might. Drac tried slamming his fists into the creature¡¯s face as he lost his footing.

    *Crunch*

    Drac pulled his fist from the soft earth, shaking off the bits of its brains off his fist. The screams from the other heads intensified at the loss of their counterpart but Drac paid it no mind, instead punching through the the other heads as well. He slapped the heads stuck to the shoulders and began clawing out whatever he could get his hands on. In turn he could feel the creature punching and pushing him off, but due to his armor none of it affected him.

    Blood spilled and remnants of mushed eyes, tongues and other pieces of meat flew out as he bathed his hands gore. Drac was acutely aware of the clawing hands, but the more he slapped, clawed and punched the weaker the assault on his back got until it all stopped once he delivered the final blow to the last head.

    Unsteadily Drac stood up and stomped on the creature spine, breaking it in two. He grabbed his swords and began making his way towards the ruined mausoleum, strapping one on his back.

    ¡°You and I share the same body,¡± he murmered between coughs, blood misting the air infront of his visor. ¡°Whatever I feel, you do as well. So feel this pain because you deserve it for what you did to us...RAAH.¡±

    Calming himself he strapped the other sword on his back and began lifting the rocks, clearing out the mess to better make out the situation infront of him. A broken stone coffin had collasped on a hidden set of stairs leading deeper underground, a stone coffin whose pieces he promptly began throwing out. A familiar nagging feeling set in the back of his neck when he¡¯d finished clearing the entrance. It felt as if he was being watched; it was a feeling that came and went many times over the years yet nothing happened due to it, so he decided to ignore it and plow into the darkness before him. He let it envelope him forgetting the unease he felt moments before.

    ¡®The sooner this is over the sooner she¡¯ll be safe,¡¯ he thought.

    Drac walked down the steps, falling in rythm with the beating of his heart. He walked from the stairs to the hallway, moving to his heartbeat till he reached a wooden door.

    ¡­.

    It was blocked. No matter how much force he applied, even with his full weight, the door would not budge. If he tackled it and shouldered his way through he would lose his element of surprise. So taking a step back Drac began to retrace his steps shaking any objects of notable concern, which was everything. But after searching for a few minutes and moving half-way up the stairs he realized that he would find no passage, through that door or otherwise.

    ¡°Hrrmph,¡± He march back to the door and hesitated, glaring at the door as if it was an opponent and he the challenger. Drac stepped back and began undoing his right gauntlet; he slowly pulled the armor off of his shaky and bloody hand. While examining his hand he could see through the holes pierced by the ragged mothers from before. Gingerly he placed the hand on the walls and began feeling around the hinges of the door.

    ¡°Hmm¡±

    Having found what he needed Drac wore his guantlet again and took out a sword, twisting it around his shoulders, due to the small space. He held it in front and gently placed the top hook-like edge of his sword on the top of the top hinge before pressing down with all his might, breaking both door-holders instantly. A ringing sound echoed in the tunnel as the door fell down, freed from its metal bindings. Drac caught it and gently lowered it rest of the way.

    Having been unmasked, the giant rocks stood glaring back at Drac, acting as an impregnable last-line of defense to his quiet approach. Drac was about to swing his sword again when the shaking started. There was no rumbling, nor was there any tremor to notify of the large earthquake that had suddenly engulfed the underground tunnel.

    Rocks began falling everywhere; the very foundations of the mousaleum had begun falling on top of him. He was pummeled by the dislodged granite and battered by the heavy rain of soil, seeping its way into his armor as he vehemently tried breaking through the rocks blocking his path.

    ¡®In a hopeless situation a man would exhaust all his resources to survive-¡¯

    ¡®Heh, and that¡¯s what you would do?¡¯

    ¡®-But a soldier would delve into that hopelessness, even if it means his death, to accomplish his mission, for his country, for his family so that they may be safe. His survival doesn¡¯t matter their¡¯s does.¡¯

    ¡®§±§à§Ò§Ö§Õ§Ñ §á§Ö§â§Ö§Õ §ã§Þ§Ö§â§ä§î§ð¡¯

    ¡®No. §©§Ñ§ë§Ú§ä§Ú§ä§Ö, §Õ§Ñ§Ø§Ö §Ó §ã§Þ§Ö§â§ä§Ú.¡¯

    ¡®Protect, even in death?¡¯

    ¡®Always, §®§Ý§Ñ§Õ§ê§Ú§Û §Ò§â§Ñ§ä¡¯

    ¡­

    ¡®She looks like you. What did you name her?¡¯

    ¡®Natalie Sulieman Patrishni¡¯

    ¡®I would¡¯ve liked Natravi, I¡¯ll call her Nat S. Pat. Hmm?¡¯

    ¡®.¡­Run!! §Ò§â§Ñ§ä§Ú§Ü, run and don¡¯t look back...she is your responsibility now, you must take care of her, please.¡¯

    ¡­

    ¡®It seems even a lowly mercenary will §©§Ñ§ë§Ú§ä§Ú§ä§Ö, §Ó §Ö§Ô§à §ã§Þ§Ö§â§ä§Ú¡¯ Drac thought. He took a few steps back and charged for a final assault at the rocks. His armor was dented and ruptured from the pauldrons to the vambraces because of all the rocks they had to defend against, but he persevered and pushed forth. Using his last bit of strength Drac tackled the rocks just as another layer of boulders loosened from above¡­

 Chapter 29: Battle for Yikensworth-Part 1

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­Half an hour ago¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Keep alert; you all,¡± William Von Solus whispered. His lord¡¯s remaining entourage of mercenaries and he began spreading out into the cavern below the final pair of steps.

    At the bottom of the stairway was a long hallway which led them down a few stone steps that ended at the clearing in the cave where they were now scouting for the flowreader responsible for the mess upstairs. Stalgamites covered the ceiling, some drooping so low that they connected with the grounds at their sides, creating pillars for the balcony overlooking the clearing in the cave.

    Unfortunately, the balcony; being separated by large boulders piled atop one another, did not reach the stone steps. At the other end of the clearing stood a cliff, at the base of which was an old ruined well.

    ¡°To think, such a place existed beneath my dukedom,¡± his lord squinted at the bright luminous glow of the algae and peered into the darkness atop the cliff where it didn¡¯t grow.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening to the light?¡± one of the mercenaries exclaimed as he hugged his shield closer. ¡°How can it be like-like this underneath the ground?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re below the world, did we walk into the center of the sky?¡± another man whispered.

    ¡°Idiot, you fall through the sky not stand on-¡±

    ¡°Silence!¡± he hissed. ¡°unless you see where that flowreader or Luvrit is you will keep your thoughts to yourself, got it?¡±

    With that the atmosphere returned to its solemnity and the men progressed without a word. He followed his lord deeper into the cavern until a sudden shout from above drew his attention. Immediately, Volvo moved to shield the Duke while the archers ran back above the slope to get a better angle for a shot. He stood before his lord, disrespectfully showing him his back, with his mace raised over his head; ready to deflect any incoming arrows or act as a meat shield should the situation call for it. The other team captains, alongside their groups, had taken up each cardinal point around their lord. The fools meant well but they didn¡¯t know where the shout came from, he did. They watched with intensity as the shouts got louder, until the first clangs of metal resounded atop the cliff.

    ¡°Luvrit?¡± he whispered. He glanced back at his benefactor, no he was more than that¡­his master, for approval but the duke shook his head, telling him to wait. The shouting had subsided, replaced now by the orchestra of clanging metals, each cry of the steel was followed by only seconds after another and with time it was only getting louder.

    That is, until it suddenly stopped altogether. The silence that followed was defeaning, before a limp body was tossed over ledge. Without thinking Volvo jumped forward and raced to where the body was falling, barely catching the boy. Flipping the body over he gasped in shock to find Luvrit in such a state.

    The boy had cuts all over his face. A long gash extended down his shoulder and onto his right breast where a deep stab wound was bleeding out. Another long cut was placed neatly above his belly button, exposing his lower half and even cutting the chainmail in a jagged manner. Though Luvrit was in a worse state than a stray dog in Yikensworth he still carried breath and in that fortunate fact Volvo released a deep breath he didn¡¯t know he held.

    Acting quickly, he tore out a piece of cloth from his tunic and covered up the deep wound, applying enough pressure to instigate some controlled reactions from the lad. Luvrit¡¯s eyes flung open as he stared at his face and cried through gritted teeth at the pain.

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve got company~¡± chimed a familiar tone from above. Volvo looked up to see that whorish thief, Cleo, walk onto the ledge, humming a tune to herself. He noticed that she¡¯d changed her armor since they last met; replacing her silver armor from the night before to an ink black one. Her stomach was covered with what seemed like iron chainmail and her breast piece now covered her entire top half stopping just short of her neck. An arrow was knocked from behind him, it sailed straight at her but she cut it down with ease. She scanned the group before her with eyes filled with excitement and licked her lips.

    ¡°You forgot something~¡± she said. Cleo bent down, disgustingly waving her hips at them, and picked up a sword from her feet before throwing it at Volvo¡¯s direction. He quickly took up his mace to block but an iron staff intervened and deflected it elsewhere. He looked back and was greeted by a grim face of his master.

    ¡°Take him back and tend to him, when he¡¯s out of death¡¯s shadow leave him with Mitlund and join me. Together we shall rid my lands of this parasite,¡± the duke said before focusing on the woman above.

    ¡°Hey~,¡± she called over, waving her arm as if she was greeting an old friend.

    ¡®Disgusting¡¯, he thought. Volvo spat at the ground in spite and carried Luvrit to an archer in the back. Volvo immediately began depositing a variety of herbs as fast as he could, crushing and mixing them before applying the past on the wounds. Though Volvo had to focus he could still hear faint sounds of words being exchanged between the two and he didn¡¯t like where the conversation was going. He needed to get back as quickly as possible in case his lord needed him.

    ¡®Removing my tunic to rip some more clothes for bandages will take too much time,¡¯ he thought.

    ¡°Mitlund, could ya tear me some of yer tunic?¡± Volvo whispered as he placed pressure on the final wound.

    ¡°Kinda busy here enforcer.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that and hand me some of yer cloth you lout. Now.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay.¡±

    The man relented under his glare and knelt to rip the bottom part of his tunic. Once the last wound had been safetly secured Volvo slowly sat Luvrit up and slapped him a few times to awaken him.

    ¡°Ah-*Cough*¡± he awoke spurting blood, dirtying his wounds. Volvo fought the urge to knock him upside the head as he saw his working being undone.

    ¡°Stay down Luvrit, let the blood flow off the side,¡± he instructed, rolling him to the side. Once his coughing had subsided somewhat, Volvo began his inquiries. ¡°That¡¯s Cleo isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Ye*Cough* yes¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk and save your strength, you¡¯ll need it later. Nodding will do for now. When you came down here, was she already there?¡±

    Luvrit nodded after some hesitation.

    ¡°Alone?¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°How did you get up there? Is there a way from the back? That balcony along the walls?¡±

    The boy hesitated before catching onto his meaning and nodded.

    ¡®The boy might need some motivation for this fight. He¡¯s acting strangely.¡¯

    ¡°Good,¡± Volvo hesitated slightly before letting out a long tired sigh. ¡°Luvrit, I know I may not seem trustworthy after what I told Peter and Fliss but you know not to trust anyone, sometime even him. Only I have your best wishes at heart, you can trust me on that¡­After what happened; would you still fight for me? For our lord?¡±

    A few seconds passed before Luvrit turned back to look him the eye. The boy grabbed his hand and gave it a tight squeeze; ¡°This battle,¡± his voice cracked slightly but he quickly swallowed his spit and blood before trying again, ¡°This battle Volvo, I shall fight till my last breath.¡±

    Something in the back of his head told him that something was wrong. Normally Luvrit would be shouting his loyalty for him but seeing him hesitantly confirm while dodging the question didn¡¯t bod well with him.

    ¡®It could be that the boy is just exhausted,¡¯ he reasoned. ¡®He¡¯s lost a lot of blood. That must be why he¡¯s like this.¡¯

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡®I¡¯ll fight this battle till my last breath¡­because if I don¡¯t succeed here then I¡¯ll at least make sure my family has less to deal with.¡¯

    He returned Volvo¡¯s smile, finding pleasure in knowing that he was the only one, other than the duke, who could make him smile like this. Volvo clasped his hand over his own and pulled him up to his shaky feet. But as soon as Luvrit was vertical the blood rushed to of his mind, leaving him nauseas and aching all over again.

    It took him a few moments to get his bearing with Volvo¡¯s help. When he did he immediately turned towards the duke, seeing that his conversation was coming to an end. It seemed that while he was recovering their lord had been stalling for time.

    ¡°-I am willing to induct you into the most powerful city¡¯s elite,¡± the man continued to gesture. ¡°Not only would you have a luxurious stay in my city and not only will you be absolved of some of your crimes, but you will also receive protection from the group you seem to be on the run from.¡±

    Luvrit knew the true nature of his lord; he did not care for his subjects. But seeing him admit it without hesitation brought a familiar pang of anger and hatred in him whenever he was ordered by the ¡®big boss¡¯. How could¡¯ve Min¨²sculo been so eager to give his life for this man, who didn¡¯t even view their lives with any value. Looking over Luvrit saw the stoic expression on Volvo and wondered how he could be so calm about it. Luvrit urged Volvo for an explanation but the old mercenary only glared back, a warning to keep quite.

    ¡°Oh, now I see why he told me about you,¡± Cleo¡¯s voice echoed in the cavern. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good with words old man. It¡¯s a pity that I gotta say no to that though.¡±

    ¡°If it is your employer that you are afraid of, I think we can handle him. He is the one who made all those undead I presume?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right; he made all of those servants with that crown I got him a few days ago. I only wanted a distraction so I could hide from those virgin boys, but I never expected to find someone so~ fun. You see~, there¡¯s this girl he promised I¡¯ll get to play~ wi~th, but I gotta take you hostage and kill all your followers before she gets here for that to happen.¡±

    ¡°Well then¡­to me it seems like this caster is taking advantage of you,¡± Duke spoke calmly, as if the threat to his or their lives was nonexistent.

    ¡°Have faith in your Duke,¡± Volvo whispered. ¡°He¡¯s yet to fail us.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps he hasn¡¯t failed you yet or you have more faith in him than me but¡­,¡± he let out a frustrated sigh. ¡°It¡¯s unsettling how that; man can throw away his subjects like he did with Minusculo¡¯s group. Perhaps your love is mispl-¡±

    ¡°Luvrit,¡± Volvo grumbled, tightening his grip on his shoulders. ¡°You will not speak ill of him in my presence. You swore your sword and dagger on Peter¡¯s life that you will serve him without question. Do not turn your back on the power bestowed to you. It¡¯s not our place to question what he does; only how much it costs us. I expected you to know better than Peter or Fliss considering your position.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right Volvo, I did swear my sword and shield,¡± Luvrit stepped closer. ¡°But I did not swear it on his name; my loyalty still lies with you. You are the one whom I am under not him and you know he¡¯s failed us when he allowed it to go this far. Where is the Blue devil from the war stories you told us so much about? Because to me it looks like he died where he was born.¡±

    *Clang*

    Luvrit¡¯s head snapped towards the sound of metal striking metal barely missing how the duke deflected a sword, his short sword, thrown from atop the cliff.

    ¡°I am disappointed in you Luvrit, to think the boy I raised would fall so low,¡± Volvo said, picking up his mace. ¡°I forgive you for what you said, but speak ill of him again and you will find yourself in a situation much worse than Peter. Never tarnish his good name, never.¡±

    He hid his head behind his long hair while Volvo left to join his lord.

    ¡®You may be too in love to see it Volvo,¡¯ he thought. ¡®But he¡¯s not to be trusted. He never was.¡¯

    ¡°Sorry apes, but you¡¯ve got nothing I want. Except~ you,¡± Cleo overdrew her finger and pointed towards Duke William. ¡°That means~ the rest of you, have, to, go~.¡±

    She cooed and cheered as she took out her own short swords and jumped off the small cliff. Luvrit frowned as he saw her jump much further than where group was, ¡®This¡¯ll be quickwork¡¯¡­but that expression quickly turned to exasperation and horror as he saw a team in the back move back with her as if they we¡¯re trying to catch her. Cleo cheerfully landed atop a merc¡¯s shield, smashing through it with her weight and knocking him down. That¡¯s when the fighting started.

    ¡°Stupid Humphry,¡± Luvrit snarled. ¡°Why did he select him? It¡¯s gonna be Duurkin¡¯s plains all over again.¡±

    Luvrit gazed in horror as Humphry¡¯s team was struck down one after another before the true mercenaries could intervene.

    ¡®Hopefully they¡¯ll be able to shift the tide of the battle.¡¯ It was a useless thought, as he soon found out, when he saw that no matter how well they fought they couldn¡¯t land a single hit one her. They were all men who favored power over speed while she was as the exact opposite, dodging their attacks one after another even when surrounded. Amongst their original group, it was Min¨²sculo who favored speed above strength and if he was still alive, even could¡¯ve turn the tide of the battle. But he was dead, just because he foolishly believed whatever the duke said. His friend was dead.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter; he¡¯s dead. I can¡¯t do anything to bring him back. But I can kill those fuckers.¡¯

    Luvrit tried moving forward but the spike of pain caused him to fall to his knees. Removing his hands he saw that his wounds had reopened. Just as Volvo had instructed, Luvrit kept pressure on the wounds, feeling the blood being soaked into the wrapping and spreading across his abdomen. Mitlund helped him to the back of the cavern, near the base of steps leading up to the tunnel before returning to his position again.

    The archers failed to take proper aim because she kept herself hidden amongst the group. They couldn¡¯t hit her if she was protected by their own men.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Get away from her!¡± He yelled. ¡°Keep her away!¡±

    Volvo echoed his orders and after a moment, probably so that the duke could confirm it, Luvrit saw the mercenary teams run away, allowing a few arrows to strike before Cleo could act. Though they struck true they didn¡¯t pierce that black armor. To hide from the next volley, she acted quickly and jumped into the nearest team, Humphry¡¯s. He noted that despite wearing the armor her speed and agility was not compromised.

    Luvrit watched in growing hoplessness as their numbers were slowly cut down one after another. He watched with growing hatred as the duke just observed his men get cut down from outside the group, only ordering them to his whims. Though he couldn¡¯t see what was happening as clearly as before, Luvrit was still able to distinguish between some individuals as such he was able to witness Volvo joining the fight just to barely save that idiot¡¯s life. Nobody in their right mind would¡¯ve worn a feathered helmet like that and still have guts to call themselves a three strike mercenary. But apparently Humphry did.

    The battle seemed to be a blur after that; everyone had slowly begun shrinking their circle around her as some ground was finally made. Suddenly, Cleo jumped out of the group, barely landing outside of their circle and placed some distance between them. The archers chose this opportunity to shoot first; breaking the pseudo spell of paralysis-par-shock they seemed to be under.

    However, by this time Cleo was able to distance herself and also find cover behind a rock. Most of the warriors couldn¡¯t see behind it but from where he stood Cleo could be seen consuming something.

    He stared out in shock at it and tried understanding how her armor could literally spit out a phial for her to consume. After emptying the small flask Cleo fell to her knees writhing in pain and only when he saw the volley of arrows approaching her position did he snap out of his shock. Similarly, Cleo snapped out of it and jumped out from the path of the arrows; covering a large distance in only a simple jump.

    ¡°Careful!¡± Luvrit yelled as realization dawned on him. His voice hurt and his abdomen even more so but he continued; ¡°She¡¯s drunk an alchemy potion!¡±

    As the group of warriors finally arrived at her position Cleo jumped over the rock, only to dodge once more as a rock nearly took off her head. The duke had joined the fight, using the rocks as arrows and his staff for aim. Soon she was surrounded once more and the fighting resumed behind the rocks. All Luvrit could hear were the grunts and yells of the mercenaries as they tried closing in on her once more, he saw the other archers moving around. Moving to follow he took one step before a deep, jagged pain struck his abdomen and spread to his chest stopping him dead on his tracks. He cursed at himself and nursed his wounds while the others fought.

    He couldn¡¯t complain. Luvrit had his chance at defeating her. He fought her for more time than he did that night and still couldn¡¯t touch her. Her nimbleness, even in that armor was unrealistic¡­almost as fast as she was when she struck down those arrows. Luvrit looked over and saw that she was getting overpowered once more, her agility slowly decreasing, she was about to run off again.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Luvrit yelled over the pain. ¡°She¡¯s gonna run!¡±

    It seemed that, at least, the duke heard him because when she did try to jump off he threw another volley of rock at her and this time it struck her in the leg, causing her to face plant outside the group. She was surrounded once more and the battle turned in their favor.

    Despite initially losing almost half of their members they finally seemed to be winning. The sultry women, though more skilled than most of them, was after all a very small person when compared to most of her opponents. So when she wasn¡¯t under the influence of the potion, as Luvrit had hoped, she was losing ground.

    That was until the flood was unleashed.

    Luvrit saw her use that armor to absorb the blow and dash through the weakest link of the group, killing him immediately. When Luvrit heard his scream he was very much surprised¡­that the man had managed to stay alive after all this time. Humphry¡¯s stupid helmet flew out into the air and after swirling in the air, rolled off to the side. She dodged the arrows and came to a halt at the base of the cliff. She took out something from inside her armor¡­¡®What manner of creation is she wearing?¡¯¡­ While the warriors made haste towards her, she crushed the object in her hands and began climbing the face of the cliff, uncaring of the arrows flying towards her.

    *RUMBLE*

    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°An erthequake?¡±

    ¡®Watch out!¡¯ Luvrit¡¯s instincts screamed. Without thinking he rolled away from where he sat and saw a stalagmite embedded in the place where he had previously been. All throughout the cavern; pointy rocks with shiny green moss were falling above them, which some of the archers were not fortunate enough to avoid. Those died a painful death. But that wasn¡¯t the end.

    It seemed as if the earthquake was caused by something large falling over, something large that was holding back a horde of undead. Only a few seconds later the corpses flooded into the large cavern from the sides of the cliff where the glowing plants did not grow. Because of how dark it was in the back of the cliff¡¯s base the undead weren¡¯t really seen until they appeared out of the shadows like ants running towards food and grabbed one of the mercs. What made it scarier was that even from his vantage point he couldn¡¯t see how many undead were there, all he knew was that even when the earthquake had subsided they still kept coming.

    Volvo and the others down there were locked in a vicious cycle of attack and retreat along the sides of the cliff. The largest people had become the vanguard while the rest attacked from between their defense.

    ¡®Humphry was holding us back,¡¯ he thought as he saw them fight much faster and efficiently than before.

    Volvo was positioned to left fighting masterfully with the mace, using his large frame and blunt weapon to clear out the incoming enemies. Only the duke was switching between the split groups at either end, helping out by creating fires around those closest to them to clear out the piling up enemies. The archers, too, had set to work knocking arrows into the darkness from where the corpses continued forth. Luvrit looked over to Cleo and saw her just making her way to the top before panting from the exercise.

    ¡®The potion wore off,¡¯ he thought. ¡®Does she plan to wait? What will she do when the duke¡¯s been killed by the undead? They¡¯re gonna die.¡¯

    Luvrit felt him heart quicken as he looked at the bodies being piled up. The undead were rushing around the mounds and still showed no signs of slowing down. Luvrit slowly raised himself, clenching his teeth at his throbbing wound under his hand and began moving towards the piled up rocks to the sides, barring him from the rocky balcony. He carefully climbed over them and began making his way in the darkness.

    ¡®If that monters comes out¡­¡¯ Luvrit shivered. He looked over the edge of his resting place and onto the worsening battle underneath. ¡®At this rate we¡¯ll be overrun. I¡¯ll attack that women when she¡¯s tired and take those potions, she¡¯s been laying there for a while now so she must think she¡¯s wo-¡¯

    ¡°AAAGH!¡± a shout reverberated in the cavern. Luvrit¡¯s head whipped towards the scream, just in time to see Volvo pushing back an undead before smashing its skull open. Everyone around him was done for and blood was spilling from his neck.

    His blood turned cold when he saw his leader and despite everything that transpired the closest thing he had to father, fall to his knees, weapon out of hand. Suddenly the entire area around Volvo was filled with a blue flame that doused every undead and burnt those to brittle bones. The duke made his way over and together made their way up the slope. The corpses close behind.

    ¡®I need to get that bitch now!¡¯

    Luvrit began crawling over the rocks, uncaring for his throbbing wound that burned greater than before. His feet getting locked in between the rocks, his shins scrapping over the edges and the bludgeons on his body did little to deter him. Jagged rocks pushed everywhere against him, threatening to tear his skin just like the one that tore open his wound.

    Tears spilled out his eyes as he tried pushing himself up, grabbing his wrappings as blood spilled from them. He shook his head as his forsaken mind brought forth all kinds of images, all of them picturing a dead Volvo. Luvrit looked over the ledge once more to distract himself, but immediately regretted it.

    The undead had filled half the cavern and were fast approaching Volvo. He was sat on the last step while the duke nursed his wound. The archers had formed a semicircle around the base of the stairs and with swords in hand they slowly retreated. It took a moment but Luvrit was finally able to control his breathing andhe got his voice working again.

    ¡®Fuck trying to kill the bitch. Volve he¡­he¡¯s family. I have to help himhe him .¡¯

    ¡°OVER HERE!¡± he shouted. After a moment Volvo was able to spot him amongst the rocks and slowly but surely their group began to make their way towards him. Luvrit propped himself on a rock as he tried to keep his blood from spilling.

    *BOOM*

    The caved in doorway above the stairway suddenly had a hand appear out of it. It was hard to see from where Luvrit was but as the rocks crumbled and the armored giant figure tumbled out it became clear who¡¯d joined them. However, the small growing hope inside him was suddenly put in jeapordy when the archers took aim.

    ¡°He¡¯s with us!¡± Luvrit yelled. Volvo placed himself infront of the archers, despite the obvious wound to the neck.

    ¡°I know him,¡± Volvo explained struggling. ¡°He is¡­my good friend Drac.¡±

    ¡°Stand down men, focus on the enemy behind you,¡± Duke William shouted. Luvrit moved closer to hear their conversation and was able to catch ¡°-well-you-him,¡± from the duke

    Indeed, he looked a lot worse than when he¡¯d last seen him 3 days ago at the white forest; his armor was dented and cut, small blotches of blood painted his joints masking his own from whoever¡¯s he¡¯d killed on his way and his cape was torn in many places seemingly cut or singed.

    Luvrit saw Drac exchange greetings, even going to one knee.

    ¡°You¡¯re injured Drac,¡± Volvo said. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna help out then you need to be at your full. I might know a concoction.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid Volvo, you¡¯re barely holding yourself up,¡± Duke William cut in. ¡°Rest now, I¡¯ll make that concoction, tell me the ingredients. Mercenaries! Keep them off our back!¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± The swordmen and the archers shouted in response and seemed to double their efforts in pushing them back. But that meant they were exposed from the sides, so they had to retreat and hold their pervious positions.

    ¡®Idiots don¡¯t know the first thing about strategy,¡¯ Luvrit snarled. He looked at the undead filling up the cavern and his dread grew.

    ¡®Even with the man here we can¡¯t take out all of them. They outnumber us god knows how many to one. Drac¡¯s cleared the way up there, we should escape,¡¯ Luvrit looked over to the where he¡¯d appeared out of and felt the air leave his lungs like he¡¯d been punched in the gut. Once again the stairway was blocked and this time, it looked even worse of a cave in than before.

    ¡°My lord, he¡¯s just a first strike mercenary!¡± Luvrit heard someone shout. Looking back to the line of mercenaries, Mitlund stood out to one side pointing an accusing finger at Drac who was resting on the steps.

    ¡°Still stronger than you Mitlund,¡± Luvrit said. Mitlund was about to retort when the duke spoke up; ¡°You vouch for this man, Volvo?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. He¡¯s helped us during our quest to the villages.¡±

    ¡°Very well, Mitlund!¡± his lordship said. ¡°As long as you point doubt towards Volvo¡¯s friend you point your doubt to me. Do doubt you lord!¡±

    ¡°Ah, I-I don¡¯t. My lord,¡± the archer stammered.

    ¡°Focus on the undead lest you become one yourself,¡± Duke William said before refocusing on grounding the herbs Volvo kept giving him.

    ¡®And like that everyone just accepts his presence. The duke said not more than two sentences for the man and everyone just agrees¡­do they not realize they¡¯re practically slaves. I can¡¯t trust any of them, I can trust no one.¡¯

    While Luvrit waited beside the walls he saw Drac drink the liquid without lifting his visor and immediately started coughing in response.

    ¡°It was bound to taste bitter; it¡¯s got bittergourd in it.¡± Volvo explained.

    ¡°Stand firm Mr. Drac,¡± Duke William said. ¡°You and I shall provide cover for everyone to retreat over to where Luvrit is.¡±

    Drac grunted and nodded in response.

    ¡°Everyone begin making your way over there,¡± Duke William said.

    ¡°Argh, AHHHHH,¡± Drac yelled, causing everyone to jump away. He was hunched over as blood began to seep out of his helm.

    ¡°What is going on Volvo!?¡± the duke asked.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know; I gave him the same concoction I drink myself¡­Unless¡­¡±

    ¡°Unless what!?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a blatta! Drac¡¯s one of those blattodea creatures. My lord I swear I didn¡¯t know-.¡±

    ¡°I do not care for what he is. We needed his help, god dammit! Everyone retreat!¡±

    ¡®What? No, Natravi didn¡¯t have the marks and she knew noble tongue. He can¡¯t be those creatures.¡¯ He reasoned. He saw everyone slowly move towards the rocks but didn¡¯t pay them much attention; his eyes were still drawn to Drac. He was supposed to kill half of those undead. Was he going to die before doing anything?

    The undead were now approaching Drac¡¯s hunched figure. Luvrit waited with baited breath as he saw them grab his shoulder, but before any of them could bite Drac suddenling dodged back. He raised his hands and looked at them for a moment before giving them a shake.

    ¡®He¡¯s alright!¡¯ Luvrit thought with wide eyes.

    ¡°Ansdrovea¡¯s ¡®Blue Fire¡¯ William Solus,¡± Drac shouted in a thic accent Luvrit hadn¡¯t heard from him before. At the entrance of the rocky balcony, the duke whipped around to meet his gaze and even from where Luvrit was sitting he could see how shoked the man was at hearing himself addressed as such. ¡°Aid me in wiping out these stains from god¡¯s pure Earth.¡±

    Drac took out his swords and raised one of them at the duke whilst the other was aimed at the incoming undead. A silent message seemed to pass between them before the duke nodded, raising his staff to meet his sword.

    The duke suddenly pointed his staff at the undead and a flare of blue flames blew out of his staff, bathing the front line of undead in fire. Drac quickly followed that up with a strike from the side, cutting off the heads of the undead in a clean sweep.

    When the two sides met Luvrit was expecting the worst, sure he¡¯d seen Drac fight before but that was when he wasn¡¯t beaten and hadn¡¯t just bleed a bowl of blood at his feet. But after the initial contact his worries were pleasantly put to rest when he saw the duke light them light candles and Drac cut them like he striking candle wax.

    ¡°Mercenaries, to me!¡± Duke William yelled as he stepped back to let Drac take over. A few of the mercenaries with the longer weapons joined Drac in cutting the crisped corpses while the rest helped the injured over to where he was.

    Soon everyone had joined him, at least everyone injured. He helped Volvo sit beside him on the flat rock while the other two gravely injured guards sat with their backs against the wall, taking in measured breaths that may well be their last. The archers and those without mortal wounds had taken up positions to shoot or cut whatever was able to make its way past the duke.

    ¡°Hey, Luvrit,¡± Volvo croaked. ¡°Are we winning?¡±

    Luvrit looked over and saw him rest his head on a rock with his eyes closed. His wound had stopped bleeding but in its place was a crater that was deep in his neck. Luvrit still held some anger in his heart for the man for using him like so but something in him didn¡¯t want Volvo to die.

    ¡°Yeah, we seem to be pushing them back,¡± Luvrit smiled, squeezing his hand. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to open your eyes and see?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll probably ruin what I¡¯m seeing,¡± Volvo whispered.

    ¡°What-what do you mean?¡± Luvrit asked fearfully. ¡®Why aren¡¯t you opening your eyes?¡¯ ¡°How¡¯s your wound?¡±

    ¡°I barely feel it now,¡± Volvo said taking a hold of his hand. ¡°There¡¯s¡­something I should tell you, before I go.¡±

    ¡°Save it, Volvo. You can tell me when you get better,¡± Luvrit said hurriedly, feeling dread creep up on him. ¡°Do you need your herbs? Do you have a potion? Or-¡±

    ¡°Shut up Luvrit,¡± Volvo shook his head lightly. ¡°I¡¯m tryin ta tell ya about how I met ya for the first time, my boy. Ya remember it?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± Luvrit held back a tear before smiling at the man who raised him. The least he could do was make his last moment happy, fuck whatever he did to him. ¡°Peter and I were fighting a bunch of those mangy dogs over a dead bird, hah, that¡¯s when you found us¡­right?¡±

    ¡°Aye, that was the first time I met Peter,¡± Volvo opened his and looked at him. Luvrit suddenly felt like a little boy again, afraid and uncertain, Volvo¡¯s left eye had lost their colour. He was blind.

    ¡°But that wasn¡¯t the first time I met,¡± Volvo placed a finger over his heart. ¡°You¡±

    ¡°Wha-¡± Luvrit felt himself parched and his mouth dry, but he still uttered; ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The first time I met you was when I killed your father.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I was new to the city and had just found a benefactor, a very powerful backer. I was suddenly taken in by how charismatic and rutheless he was. I was his and he was mine. That man was our lord and I was his first enforcer. That had been my first task. Everything I taught you as an enforcer under him was to atone for what I did to a helpless 3-year-old child. I raised you like my own son, at time even saw you that way too. I gave you leadership because I trusted you, Luvrit.¡±

    ¡°¡­How much of what you¡¯ve taught me is real and how much was for your own safety. I can¡¯t trust anyone because of what you taught me. Why? Why are you telling me this now?¡± Luvrit felt hot tears roll down his cheek but he didn¡¯t wipe them. He needed to feel something to tell him that this was real. That Volvo didn¡¯t just admit to what he did. That he was feeling grief more than anger for this man.

    ¡°As I stand here in the shadow of the valley of death,¡± Volvo closed his eyes and loosened his grip. ¡°I look at my life and see that I¡¯ve got nothing left. I¡¯ve committed too many sins in my life, but only ever tried atoning for two. Yours and Flecity¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I destroyed her,¡± By now tears had begun trickling down the sides of his eyes. ¡°I burnt her village down like so many I¡¯d done during those days. I did my job, so well that I created that monster that she fears lives in the forest. Haha, aren¡¯t I terrible¡­When I found that a girl was left alive from one of our raids, I took her under my wing and introduced her to you as Fliss. Peter, Fliss and Luvrit, my children.¡±

    ¡°No! You don¡¯t get to say that,¡± Luvrit yelled. Ignoring the pain in his side, Luvrit grabbed Volvo by the scruff of his tunic and pulled him up to face. ¡°After all that you¡¯ve done you don¡¯t get to call us your children!! You manipulated us; you made me almost kill my friend! You threw Min¨²sculo back into the streets because he disobeyed one order while you only punished Peter for the hundreds he¡¯s broken!? Why?! How is that fair?¡±

    Luvrit¡¯s voice cracked, his hands shook uncontrollably and he clenched his teeth. The man in front of him was not his father; he did not deserve his sympathy.

    Volvo opened his eyes once again, that transparent lifeless orb glossed over with tears stared back into his own. Volvo placed a hand over the nape of his neck and pulled him closer. Luvrit wanted to fight out of it, but his body wouldn¡¯t listen to him.

    ¡°Because I wanted to make William happy,¡± Volvo whispered, caressing Luvrit¡¯s hair. ¡°Peter was his son and I loved him.¡±

    Luvrit didn¡¯t cry. The tears had suddenly seized to come out. He didn¡¯t yell in anger nor did he yell in sadness. How could he? He was too shocked to do anything except stare blankly at the lifeless corpse of the man who¡¯d he¡¯d once been proud to call his father.

 Chapter 30: Battle for Yikensworth-Part 2

    ¡®Another soul departing the battlefield, I wonder whose it is?¡¯ Drac thought. He glanced at where the injured were set up, his eyes following a blue wisp that slowly rose out from the teeth of the open tunnel.

    ¡°Focus! Just focus on making sure that its not you who dies,¡± he shook his head and focused at the corpses before him. The burning corpses needed a culling and he was getting too distracted with what his eyes showed him.

    Taking a stance alongside his old enemy, Drac prepared for him to douse the enemy in blue flames before he followed up. The fire quickly spread onto the others and burnt with great fervor until only their blackened husks remained. Those alongside him closed in and continued their decapitation spree, but Drac could see them getting more and more exhausted and battered the further they transvered. Even he, when he unclenched and clenched his hands felt the ach of old wounds return.

    It didn¡¯t help that for every step forward they would be forced back with twice the undead to replace the one¡¯s they took care of. Some of the men became desperate, some of the men became fearful, but all men were in chaose; an ordered chaose of the battlefield. Looking over to the Earl Drac realized that he was in similar company.

    ¡°Mr. Drac, this is getting frustrating,¡± the Earl said between gasps. ¡°Hold them off while I-.¡±

    ¡°Bigger thread; stronger spell, got it-ugh,¡± Drac grunted as pain shot up his arms. His forearm began to shake even though the wounds were in his hand. Blood seeped out of his armor and trickled down its pommel, giving his blade the red hue it lacked.

    ¡°MEN! TO ME!¡± The Blue Fire of Yikensworth commanded.

    The small men jumped far too quickly for him, leaving him behind to struggle his way back. The undead swarmed his position and only because of his armor was he able to avoid all the bites and scratches. He could feel his arm grow weary, as if it could unhinge from the elbow and just fall off. Fighting to keep his hands up brought him pain and he needed pain to keep him focused. He held up the sword in an overhand swing and launched it into the masses of corpses. It cut through them like thick butter and eventually stopped when he hit the ground. Just a few more feet.

    The swords bore too heavy on his weary arms and there was not enough time to launch another attack so he used it as a shield and knocked back those directly infront of him. His armor protected his back so he let the rest take care of them. Discarding his sword on the ground he brought the other into a two handed grip.

    ¡°Hey you! Keep them away!¡± some one yelled.

    Drac twisted around and plunged into the approaching enemy, crushing the decomposing bodies as he took a swing. He spun on the spot, and using the momentum; swung sideways again. But his strike came up short, getting stuck in a corpse¡¯s spine. Drac tried to dislodge the blade from the corpse¡¯s stomach when he spotted an unknown black liquid move up to cover the bone which made it even harder to pull it out. While struggling with his sword he was acutely aware of the undead approaching him. But he couldn¡¯t let go; it was the last thing he had of him and he wasn¡¯t about to lose it here.

    The soulless creatures grabbed onto his arm, pulling him down. They swung from the cape to his shoulders while he gave into futile attempts to throw them off.

    [Enkindle]

    A shiver went up his spine when he saw the threads of flow change around him. The brightest one of a blueish colour, pulsing and spinning around him.

    ¡°Dracovich!¡± someone yelled behind him. He looked back and felt his stomach drop as his fears were made reality. He found himself at the bottom of the slop they¡¯d first started on, surrounded my the undead. They¡¯d left him in the middle of the corpses and the fire was fast spreading his way.

    ¡®Suka,</a> blyad!¡¯ Drac thought as he tried running away. He grabbed his sword off the ground, ignoring the pain and dashed into the undead, knocking them aside. ¡®He remembers me.¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate we only meet on battlefields, Vlad. In other circumstances, I think we might¡¯ve been friends. But I must do what I must to protect my own and thou threaten their livelihood.¡±

    That was the last thing he heard before he felt his skin scream at him. It felt cold at firest until he realized that was just how hot the flames were, unbearably so. Unable to control himself Drac yelled in pain, thrashing into whatever came his way. He used the pain to swing whichever way he could until the flames would subside or he would hit the wall.

    *Shwing*

    His arms shook as the vibrations carried up his shoulders and down his back. He could hear the cracking sounds of his bones snapping in place underneath the clacking of his armor. He¡¯d struck a wall¡­and cornered himself in the sea of charred corpses.

    ¡°Haa, haaa, ha,¡± Drac gasped for air as he looked around him. He was surrounding by fire, burning the undead into a neat little semicircle around him that was diminishing with every passing breath. This kept the undead at bay but it wasn¡¯t long before the fire would diminish and the circle close in. He stumbled around as he tried gripping his sword but his arms were too bruised and lost too much blood to co-operate with him.

    ¡®Maybe I can get back up there?¡¯ Drac thought as he looked up. Sweat kept getting in his eyes but since he had his head covered he couldn¡¯t do anything except accept the salty feeling it brought. The duke looked back at him and seemed to guesture him over, as if inviting him to join. ¡®If I could sprint there?¡¯

    Unfortunately, when he tried placing pressure in his legs he was forced to kneel. He kept his hands on his remaining sword, but couldn¡¯t move well enough to escape. So with his hand raised on his sword¡¯s grip he used all his might to stand up; grabbing a stone as he did. Staring at the undead before him he murmured; ¡°Come at me, desecrated warriors. I¡­I shall give you a proper send-off.¡±

    ¡®This is pathetic,¡¯ he looked at the stone in his hand, ¡®this will not be my grave, I¡¯ve suffered too much just for wearing your face brother. I will no die without seeing my own face again. I will not die dishonoring sister¡¯s last wish. I will keep her safe.¡¯

    ¡°YAAAAAAH,¡± Drac yelled.

    *BOOM*

    A loud explosion from atop the slope forced him to glance just in time to see the entrance of the cavern fly out onto the masses and squish some enemies under their weight. Drac squinted at the cave¡¯s entrance and was able to catch a robed figure standing there before he was pulled back and a bald man wearing the guards¡¯ silver armor replaced him atop the steps.

    ¡°Holy Saint Mina!¡± he yelled. ¡°Now this is a battle! Boys! C¡¯mon out. FOR YIKENSWORTH!!!¡±

    Karl jumped off the steps followed by the robed figure being carried by Strompf before a steady stream of guards of the Black Keep ran out with their swords drawn and axes swinging. Seeing this Drac couldn¡¯t help but smirk ruefully underneath his helm.

    ¡®The fire, the betrayal and the war cries. How ironic.¡¯ he thought. ¡®Now all I need is sis to save me and it¡¯ll be just like that mess on Kupala those many years ago.¡¯

    Perhaps it was the cavern echoing their cries that made it so loud but eventually, he couldn¡¯t keep his balance and fell to a knee again. Their voices ringing in his ears so loudly that he was sure his ears would bleed. So he focused on the sound of his jaw popping in and out of its joint. It helped to keep his mind off the resurfacing memories of war. He focused on that sound until he was able to stand once more.

    Just in time to smash an incoming undead that stepped too close. A ¡®crack¡¯ sound rung in his ears, whether of his own hand or the skull was yet to be decided but before he could determine, he had to swing at another one.

    Another tried latching onto his arm but Drac was prepared this time. He thrust his elbow into its teeth, making sure to lodge it in its mouth before smashing it into the wall behind him. He was focused, so focused that he didn¡¯t realize it that someone had jumped from above and brought blinding blue light.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­An hour ago¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    She¡¯d been quick to escape the dungeons, but not as fast to find the cemetery. It was a menial mistake and to anyone other than her; it would¡¯ve been understandable, but she was better, she should¡¯ve been better. She usually kept her emotions hidden behind a thick wall of stone so that she could respond with a level head when others around her were losing it.

    ¡®You¡¯re not suited for the mercenary life¡­you won¡¯t survive it, if not for your uncle...¡¯

    But those accursed words brought chaos to her mind. Everytime she thought about his words she¡¯d take the wrong corner and end up somewhere different. This wasn¡¯t like her, she was supposed to be better than the other maidens, better than a ball of emotion up for manipulation. Yet she¡¯d shown more emotion in at his words than she¡¯d shown the whole trip.

    She was frightened. Admitting that unsurprisingly brought a bitter taste in her mouth. Natravi stepped out of the alley she¡¯d found herself in and climbed atop a rooftop. She crouched and hugged her knees, sighing in exasperation.

    ¡®Why does it¡­affect me so?¡¯

    She was a logic driven woman. She¡¯d memorized every book uncle Drac had ever bought her to learn. She had committed everything he¡¯d ever taught her to memory, whether it was on swordsmanship or the flow. Her strengths lay in her intelligence and her mastery of the flow; she couldn¡¯t have messed up. It must have been Luvrit¡¯s fault.

    ¡®He is a stranger at best, yet it makes me so¡­angry. It makes me want to prove him wrong,¡¯ she thought standing up.

    Her mind was clear and she could see her goal in the horizon. If she trumped over his own position and became a ¡®Fourth Strike¡¯ mercenary she¡¯d prove him wrong and then he¡¯ll have to acknowledge her ability. So she took her first step towards her goal¡­and sat down once again.

    ¡®This is so stupid. What would I gain from showing him that he was wrong?¡¯, she reasoned. ¡®I could spend my whole life trying to make him eat his words but in the end I would¡¯ve wasted my life, not him. I have duties, responsibilities for god¡¯s sake. I¡¯m supposed to be engaged and going after Luvrit with such intention would be unfair to everyone¡­Enough of this. I need to focus. I need to find uncle Drac and force him back home¡­even if we have to fight.¡¯

    ¡°That would work well,¡± She said, sarcastically. ¡°Why not fight him to show how much you care.¡±

    ¡®He¡¯s just confused. He thinks that because I¡¯m getting married I won¡¯t need him anymore. I just need to show him that I still need him with me¡­I should¡¯ve made him promise that night.¡¯

    ¡°But he never did. That night in the stables, he didn¡¯t promise me¡­that means he knew he¡¯d leave some time in the future, so it was planned¡­Argh, why!?,¡± Natravi rubbed her eyes, trying to wipe away the salty water coming out of her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t care, I¡¯ll go find him and make him come back. Then we¡¯ll live happily in Kiev.¡±

    She nodded in reassurance and stepped down into the streets. Surprisingly, the whole time she¡¯d been lost in her thoughts no undead had come within sight. It was as if they all had just disappeared, perhaps gone to the cemetary.

    ¡®Makes sense, it seems the flowreader¡¯s pulled all the corpses for a final defense. Should be safe to walk these streets now¡­but finding my way through these streets would take too long. I need to follow the flow.¡¯

    She hid in the alleyway and began seeking the coloured string she needed. Eventually she found the colour she wanted and began to read the jumbled words of different languages that flew out. She read through the words until she came upon the final command, the words she had to speak outloud. The words that made the whole jumble of words she¡¯d spoken have power.

    ¡°[Propono; Potentia]¡±

    A small smile etched itself on her lips as she saw the words flying out of the light line up and approach her eyes. When they met the hazel pupils a bright green flash in the alleyway blinded her for a moment before her sight returned. She squinted into the darkness and saw several blue wisps line up in the air, floating towards a particular direction.

    ¡®That must be where the cemetary is,¡¯ Natravi thought as she stepped out of the alley. She glanced back at the dark street and brought out her sword. Smiling bitterly, she thought; ¡®If only I¡¯d been this careful when I first started. It would¡¯ve served me well in the past.¡¯

    Natravi climbed atop a broken rooftop, and taking advantage of the clear path highlighted before her allowed her thoughts to drift away; towards the otherwise distracting thoughts, back when she first learnt of the ¡®Flow¡¯, as she began the long trek. When she first started they¡¯d been living in a little village in northern Chimera as that area¡¯s baron¡¯s servants. She worked alongside the children and Anna while her uncle worked outside or as a guard to the baron¡¯s son. Thinking back now she suspected that he knew she could see the coloured strings.

    As soon as they¡¯d settled down at the baron¡¯s house her uncle went out and bought her two books; The FLOW and Language of FLOW. She had to reteach herself how to read because of all the time spent in the forest beforehand and because uncle refused to teach her how. Those were trying times.

    In those first few months¡¯ doubts were always running rampant in her head. How was she able to see the flow and Anna or her children couldn¡¯t? How was she able to hold lights in her hands when it didn¡¯t weigh anything? Why did the words change with the colour?

    Whenever she¡¯d voiced her questions he¡¯d ignore her and even scold her to never spoke of the ¡®flow¡¯ to anyone. It didn¡¯t make anysense, he¡¯d never explain and only later did she realize that he couldn¡¯t. After a particularly embarrassing scolding she¡¯d shut herself out from him and tried researching on the matters herself; however, none of the stalls she¡¯d go to at their local marker ever had any books regarding the flow. She¡¯d always be turned away or glared at until she¡¯d leave.

    It went on like this for a few weeks until the new year came and went. It was on the first week of the new year that she realized why no one ever spoke of the flow. Either people didn¡¯t know of it, or they were too afraid to admit it.

    It was considered the language of blasphemy, and she¡¯d asked too many questions. She couldn¡¯t remember who¡¯d kidnapped her or even how she¡¯d been kidnapped, probably because of how scared she must¡¯ve been, but she did remember the look on uncle Drac¡¯s face when he found her in that barn. A look she¡¯d last see on the eve of Kupala.

    Natravi took off her hood and stared again at the direction of the wisps again. She¡¯d been jumping from the rooftops and could see the cemetery in sight; however, something had drawn her attention. She ducked behind the diagonal roofside and peered over the top, at the men in glinting armor.

    ¡°Strompf did you see her yet?¡± The warden, Karl, asked. He sat stop a horse with a blue coif shining under the light.

    ¡°Not yet sir, luckily she¡¯ll be at da cemetary,¡± Strompf said, standing beside him.

    ¡°Hmph, well if you see her tell her to stop, I need to apologize for my behavior from earlier.¡±

    ¡®This is interesting¡¯ Natravi thought. She debated showing herself but in the end decided not to, she didn¡¯t need to put herself at risk.

    ¡°Of course, we¡¯re very sorry we didn¡¯t go with her, if only we could tell her how sorry we are,¡± Strompf said, making some men laugh.

    ¡®He surely can¡¯t be serious¡­is he? No, he¡¯s being sarcastic. But why?¡¯ When Natravi saw his head turn in her direction she immediately ducked down and internally cursed. ¡®Damn, how did they know?¡¯

    *Sigh* ¡°How?¡± She called out. After a moment of silence, she heard Karl ask; ¡°Is she serious?¡±

    ¡°Aye sir, it seems the nobility doesn¡¯t go out or watch the moon for that matter,¡± Strompf replied.

    ¡®Moon?¡¯ Natravi looked at the sky. Most of the clouds had disappeared and a clear moon sky stared back at her. ¡®They saw me in the light of the moon.¡¯

    ¡°Well, my lady, since we¡¯re all down here and you¡¯re up there¡­we could see you a lot better than you could see us. After all, why does a noble need to see what¡¯s below them.¡±

    ¡®The shadows¡­they were hidden in the shadows of the buildings,¡¯she realized. ¡®No use hiding now.¡¯

    ¡°What do you really want?¡± She asked, stepping out of her hiding spot.

    ¡°Why to apologize of course,¡± Karl said mockingly. Natravi maintained her expression of indifference as she studied them.

    ¡°Apology accepted, anything else?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to cemetary,¡± the warden cheered. ¡°And my boys here would love to escort a real noble such as yourself to the battle if you¡¯re lost. Are you?¡±

    ¡°No, but it would be best to go together,¡± Natravi said, climbing down the building. Luckily the building had already collapsed so she didn¡¯t have to stretch too much. ¡°I shall be under your protection until then warden.¡±

    ¡°Boys, how do we greet a noble?!¡± the warden shouted.

    ¡°Wha-¡± Natravi back up but before she could react a thunderingly loud shout assaulted her eardrums.

    ¡°WOO-AAH!¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you stupid?¡± Natravi asked. Fortunately, her hood blocked their view of her surprised expression otherwise she was sure that they would¡¯ve laughed-

    ¡°So you can take a bit of screaming,¡± Karl said. ¡°Good, I like those who can handle their screams.¡±

    What followed was an equally loud laughter as they began marching down the street and Natravi was forced to wonder what those words meant. She¡¯d thought Luvrit¡¯s words were irksome but now she found that not knowing the hidden meaning of something annoyed her even more.

    ¡°Are you not worried for the undead?¡± She asked once the laughter had subsided.

    Through the rest of the trip she kept to herself and didn¡¯t speak nor listen to them. Soon they¡¯d reached the cemetary gates, or what was left of them. After seeing the mangled gates, Karl and her were pushed behind Strompf and his men as they made their way into the foggy graveyard.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Strompf suddenly whispered, raising a fist to re-enforce his command. ¡°Look.¡±

    ¡°What do you see?¡± Karl whispered.

    ¡°Come see.¡± The men parted, allowing her and Karl to get a better look. When she saw what Strompf was pointing at made her blood run cold. It looked as if all those spider-like undeads who¡¯d attacked her were combined together to create an even horrible monstrosity. At least it was already incapacitated from the looks of it.

    ¡°Follow with caution,¡± Karl commanded. While they continued Natravi saw the remnants of the battle that had taken place; the blood, the writing, the bodies and the beast. She¡¯d never read about anything like that, infact she hadn¡¯t read of those spider-like creatures before aswell. It was almost as if they were new creations made from the castors knowledge.

    ¡®If you could make your own undead then the possibilities were¡­innumerable,¡¯ she thought.

    As they walked up to the mausoleum she found herself staring down the dark stairway where the green wisps disappeared into.

    ¡°C¡¯mon lassie,¡± the rude man with a mustache said, pushing her away from the ruins.

    ¡°They¡¯re down there,¡± she said pointing into the darkness. That stopped them for a minute as they considered her words. She could see their doubt and knew that if she didn¡¯t say anything to re-enforce her claim they would leave it.

    ¡°I-¡± she hesitated.

    ¡®They¡¯re not like the Chimereans, they accept those with flow,¡¯ she had to remind herself. ¡°I can see the flow.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay, men follow after her,¡± Karl agreed, but Natravi didn¡¯t miss the way his hand gripped over his pommel.

    ¡®There is power in words but silence is most powerful.¡¯

    Back then she¡¯d thought he meant that she shouldn¡¯t speak of her ability, but as she grew older and more knowledgable the intricacies of the flow around her began to reveal themselves and she reconsidered what he¡¯d meant. More powerful magic required more words to be spoken, but the more powerful speakers of flow needed not more than a few words to invoke the desired effects from it. Thus she needed only a few words to produce light.

    ¡°[luceat, orbis lumen, Illuminare]¡± She said. A small orb of light began to glow on her open palm, illuminating the area around her. The more she focused her energy on the orb the brighter the light grew, until she could see three steps below her. Although it was from a much simpler thread, alot larger than the rest; it still required a large amount of stamina to maintain. So by the time she¡¯d reached the red carpet she was already sweating.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    The guards quickly took over and lit the torches lining the walls on either side. As they approached the rubble and rocks, muffled yells and sounds of battle were heard from beyond.

    ¡°Stand back,¡± she instructed. She needed to blow back the rocks and the brightest thread infront of her was light blue.

    ¡®Blue means Fire,¡¯ she thought, remembering the ¡®Languages of FLOW¡¯ she¡¯d memorized. She didn¡¯t like using the flames, it used up too much energy to unnecessarily keep the fire aflame.

    ¡®Perhaps a fire spell isn¡¯t the best idea,¡¯ Natravi thought. She could imagine how easily she would die if she accidently burnt all the air in the narrow passageway. ¡®Perhaps blowing these rocks away using wind will be better.¡¯

    Wind, like fire, also used up too much energy and stamina to keep it under control, but atleast there was little risk of suffocation. Normally the purple thread for lightening would be her favourite flow thread; it was quick, focused and used up only a small amount of stamina to produce. The moment it would hit it¡¯s mark she could increase the intensity and use up as much energy as she wanted to make it even stronger and then suddenly stop it altogether; however, it wouldn¡¯t work here. She needed to conserve her energy and lightening cost more to maintain than the wind even if the initial amount was less.

    She looked for the thread for wind and eventually found the thin string coming out of the spaces between the rocks. She focused on it and the words began to pour out like water.

    ¡°¡­ [Ventis Mare]¡± she murmured. She didn¡¯t like speaking it outloud when there were people around her but since the last words were necessary she settled for just murmuring.

    She was pointing her hands towards the rocks to help her focus when suddenly the winds around her picked up and began to move in the direction she focused on. While she kept at it she felt herself being pushed back. She raised her hands and attempted to block the backflow as more winds joined in and the pressure keep increasing and increasing until-

    *BOOM*

    A deafening sound popped her ears as the rubble flew out, pushing her back and revealing the battlefield before them. Before she could gain her footing she was suddenly pulled back, the warden taking the lead, closely followed by Strompf.

    ¡°Damn,¡± she heard Strompf exclaim. ¡°We gotta lay rest to a lot of our dead.¡±

    The warden walked towards the top of the stairs and yelled;

    ¡°Holy Saint Mina! Now this is a battle! Boys! C¡¯mon out. FOR YIKENSWORTH!!!

    Natravi felt herself vibrate alongwith the cavern walls as the war cry rose from behind her. The men stomped their feet and yelled in unison.

    ¡®People, fire, the house!¡¯

    She quickle gripped the walls and slumped against the rocks. She saw the flashes of images through her mind and felt the walls closing her, her chest got heavier as if she was being asphyxiated. It felt like a large boulder had been placed on her chest.

    ¡°Hey!¡± someone pulled her out of the cavern and carried her out, away from the running men. It took her a moment to realize she was clutching Stromps tabard. Immediately, Natravi pushed him away; causing them both to fall. She quickly jumped up and took her bearings, the weight on her chest suddenly disappearing as she did. There were undead this wasn¡¯t the Kupala. They weren¡¯t the angry men, just undead¡­a lot of undead. They covered the entire lower grounds and were already more than halfway towards the steps before the men behind her charged forward.

    ¡°Oi,¡± Strompf snarled. When she¡¯d gathered herself, doning her expressionless mask she looked down at him. At first he began to stutter until he gathered himself and spoke through gritted teeth. ¡°I hope yer-arhm¡­your ladyship has gathered¡­her bearings.¡±

    ¡°I am fine, Strompf,¡± Natravi said with a nod. ¡°Thank you for helping me, I was experiencing some¡­bad memories and I¡¯m sorry for pushing you off.¡±

    ¡°Sure, my lady. Now if yer excuse me,¡± he said before joining the rest of the men at the bottom of the hill in both yelling and fighting.

    ¡®What was that? Why did I-no, I need to focus!¡¯ Natravi shook her head. She needed to find Drac and dwelling on the things in her head right now meant she could lose him, or her life. Natravi climbed atop the steps and surveyed the cavern in the little light provided by the burning corpses and the green light from the¡­rocks?

    To her left she found a large ledge or balcony of sorts where a few of the mercenaries were resting, guarded by two archers and two swordsmen who gave her scowls. Ignoring them she peered closer, trying to match the dark silhouettes to the people she¡¯d met and soon found Luvrit as the one sitting furthest into the open tunnel. He was propped over a rock and kept bobbing his head in irregular manner.

    ¡®Is he crying? Who died? Peter-no he was with the others¡­Volvo?¡¯ she thought.

    Her attention was suddenly caught by a large wisp of flame that flew over the battlefield easily covering three waves of undead trying to climb atop the slope. The duke was casting the flames from the edge of his staff and when he took rest, the mercenaries surrounding him took over; cutting down the undead.

    ¡°Where is he?¡± She was getting frustrated.

    Natravi tried looking deeper into the darkness, somewhere far in the undead legion. But all she could see were the moving heads of god knows what in the darkness. Realizing her futile method, she began squinting at the green illuminated sides.

    It wasn¡¯t long before she could make out a commotion to the side, the only place where the green light didn¡¯t illuminate. Squinting hard she looked for any recognizable features and was surprised to see a glint of a large sword.

    ¡®Only he carries swords that big,¡¯ she reasoned. Before she could even formulate a plan, she was already running towards him. ¡®I¡¯ll have to make a plan as I go, he¡¯ll be overwhelmed.¡¯

    She steered towards the balcony of uneven rocks off to the side when she saw the unbelievable amount of undead before her. She climbed over them with fervent motions, ignoring the scraps and scratches she¡¯d gotten until she was directly above him. She took in a deep breath, letting the pain flow through as quietly as she could. She looked down and realized her mistake; she¡¯d die if she fell from that height.

    ¡®What do I do? WhatdoIdo? WhatdoIdo?¡¯ Natravi, internally, screamed. ¡®Fire? Useless; he would get burnt too. Wind? Useless; he would get knocked off too and might puncture something with the rocks. Lighting? Lightening! That guys, Big boss, he could cushion his fall with a lightening web of sorts¡­I haven¡¯t practiced though. Dammit, I¡¯ll have to use the same thing I did as the time with the midget.¡¯

    ¡°¡­¡­arnea¡­telarum¡­ [Fulgur telam]!¡± Natravi yelled as she jumped off. A burning sensation began in her palms and trickled towards her fingers before coming out as tendrils of blue light that spread out into a web. Her fingers ached under the hotness of the lightening and her body began to fall into cold sweats as she controlled the lightening. It pushed her back and almost slowed her descent to a complete standstill. She landed heavily, feeling pain spike up her legs, knees and fingers. Finally, she couldn¡¯t endure it anymore and let loose a shrill cry.

    ¡®Bad idea!¡¯ Natravi immediately regretted it as her uncle spun towards her, grabbing an undead along the way and swinging it at her like a sword. She was knocked off her feet and slammed against the rock wall which illicited another cry of pain from her. Natravi tried to get up but couldn¡¯t feel her legs. She looked at the hulking body hidden away under ashen armor.

    ¡°Uncle Drac,¡± she called out, shakily raising her arm.

    ¡®Can he even see me?¡¯ Her doubts were cleared up when she saw one of his eyes glow red under the helmet. ¡®He must be using the flow.¡¯

    ¡°Natravi¡­¡± When had she ever heard his voice so weak? She cried out in surprise as a hand suddenly grabbed her hood from the side and she came face to face with the decaying face of a corpse. Its eyeball was still in it¡¯s socket but not for long as it popped out and fell down into her robes. ¡°EEEIIIII, DRAAA-!¡±

    ¡°HARUMPH!¡±

    She suddenly felt herself being pulled back as a rock smashed into its face, turning the undead¡¯s face into mush. She felt his hand curl around her and pull her up into a half hug. Although he smelled and although the pain in her stomach told her that her wounds had reopened, she still rested her head against his warm armor, letting him know she was alright.

    ¡°Ow,¡± she couldn¡¯t it hold in. Fortunately, Drac didn¡¯t hear her over the screams of the guards because he was suddenly pulling her behind him and picking his sword off the ground. She slowly leaned against the wall and slumped down. She could feel her eyes getting droopy, she¡¯d used up too much energy and taken too much of a beating; everything seemed out of order. *Blink* Drac was pulled a sword out of a undeads chest as he punched the other with his free hand. *Blink* He was swinging around and cutting over her head. *Blink* The guards had joined him. *Blink* Drac was kneeling before her, behind him the guards had taken over and were pushing back the undead.

    ¡°Navi,¡± he sounded so¡­sad. ¡°Please don¡¯t do this¡­don¡¯t¡­ah, you¡¯re hurt. Where are you hurt? Please tel me what to do¡­¡­my little girl.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she spoke when she could.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie, your soaked.¡±

    ¡°Not¡­my blood.¡± She managed to get out.

    ¡®Wait a minute!¡¯

    She traced his hands around her, feeling the dents and punctures of the rocks until her fingers found the holes in his gauntlets.

    ¡°Your hurt,¡± she gasped, the sleep vacating her eyes. Natravi held up his hands and tried inspecting the armor, expecting to find the skin beneath intact¡­she was wrong. There were holes in his armor that went through to the other side.

    ¡°No, I-I¡¯m fine,¡± he sighed. ¡°You¡¯re more important, your hurt. We need to get you out. You need a healer.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine-ow,¡± she clutched her side as Drac gingerly traced a finger over her wound.

    ¡°There, come on, I need to get you out,¡± he pulled her up and was going to carry her but she quickly put a stop to it.

    ¡°I can walk!¡± Natravi demonstrated by walkings to the clearing behind the guards, slowly climbing up the steps. She looked back to see him following closely behind as if she would fall over any second. She needed to show him she was fine or else he would beat himself over it being his fault, sometimes she found it nice and other times, like now, she couldn¡¯t think of anything more annoying.

    She looked up ahead and saw Karl and the duke speaking at the base of the stairs, both of them hadn¡¯t noticed her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move elsewhere,¡± Drac suggested and she couldn¡¯t agree more. They walked over to the far side of the cavern where the light didn¡¯t reach until they were well hidden. Drac guided her to a rock and sat himself on the floor next to her. What annoyed her was that despite her sitting on the rock he still managed to reach her eye level from where he sat on the ground. ¡°Show me.¡±

    ¡®Better get it done quickly,¡¯ she thought, lifting her robes to show her wound. Like before; despite it being bloody the wound had already healed up, it didn¡¯t even scar. He prodded around her belly until he felt the broken ribs again. She hissed at the touch and he quickly pulled back, as if touching a torch.

    ¡°We need to get you out of here, we need to find a healer for you,¡± he said standing up, but she was faster. Natravi reached out and stopped him, pulling him back down.

    ¡°No... I know how to take care of this,¡± she said through gritted teeth. ¡°I-I need you to put them back in place-¡±

    ¡°No. Natravi, I am not cutting you. It¡¯s too risky. What if I cut something I shouldn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll just have to cut here; I¡¯ll tell you what to do. I felt it being done before so I can take you through the steps-¡±

    ¡°Natravi!¡± He hissed, shutting her up. ¡°This isn¡¯t¡­ I thought I¡¯d lost you down there¡­I can¡¯t take the risk¡­Argh, gallow me liketh yond again and thee shall regreteth thy actions. This I promise. So prethee listen to what I speaketh.¡±

    He hardly even spoke like that, so it took a moment to respond.

    ¡°Whose fault is it that I¡¯m in this state? Who left without a word to his only family? What about the scare you gave me when the guards came to ask about you? Doth what thee preacheth, Uncle!¡±

    She couldn¡¯t understand but at that moment she wanted to cry. But she was stronger than that, she wouldn¡¯t wallow like a maiden with a broken heart. She matched the strength of her aggressors with her intelligence she didn¡¯t feel¡­feel helpless nor let others¡­feelings get to her. She was better than this.

    However, the silence that followed ensewed doubt and regret; feelings she couldn¡¯t control. She brought her hands up to her mouth, as if that would stop the words from meaning any less than she had. They were already spoken and his silence spoke volumes on how he¡¯d been affected.

    ¡°Uncle I¡¯m so-¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he held up a hand to stop her. ¡°You are right; I am the one who did this. Because I didn¡¯t recognize you. I attacked and almost killed you. Natravi, that is why I left but you had to follow. Don¡¯t you understand?! I am dangerous, I bringeth danger, i shall causeth teen and death wh''re I wend. This,¡± he pointed to the fight below the slope. The guards were slowly advancing on the undead. ¡°and many others events like this, were caused by or because of me!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? I-¡± Natravi caught a blue light coming to her side before her uncle grabbed her by her arms and pulled her away from the rock. She couldn¡¯t see anything, but a wave of heat confirmed her suspicions. She grabbed his hands and, fighting through the pain, stood up just time to see a furious looking duke approaching them with a startled Karl running after him.

    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Karl shouted, pulling the man back.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± her uncle whispered. She nodded before he pulled her behind him. Drac placed himself between the fuming duke and the warden.

    ¡°I am not looking for a fight William,¡± he said. ¡°You had your shot at me, but there is a child here now. Did you lose your honor after all these years!¡±

    ¡°I could care less about you, Vlad.¡± He shouted. He pointed his staff at them and fumed. ¡°This child was supposed to protect my daughter! Where is she!?¡±

    ¡®Darn it, how could I forget about him?¡¯ Natravi said. She didn¡¯t know where to start. This was not a situation where explaining the whole story would diffuse the tension and she hadn¡¯t a story to tell.

    ¡°Natravi, everything will be alright,¡± her uncle whispered. She wanted to believe him but she knew better, he¡¯d used that line before. That meant that he couldn¡¯t win and would create a diversion for her to escape or risk killing himself to save her. He¡¯d done things like that before but everytime it seemed like everything would get better. But not this time. She had picked up on the strain of his voice, he was reaching his limit. But this time she would save him.

    ¡°Your words are losing their efficacy uncle,¡± she whispered back, stroking his back.

    ¡®Come on Natalie, you can stop this. You are supposed to be smart, come on, you just have to calm an angry father¡­but he told me not lie,¡¯ Natravi frowned up at the back of Drac¡¯s head. His head was slowly nodding, an involuntary action that was a sign of his tiredness. ¡®But to save a life¡­it can be forgiven, right?¡¯

    ¡°Natravi, when I say go you-¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s alive!¡± She shouted, staring off, trying to form a coherent answer.

    ¡°Then where is she?!¡± the duke, spoke up.

    ¡°Lord William, last I saw of your daughter was when we had defeated a few undead. She wanted to help you so she left.¡±

    ¡°Do you know where she is or not?¡±

    ¡°I-I know that she will be here,¡± she immediately regretted her hesitation.

    ¡°You insolent, cur!¡± the duke screamed. In response her uncle took a step forward, getting into a running position. ¡°You were supposed to protect her, where is she!? I¡¯ll kill you, you hear me!¡±

    ¡°Willaim, William stop,¡± Karl interfered. He wrestled with his staff before he was struck across the jaw. The duke stabbed the staff into the dazed warden¡¯s neck and held him against the wall. ¡°William please-¡±

    ¡°What is the meaning of this Karl,¡± the man hissed. ¡°I told you the next time you betray me you will die.¡±

    Natravi could feel her skin crawl with how ferocious his response was. However, she didn¡¯t let it show on her face. ¡®If they know how they can affect you they will exploit it.¡¯ She reminded herself before stepping out of her uncle¡¯s shadow.

    ¡°I never betrayed you back then, William and I¡¯m not betraying you now. You¡¯re making a-a mistake, she¡¯s innocent, Will-urgh¡± He sputtered.

    ¡°I never liked you Karl,¡± he pressed. ¡°Since I can¡¯t kill you out there, then atleast I can kill you in here. In my mind¡±

    ¡°William, this is real. You¡¯re not dream-¡±

    But before he could finish her uncle dashed towards them, tackling the duke to the ground before he could react. She quickly followed to help but a hand sign from Drac stopped her. For a brief second, his finger flashed towards Karl before he began wrestling with Willaim again.

    ¡®Right, Uncle doesn¡¯t trust anyone.¡¯

    ¡°You move, you die.¡± She stated, bringing a sword to his throat.

    ¡°Wha-¡±

    ¡°I know; this is just for show.¡± When she saw his expression she tried; ¡°Uncle doesn¡¯t trust strangers, even strangers who¡¯ve helped us. He doesn¡¯t know you well so he still might consider you a threat-¡±

    *Sigh*Cough*Cough*¡°You¡¯re new at this, aren¡¯t you? This fighting, these battles¡­mercenary work?¡±

    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± she frowned, trying to keep her annoyance out of her voice.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t meant to be on the battlefield, girl. Sure you¡¯re strong but you can¡¯t read the mood of the battlefield,¡± Karl looked back to see Drac punch the staff out of the duke¡¯s hand. ¡°Otherwise you would be checking to see if I was alright, not holding me hostage.¡±

    ¡°I know that,¡± she was getting angry. She should¡¯ve stopped, collected herself and then spoken but his patronizing tone, that made it seem like he was talking to a child, was too much. The pain, the sudden outburst of Drac and now this, she couldn¡¯t control herself. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for him! He¡¯s the one who doesn¡¯t get it!¡±

    ¡°Vlad¡¯s smarter than you give him credit for. He¡¯s definitely been in more wars than you so he knows who¡¯s his ally and who isn¡¯t. Think about it yourself; I tried to stop William, I helped you two and now you have a blade held to my throat? Even Vlad wouldn¡¯t be-¡±

    ¡°His name is Drac-¡±

    ¡°Argh!¡± Their attention was suddenly caught when Drac grunted. He was still on top and had the duke¡¯s hands locked under his knees while he pressed into his chest. Despite fighting with a full armor he struggled to take down the duke and it didn¡¯t help her to see blood seep through the spaces of his armor.

    ¡°You burnt me, tried to kill me and now you tried to put your hands on my-on her,¡± He grunted. ¡°I should-urgh-kill you here right now¡­¡± he looked back at her and the duke¡¯s eyes followed. Without a word and as quick as a she was able to see it; Drac punched the man across his jaw, knocking him out.

    She saw him get up and slowly make his way over to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright Natravi and let him go,¡± he said as he walked past. ¡°Check on his wound¡­but be cautious.¡±

    She placed the sword back into it¡¯s sheath and began to check his wounds, be as small as they may.

    ¡°Told ya,¡± Karl smirked.

    ¡°He said be cautious,¡± she tried holding it in but failed to keep some of the venom out of her voice. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t annoy her for long because her uncle returned with his sword in hand. He must¡¯ve looked intimidating because that shut him up quick.

    ¡°Karl,¡± he said between puffs.

    ¡°Vladimir-urk¡± His words were cut off when his sword was placed it against his face.

    ¡°Explain what that was,¡± Drac said, getting his breathing under control.

    ¡°¡­Wha-what do you mean-¡± his words were cut off when Drac pushed his sword closer. Although he blade¡¯s edge was dull Natravi knew that if he wanted her uncle could cut it off in a matter of seconds.

    ¡°Explain what that was, I won¡¯t ask a second time.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Alright! Just pull back, please,¡± he said, raising his hands in surrender. But Drac didn¡¯t move, it was a few seconds of looking up at him when Natravi realized he was waiting for her to move. She quickly stood back and drew her attention to the battle raging behind them.

    The men were slowly winning once again and although they were down to half of what they were before it looked like the wave of undead had finally stopped. Soon the battle will be theirs.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she heard Karl say.

    ¡°From the beginning, explain.¡± Her uncle said with a growl.

    *Sigh*¡°¡­It started from when we met in the battlefield, out in Chimera. Me, you and old William over there-¡±

    ¡°We are all old Karl I don¡¯t have the patience I had before. Don¡¯t spit out what happened in the past, tell me why he tried to kill us,¡± She heard him grunt and looked back to see him kneeling down to face Karl. ¡°I know he is an honorable man. You don¡¯t lose your honor and pride that easily, yet he tried to kill me despite what happened during the war. So, tell me Karl, why?¡±

    ¡®Which war? Uncle wasn¡¯t in any wars. Was he telling the truth?¡¯ Natravi thought.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know Drac, he¡¯s changed since the war. He lost his honor a long time ago-¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not answering my question Karl; what happened? The only reason I haven¡¯t left with her yet is because I owe you from the war and stopping this will make us even-¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right!¡±

    ¡®What¡¯s with him?¡¯

    The tension she¡¯d previously seen on his face had suddenly vanished, replaced by something she couldn¡¯t quite place.

    ¡°If you stop her, Lidia, if you stop her you stop all of this, yes, that will make us even. You¡¯re still a man of honor Vlad, you wouldn¡¯t abandon someone you owe.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± He grunted. ¡°Tell me what you know. We are short on time as it is.¡±

    ¡°Of course, you promised to stop this right now, you wouldn¡¯t go back on your words,¡± Karl slowly stood up.

    ¡®This¡­seems wrong,¡¯ alarm bells began ringing inside Natravi¡¯s head. ¡®Something about those words isn¡¯t right; ¡®You promised to stop this¡­that will make us even¡­you owe me.¡¯¡¯

    ¡°No, wait!¡± she shouted before she could formulate something coherent. Atleast the look on the warden¡¯s face ensured her that she made the right decision.

    ¡°Come on, ignore her Vlad, you stop this and all of it won¡¯t matter,¡± Karl said.

    ¡°No Uncle, you¡¯re injured. He¡¯s trying to get you killed,¡± she shocked even herself when her emotionless mask fell off.

    ¡°¡­I owe him Natravi, a man always pays his-¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t owe him not anymore!¡± She said ¡°He¡¯s lying to you, to us.¡±

    ¡®You¡¯re not dishonoring your promise¡¯ she reminded herself. ¡®You¡¯re saving your family.¡¯

    ¡°You stopped the duke from killing him. You saved his life so he wouldn¡¯t have anything to hold over you,¡± she said, feeling oddly out of place; displaying so many emotions in public. ¡°He is trying to manipulate us, you promised him nothing uncle, you saved his life your debt-.¡±

    ¡°-Is cleared.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes,¡± she stared, wide-eyed as he slumped his shoulder and nodded. It was not often that she saw him relax so visibly, especially in public.

    ¡°Wait, wait, you still owe me from treating her wound-¡±

    ¡°I am indebted to Miss Mina and Strompf for that; to whom I¡¯ve paid it by leading you here and stopping uncle from killing you. Come on, we need to get out of here,¡± she grabbed Drac¡¯s hand and began walking towards the stairway.

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡±

    ¡°¡­Luvrit?¡± she gasped.

    Natravi was not one for being shocked, in fact; she hated it. It made her feel stupid to be still be overwhelmed despite all she knew. But when faced with the stark contrast to a man she¡¯d seen only hours before she couldn¡¯t help but stare with wide-eyes. The last time she¡¯d seen him he¡¯d seemed almost¡­noble-like, compared to how he was now.

    His eyes were wide and strained red. Two thick lines of dirt streaked his face from his eyes to his chin. His body was bruised and cut; sporting a deep wound similar to her own, except his actually bled through. His armor was now gone and with it so had his charisma. It had diminished like a flame on a candle blowing out into a glowing red thread. His conifdent presence was now gone, leaving behind something akin to ash from smothered flames.

    ¡°Is that it?¡± He said and she realized that she had just been staring all that time. ¡°You¡¯re just leaving like that? Because you don¡¯t owe anyone anything?¡±

    ¡°Luvrit-,¡± she tried, only to be interrupted.

    ¡°You get to leave because what? You¡¯re scared of dying? Look around you for god¡¯s sake. Everyman down here is scared of death.¡± Luvrit pointed at her angrily, ensewing guilt. ¡°I get why you would leave, you don¡¯t know. But you!¡± Luvrit growled as he pointed his finger behind her. ¡°You know better, you¡¯re not a coward. You know what will happen if we don¡¯t put a stop to this here and now, yet you let yourself be dragged away; are you a man or what?! I put my hopes on you fer god¡¯s sake, I vouched for you. But I guess you¡¯re just as honorable as she is a merc.¡±

    She wanted to urge him to come with them but one look at Luvrit told her it was futile. It wasn¡¯t her city to protect.

    ¡®But anything is better than suicide,¡¯ she reasoned angrily. She could see him being forced into a corner with no way out. He loved his home and to see it destroyed by something he could not beat he didn¡¯t want to suffer anymore. He wanted to get out, leave as quickly as he could.

    ¡®But it¡¯s the coward¡¯s way out!¡¯ She wanted to scream at him. She wanted to tell him to leave it and come with her but his reasons were all to clear. He feared living a painful life, knowing that he could¡¯ve saved Peter or Fliss and that he had to wait till the end of his life to meet them again, in a better place than the one he was forced to live in. Luvrit was feeling suicidal and was clinging to any hope that could someone would tell him it was alright.

    ¡°Luvrit, please come with us,¡± she forced out. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do this.¡±

    ¡°Natravi, if I leave then I wouldn¡¯t be able to protect Peter and Fliss, they¡¯re all I have left,¡± he gestured with his arms. ¡°This is the only way.¡±

    ¡°Luvrit we can go find them, get out of here-¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Luvrit laughed cruelly. ¡°Can¡¯t you see? I¡¯ve got more wounds than can be healed, Drac¡¯s got more than he can bear, we¡¯re not fit to escape this place.¡±

    She didn¡¯t know whether to be frown or laugh. Her situation was strangely similar to the one in the tysyacha i odna noch''. Except the gender roles were reversed; she was the king and her manipulator, the queen, was Luvrit. She hated herself for being so easily controlled. But before she could speak out Luvrit interrupted;

    ¡°Drac! You need a debt to stay, right? Then how¡¯s this for one; you owe Brair for helping you take the remaining civilians to the dukes Manor while you were split up. If you don¡¯t help stop this and they get past us, then she dies and you fail at your promise.¡±

    She stared back at her uncle hoping he still wanted to leave, she knew if he tried they could convince Luvrit to leave with them. However, his silence and his gaze told her her hopes were misplaced. Her mind was no longer calm, Luvrit¡¯s gaze broke down her barriers and set off a series of emotions that she¡¯d kept hidden for months. He knew how to manipulate her emotions and that made him dangerous.

    ¡°I cannot leave Natravi. My sword is still down there.¡± Drac said. ¡°Luvrit!¡±

    Natravi clamped down her ear at how loud her uncle shouted. Glancing over, she was surprised to see Luvrit standing unaffected.

    ¡°Yeah Drac?¡±

    ¡°Can I trust you to protect her?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He frowned. ¡°I¡¯m going down there-¡±

    ¡°No Luvrit, you¡¯re not.¡± He interrupted. ¡°You¡¯re going to get out of here, taking Natravi with you.¡±

    ¡°Uncle what about you?¡± she asked. However, they both ignored her and continued to glare at one another.

    ¡°I don¡¯t owe you anything,¡± He finally said.

    ¡°No Luvrit, you don¡¯t. But I ask this not as a mercenary, I ask this as a concerned uncle for his niece. You can do whatever you want after, but until she tells you that she is safe will you promise me to be by her side and protect her? Please.¡±

    ¡°You would die fighting here, do you want that?¡±

    Natravi looked back with wonder, how could he seriously have this conversation with her right infront of him. He was planning to die for¡­for an acquaintance at best while she stood before him, having just reunited with her.

    ¡°¡­Do you really think I will fall so easily Luvrit? Look me in the eye and tell me if I¡¯m lying when I say that I promise stop these undead from leaving this cavern. They will not reach out of the ground and all this rest on whether you will promise me, on your life, that you will protect my niece. Otherwise I will leave here and then you will die and your friend; Peter and Fliss will die and then your entire city will be destroyed. Choose Luvrit.¡±

    ¡°No! Uncle, wait we can-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it! I promise to keep her safe Drac.¡±

    ¡°Luvrit, she is the most important thing to me, if I find out that you broke your promise; I¡¯ll be worse than god for you.¡±

    ¡°No need to threaten me Drac; I promise on my life that I will protect Natravi until she¡¯s reached safety and until she says so.¡± Luvrit gave a nod as he made his way over. ¡°Come one now Natravi, we don¡¯t have much time.¡±

    ¡°Stop! Luvrit, I don¡¯t need you! Uncle, I won¡¯t leave you-¡± but before she could continue he suddenly pushed her back, knocking the wind out of her and sending her tumbling into Luvrit who fell to the ground.

    ¡°RUN!¡± he shouted.

    ¡°[Textus ignis]¡±

    She looked on in shock as the orange flames wrapped around him, engulfing him completely before she could even scream.

 Chapter 31: The Origins and the End of the Enforcer

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­...A few years ago¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Two blue eyes followed the blond flirt as he attempted to put charms on the similarly haired woman. The jovial attitude of his friend was amusing, or rather, it would have been amusing if the woman was anyone but the future duchess of Yikensworth.

    The owner of those eyes almost forced himself from not rolling them when the blond began speaking the same lines he¡¯d heard him use on many other women a hundred times before. He had thought that since the woman standing before them was their benefactors daughter he would¡¯ve treated her differently. Alas, much to his disappointment his childhood friend treated all woman equally.

    ¡®You¡¯re playing a dangerous game,¡¯ Luvrit thought. His eyes raised in equal shock and horror when Peter nonchalantly placed a hand on the 14-year-old girl and twirled her around.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lidia asked stiffly.

    ¡°Memorizing what an angel looks like,¡± Peter spoke, walking around her. ¡°I¡¯ve never considered myself blessed, my lady, but after meeting you, I know god¡¯s smiling upon me today.¡±

    ¡°Uh-Luvrit¡±

    Luvrit looked behind to see Fliss pulling his shirt. The young boy motioned towards their friend and Luvrit understood the implication.

    ¡°Peter, how about we talk about something else?¡± Luvrit tried pulling him away but the snake twirled out of reach.

    ¡°Oh, but how could I? After seeing her,¡± Peter cupped her cheek, drawing her closer. ¡°Mentioning anything else almost seems like a sin.¡±

    ¡®That idiot,¡¯ Luvrit tried intervening but before he could do anything Lidia reacted by elbowing Peter, catching him by surprise and throwing him onto the ground. Luvrit looked up just in time to catch the duchess coming around the corner, flanked by two spearmen. ¡®Always¡­¡¯

    He looked down and caught Peter¡¯s gaze, a look of understanding dawned upon the blond before he punched him across the jaw. Luvrit looked up and was relieved to find both mother and daughter equally confused.

    ¡°Please excuse him, he didn¡¯t know,¡± Luvrit kept his head bowed in apology.

    ¡°What do you-¡±

    ¡°Lidia! What are you doing outside?¡± the duchess exclaimed, causing the girl in question to jump in surprise.

    ¡°Mo-mother, I just wanted to meet uncle Volvo,¡± she stuttered.

    ¡°Hmph, and what do you think your uncle Barton would think of being replaced by a commoner?¡± she sneered. ¡°Honestly Lidia, that man is the sole reason you are so neglecting of your studies, swords and shields will not help you support run a fiefdom and it certainly does not help that your father is incouraging this inappropriate behavior.¡±

    ¡°What is this about incouraging inappropriate behavior?¡± someone said from behind them. The guards immediately stepped aside and bowed to the two men approaching. Luvrit looked over to Lidia and was surprised to find her actucally smile at the intimidating men. He pulled Peter back as the duchess spoke;

    ¡°Dear, I was just explaining to our daughter how cross her uncle Barton would be to hear that she¡¯s replaced him with your¡­mercenary.¡±

    ¡°You flatter me too much, my lady,¡± Volvo bowed. ¡°I would never be able to replace someone as important as baron Barton Willus. He is doing good work in bringing peace and prosperity to the land he¡¯s been given charge of.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, he is¡­mercanery.¡±

    The way she spoke of Volvo told him how highly she valued the man and that actually irked him, to have someone speak like that to his mentor and leader. The tightening grip of Peter¡¯s fists told him that he was not alone in this thought.

    ¡°If you¡¯re awake, could you not weigh so much?¡± he whispered. ¡°Volvo¡¯s gonna kill you when he finds out what you did.¡±

    His response was a small shrug.

    ¡°Hmm, Volvo, why is your ward sleeping?¡± the duke spoke up. He was¡­regal, in both his voice and the way he held himself. He¡¯d heard most of the nobles were fat like pigs but seeing someone well built like his leader¡­Humphry owed him some money. The duke; William von Solus, otherwise known as the blue devil of Ansdrovea or the blue flame of Yikensworth etc. was someone who he aspired to be. He considered himself lucky to have such a man as his benefactor. In the books he¡¯d read about the warring history of this region his name had come up not thrice but five times. His military achievements were numerous and if the depictions of the state of this region before his rule was any indication, so were his managerial achievements.

    Luvrit was so lost in thought that it took him a moment to realize that he was being addressed.

    ¡°S-sorry Volvo, I was¡­a little taken aback by his lordship¡¯s¡­regal, stature,¡± he winced a little. He¡¯d been practicing how to speak Noble-tongue for a while, ever since he heard who his benefactor was, but he¡¯d still made a mistake in joining his words.

    ¡°¡­¡± a deafening silence descended as the three nobles stared at him. Lidia was shocked while her parents held a touch of¡­amusement in their eyes.

    ¡°Is this the boy you were recommending, Volvo?¡± duke von Solus asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Volvo said. Luvrit felt a pang of shame as Volvo massaged his forehead in exhaustion, as if reprimanding him for speaking. ¡°The boy was excited to meet you, so he wanted to impress.¡±

    ¡°Hah, what a pathetic pursuit of the Noble tongue,¡± Luvirt liked this woman less and less.

    ¡°What I was saying, Luvrit was why is Peter unconscious?¡±

    ¡°He was out of line, Volvo, he needed to be taught a lesson,¡± Luvrit looked up and pleaded for Lidia to keep quiet. She didn¡¯t.

    ¡°He touched me daddy!¡±

    The duke¡¯s face turned to stone as he stared with narrowed eyes at Peter. Volvo was similarly staring at their direction but he was more shocked than his benefactor.

    ¡°Guard¡¯s,¡± the two spearmen stood in attention. ¡°escort my daughter and her mother to my room.¡±

    ¡®Is he gonna die?¡¯ Luvirt thought. He couldn¡¯t help but curse Lidia in his mind. If she had just kept quiet, he could¡¯ve diffused the situation. Volvo had warned him that angering them could mean losing their lives and the look Fliss sent him told him that he was not alone in this thought.

    ¡°I trust you punish him appropriately,¡± duke von Solus turned toward Volvo who vehemently nodded. ¡°Bring your successor after you have ruled out his punishment.¡±

    With that they escorted out of the manor by the guards while he carried Peter on his back. Hours later, the voices coming from their room were different than the pleasure filled moans that usually rocked the rooms of the tavern. He had to excuse atleast four people who came to complain before Volvo finished ruling out Peter¡¯s punishment.

    Even when he came out to get some food, Fliss and him still refrained from going in there until the crescent moon had climbed on the starry sky. Peter was still recovering from his beatings but atleast he wasn¡¯t unconscious from them like last time he¡¯d tried something reckless. Luvrit wanted to reprimand him, tell him how stupid he was but seeing the red marks on his naked back and the watery eyes of Fliss he held back. His friend had just been through a beating he didn¡¯t need to be told twice by him, at least now today.

    When they were ready to sleep; Peter and Fliss on the floor while him and Volvo, being the oldest, on the beds Volvo came in and motioned for him to follow. He had just enough time to strap his sword when Volvo suddenly left. Luvrit followed him in silence, followed him out the tavern into the alleyways until they came upon a large gridded manhole.

    ¡°Uh- Volvo, where are we going?¡±

    ¡°Down here kid,¡± he replied, lifting the cover. ¡°You wanted to lead, right? Well here¡¯s your chance. Down there¡¯s someone who will decide if you can. Down you go, unless you want to go back?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Luvrit jumped down without hesitation. He needed to prove himself and this was his chance. ¡®I get control then I won¡¯t have to worry about Peter or even Fliss attacking Volvo. I¡¯ll be the one to take all the risks, I¡¯ll protect him.¡­Funny, it smelled a lot better up there.¡¯

    He moved aside when he heard Volvo¡¯s ¡®hup¡¯ and covered his eyes as splashes of the foul smelling liquid fell on him. Volvo was a large man, it only made sense that his jump would create a larger splash than him.

    ¡°Here, light this,¡± Volvo said, handing him a long stem of rush.

    ¡°Rushlights?¡±

    ¡°Still got that flint and steel,¡± through the darkness he heard some ruffling and assumed that Volvo had grabbed his own stem.

    ¡°Yes of course. Here you go, Volvo.¡± Luvrit first lit Volvo¡¯s rushlight and then his own. Without another word his leader began to walk into the sewers with practiced steps. Luvrit observed and soon found that after every 15-20 steps he jumped or hopped the next.

    ¡®Traps!¡¯ He realized. ¡®Whoever we¡¯re about to meet, he¡¯s afraid of being found.¡¯

    ¡°Luvrit,¡± Volvo came to a halt. They were standing before another, larger tunnel entrance, that led into their own, except it was covered by a small dirty cloth illuminated by all the laterns or candles inside. ¡°This is your last warning, my boy. If you go inside here and he finds you unworthy then you¡¯ll either die-¡±

    ¡°Or I¡¯ll take your position as leader,¡± he nodded solemnly. ¡°Volvo, Peter and Fliss, they are loyal?¡±

    ¡°They are now,¡± Volvo nodded, leaning against the tunnel walls. ¡°But who know where their loyalties¡¯ll lie in a couple of years.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we won¡¯t know,¡± he said deep in thought. ¡°But we can control it, I can control it. If I become leader then I can protect them, e-ensure that their loyalties lie where they¡¯ve always been, I can protect us. Uh-no, ah, Volvo, I need you to know that I¡¯m not trying to replace you because I think I can do better. I still have a lot to learn from you. I Just-If I¡¯m leader then whatever we do, it¡¯ll be my responsibility, you won¡¯t be at risk anymore.¡±

    ¡°You think I can¡¯t take care of them?¡±

    ¡°No! Uh-No, I don¡¯t think that. Volvo, you¡¯ve raised us for almost two decades.¡± ¡®He¡¯s gonna hate me for this, but it has to be said.¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re not as fast as you used to be, you¡¯re powerful but in ambushes, raids, the leader has to be at the front so he know¡¯s what¡¯s going on at the battlefield to direct his troops at-¡±

    ¡°Sound¡¯s to me like you think you can do a better job after all.¡± Volvo smirked. ¡°I do a lot more than just finishing requests as a mercenary Luvrit. Go meet the real boss of this city and you¡¯ll know exactly what you¡¯re replacing me in. If you can survive in there that is.¡±

    Volvo blew out the rushlight with without a word began walking away. Luvrit wanted to follow him but his next words stopped him dead cold.

    ¡°As you¡¯ve already figured it out, this place is filled with traps. Stop shying away like a girl and just get in there.¡±

    *Splash*Splash* the sounds of his footsteps faded away.

    ¡®Did he even need the light?¡¯

    Luvrit looked at the shit-stained cloth and gathered his courage before traversing the viel. His eyes darted to wherever the light shone, taking in the grimy image of the smelly sewer tunnel. The tunnel was blocked by a couple of boxes piled atop one another, supporting the last person he expected to see in a place like this.

    In a grimy place like this; shit and piss stained walls, heavy smell of urine wafting in the air underneath the city, sat the duke of their land, atop a pile of crates. He wore a weird looking mask and a shiny black cloak but there was no mistaking it. The candelabra shining directly beside his face attenuated his most prominent feature, those teal blue eyes.

    Luvrit slowly walked up to the base of the boxes, slowly becoming aware that there were others in the shadows watching his every move. Their slow breath becoming more prominent the closer he got, likely an intimidation method.

    ¡°Luvrit Ade, you wish to take over Nature¡¯s call as it¡¯s leader,¡± He said in an unfamiliar voice.

    ¡°Yes, my lo-¡±

    ¡°I go by the Big Boss down here, see to it that you address me so.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, big boss. I wish to replace Volvo as it¡¯s leader.¡±

    As soon as he said that a cacophony of whispers erupted around him. But he paid it no mind, something told him that he would forfeit his life if he didn¡¯t pay the man infront of him his full attention.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Replace Volvo,¡± the whispers cut off when he began speaking. ¡°It comes with a heavy burden. Do you think you¡¯re ready to replace my right-hand man, become my new enforcer?¡±

    ¡®Right-hand man? Enforcer? Should I ask?¡¯ Luvrit thought. ¡®No, I shouldn¡¯t show any negativity. I¡¯m here now, better go in all the way or I might die.¡¯

    ¡°Yes, I think I do.¡±

    ¡°You think?¡±

    ¡°I know, I know I¡¯m ready, Big Boss.¡± Luvrit resisted the urge to wipe his sweat as it tickled his nose.

    ¡°Volvo carries out takes for me,¡± the duke stood up and began walking over the crates and boxes as if they were mere steps. ¡°Tasks to keep this city and my rule in this city safe. Tasks that will have you hanged for them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­I shall carry out those tasks now, Big Boss.¡±

    ¡°Good, because other wise I will reveal what Volvo has done for me and it will be to the gallows for you all,¡± he stepped into the sludge of urine and shit with a splash. However, Luvrit didn¡¯t move, even when something fell on his cheek. ¡°But before you do I will have you prove it. That you are willing to carry out those tasks.¡±

    Luvrit held his breath as the duke¡¯s hand clasped on his shoulder, wiping whatever it was from his cheek with a gloved thumb.

    ¡°You have already proven your loyalty to Volvo, he trusts you, but I do not. You will have to prove that to me.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, Big Boss. I¡¯m willing to do anything.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what they always say before I ask,¡± Peter could almost see the smile through that weird wirey mask, ¡°I want you to kill¡­your friend. Your childhood companion, Peter Shanxx.¡±

    ¡®What!¡¯ Sick dread fell into his heart as he realized what was being asked of him. He had to kill Peter, one of the people he was trying to replace Volvo for. Luvrit¡¯s first instinct was to deny it but that quickly crumbled when an image of him bleeding on the shitty ground flashed through his mind. His second instinct, to kill the duke and fight his way out was also squashed when he remembered how many people were behind him.

    ¡°I know what you are thinking, Luvrit Ade,¡± the man before him said. ¡°You want to deny it, you want to kill me, you want to escape and run away with your friends, yes, I know. I know because this has all happened before-¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll do it,¡± Luvrit said. His mind was running a thousand kilometers with every breath he took to calm himself. If he did any of the things his mind told him, then he would die. He was doing this to protect his friends, his family. But he didn¡¯t want to die. It was him and only him before Peter, Fliss, Volvo and that other idiot. If there was another way he wanted to give two of his limbs so he could get out of this, but there was none. He couldn¡¯t think of anything so had to accept his fate.

    Volvo had warned him that there was no turning back and he knew the price would be high if he was being so secretive, but he never realized what how high it would be.

    ¡®Is this revenge for what Luvrit did with his daughter?¡¯

    ¡°Good,¡± he could tell the duke was surprised by his sudden response. ¡°Take care of that blond fool tonight.¡±

    Luvrit silently nodded and slowly turned to walk back where he came from. Reminding himself that there were traps on his way back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make any mistakes, they are not tolerated, it would be a shame to have to kill you off before you perfected that noble-tongue.¡± That send a wave of snickers into their shadow-hidden, black-cloth drapped audience.

    ¡®Luvrit, you fool,¡¯ he cursed internally. But he was too exhausted with what was happening to have any bite in it. When he reached the dirty curtain the duke spoke again.

    ¡°I¡¯m the all encompassing lord of this city. Nothing happens in here that I don¡¯t know about, so don¡¯t act foolish and make me regret trusting Volvo.¡±

    ¡®Luvrit, you fool. You fucked up, beating some street rats would be easier than this.¡¯ Luvrit chided himself. He let his body move on it¡¯s own, after he¡¯d made it out of the sewers, while his mind wandered off. He was still acutely aware of the odd looks the onlookers gave him when they wandered too close and got the fresh, prime scent of where their shit goes.

    ¡°Hey, watch it!¡± Someone yelled when he wandered into them. But Luvrit didn¡¯t pay him much mind. He was smaller than him and didn¡¯t even register to his eye level. A midget. Something with a deformity that still had an easier life, than him!

    ¡°Fuck off,¡± Luvrit said with venom and kept walking towards his tavern. He was smart, he had read as many books as he could, cramming everything from battle methods to herbs mixing to fairytales. He couldn¡¯t memorize everything but he still knew a lot more than most people. They called him smart, they looked up to him for answers when Volvo had none. They trusted him and he was going to betray them. He didn¡¯t want to die.

    Luvrit looked up at the familiar sounds of jovial laughter coming from inside and saw Volvo sitting at a table talking with some kids. He wanted to go in there and confront him, warn him what the duke was going to do¡­but he didn¡¯t. Volvo knew the risks and warned him more than once but it was because of his stupid pride that he wouldn¡¯t back down. If he warned him then the duke would know and he¡¯ll die before he had a chance. There were a lot of people in there and that was not including the ones he probably couldn¡¯t see.

    ¡®No doubt, someone is following me right now,¡¯ he thought. ¡®It¡¯s what I would do.¡¯

    Luvrit slowly made his way inside and up the stairs, uncaring of the looks he was getting. There was a moment on the stairs when he looked down to see Volvo nod his way with a look of understanding. In that moment he wanted to scream out the the duke was the big boss, but that meant he wouldn¡¯t live till tomorrow. He could do nothing but follow along, just like Volvo had.

    ¡®Had I listened before none of this would be happening¡¯ he thought as he made his way into their room. Peter and Fliss were sharing a bed, with the older friend sleeping on his belly to treat the red marks on his back. The little one was cuddled into his arm which was drapped across his stomach, both sleeping soundly despite the noise downstairs.

    ¡®This is all your fault, don¡¯t let someone else suffer for it.¡¯ Luvrit clenched his dagger and shakily pulled it out of it¡¯s sheath. ¡®You know you have to make it right, make it as painless as possible. Dieing will make sure your friends aren¡¯t dropped by the noose.¡¯

    ¡°How could the person I revered so much turn out like this. It¡¯s hasn¡¯t been a day and already¡­what a fuckin¡¯ joke.¡± Luvrit slowly raised the dagger. It shook so violently in his hand that he had to get another hand to keep it stable. He closed his eyes, ignoring all the fluids that came running out of them and prepared for to strike, after all, he didn¡¯t need to see to kill himself.

    *Knock*Knock*

    The sudden knocking pulled him out of his trance and he gasped in surprise. The room was spinning, there was nothing he could do to stop himself from falling down. The door opened and in stepped his leader. Volvo didn¡¯t flinch at the seen he¡¯d walked in on. The dagger, Peter and Fliss sleeping on the bed, nor his own state had any effect on him as he slowly walked closer and knelt before him.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay my boy,¡± he said, pulling him in a hug. ¡°You passed. The Big Boss would never kill an innocent Yikensman. He just needed to know you were willing to do it, I¡¯ll tell him that you barely stopped. I¡¯ll tell him you passed Luvrit, it¡¯s okay now.¡±

    Volvo spoke a lot more than that, but to Luvrit it was all unimportant. He was about to kill himself because he couldn¡¯t kill his friend. He was weak, pathetic and a coward, he never wanted to feel like this again. Only one thought kept him from crying, a thought of dread and fear.

    ¡®What have I gotten myself into.¡¯

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Present time, Yikensworth¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    The monster regained control over his body once more. He realized that his dream, or rather his nightmare was finally coming to an end. But he wasn¡¯t afraid, no, he knew it would only end either with him dead, thus waking up next to his startled wife, or victorious with a prolonged plunge into the darkness before he would eventually be greeted by the light of morn or Mathilda, a rather annoying reminder of his lost control.

    Dreams such as these were not strange to him, for he had been having rather obscure ones the past few days. He would always start it with him waking in bed, either beside his bride or not. Then he would go through preparing his body in the morning rituals in the hours followed before facing his daughter. Then, like all dreams or nightmares alike, everything would go dark and he would reawaken leaving a tavern or cemetery or a small village near Yikensworth city. He would go about his day with the best knowledge his mind could come up with almost creating a parallel to what he would do if he had indeed been awake. In the end he would retire for the night and awaken in the real world starting off a whole new day.

    At first he was apprehensive of the dreams. They were too detailed to be anything but, however he soon dismissed the notion in the thrice dream or so he experienced. He knew, being experienced in dreams and nightmares from his time as a captain to his father¡¯s troops that they always repeated and his dreams this time around were no different. They repeated. He always seemed to enter, before the time skip and exit after, in the same places; a place he had likely visited in the past probably conjured by the recesses of his mind to excite his daily life.

    When he first awoke to this dream it was dark, unusual from the rest. Even more unusual from the rest was that he could recount everything he did in the dream to the absolute perfection if he so wished upon his awakening in this world with no time skips or dark-blanks in between. But then everything made sense when he realized what had occurred today. The undead were back.

    Back when he was fighting under his father in the war against the Chimerans, the use of undead was applied by his enemies to tire them out at night so that the main force in the morning would decimate in the battlefield. The practice wasn¡¯t vile nor considered evil, it was commonplace to control dead creatures to work for them, but he never considered its horrors when applied on humans. If not for the intervention of the Holy Kingdom, Seinaru, they would¡¯ve all died that year. During those days he had been forced to keep lookouts at night, as punishment for appearing weak around his men at their mention. Those days were nightmarish. He was afraid to eat and sleep because of those things, he¡¯d seen what they could do. But they were also his catalyst to becoming the fearsome man he was today.  So to have a dream concerning those things when he was much older were seen nothing more than a test to his leadership and bravery invented by his own mind, for it knew how to give him a good challenge. He treated it like reality for it was his test to himself, but in the end it was nothing more than a dream¡­meeting the faceless man claiming to be from the war proved that.

    His face burned, no doubt, from the many injuries he¡¯d sustained fighting him and even though he could not remember the fight he knew that he had been victorious. The man lying before him in defeat was a testament to him conquering his fears. Drac¡¯s words, a mockery to his station, replayed themselves once more in his head; ¡®I do not come here as a messenger, I come here as your judgement.¡¯

    ¡®Today I am your judgement,¡¯ William thought, clenching his hands. ¡®This is my rebirth.¡¯

    He was acutely aware of the traitorous girl picking herself up from the ground. So he prepared himself. He grabbed the largest cord, a testament of his mastery over the fire aspects of the Flow born fruit from years of use in the same area, and read the words he¡¯d read a thousand times before.

    ¡°Traitor! [Ignis Flore]¡± he said pointing his staff at her. A great him bloom of fire erupted from the end of his rod and sped towards the frail woman. She jumped aside and tried to counter, but he was one step ahead. He twisted out of the path of her lightening and lay waste to the ground by sending a flame blanket towards her feet.

    ¡°Argh!¡± he shouted.

    Suddenly his headaches returned. They¡¯d occurred many times before; always during the day, but never at the same time. He cried in pain as the headache increased until he felt his control slip. He fought to keep control, knowing that any quarter given to his opponent meant his doom. However, the pressure increased two-fold until he eventually caved in¡­

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Luvrit ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    ¡°Uncle! ...back, please.¡±

    ¡°William¡­. doing?¡±

    The voices were getting too annoying, invading the pool of stillness that relaxed his mind. Luvrit groggily opened his eyes just in time to see Natravi narrowly dodging orange flames that singed the ground. That black man, Drac, tried cutting him down from the back but the duke easily dodged that slow strike, following it up with a purple lightshow that caused him to be launched into the opposite wall, barely missing Karl.

    ¡®Fuck, he¡¯s really gone crazy,¡¯ Luvrit thought as he pushed himself up. His sides were hurting and he was sure there was something major broken there but he had to get away or else he¡¯ll be killed too. Luvrit slowly limped his way over to the stairs, he could get away. He just needed to be strong enough to keep the rhythm going until he could.

    ¡®Don¡¯t turn around,¡¯ he kept repeating in his head. He knew that if he did he would be ridden with guilt and then he¡¯d have to deal with that! He didn¡¯t want to meaninglessly throw his life trying to stop a person he knew could kill them all easily. ¡®If Drac is in that state then there is no use me joining in, we¡¯ve already lost.¡¯

    One step up the stairs. He heard Natravi scream over the battle going on so far away. Their screams and battle was so far away and meaningless now that it didn¡¯t even register than someone else might be dying. He didn¡¯t need to think about it, he needed to reach the manor, a horse stable, anything that could help him get to the capital.

    Two steps up the stairs. He heard Drac and Karl grunt followed by two loud thuds.

    ¡®They don¡¯t need you, you¡¯ll die before you could do anything¡­at least he¡¯ll make it painless for her. He always had a soft spot for ladies, even if they were enemies.¡¯

    Three steps up the stairs.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy this,¡± the duke said hoarsely, causing Luvrit to freeze. He looked back and saw him looming over Natravi writing in pain. She seemed to be trying to open her eyes but he held her down by the hand. Drac and Karl were out, unconsciously leaning against the wall of rocks where a small bit was chipped away. But what caused him to freeze was how unfamiliar the duke¡¯s voice was. It was if two different people were speaking at the same time, out of synch and layered.

    ¡°From the moment I saw you, acting like you were better than me, I knew we wouldn¡¯t get along,¡± he said. ¡°Then you went ahead and interfered with my plans and ruined everything by getting away, by getting here. You should¡¯ve died on that rooftop! But now, I can enjoy destroying that pretty face of your¡¯s. A commoner like you should know her place. Hmph, acting like we¡¯re the same, you are lower than me, you hear! I¡¯m a noble, you have fallen. It is time I put you in your place.¡±

    ¡®You¡¯re an idiot, you know that.¡¯ Luvrit thought as he made his way down the stairs. He saw the duke raise his staff as if preparing for something. He set about finding something to attack him with while he set about finding his thread or as Fliss called them ¡®tubes of light¡¯.

    ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure she wouldn¡¯t even thank me for this. Chances are that she¡¯ll be too busy battling whatever¡¯s causing her pain to understand what I¡¯m about to do. No matter, it¡¯s not for her anyway. It¡¯s for me.¡¯

    Luvrit picked up Natravi¡¯s sword that had fallen behind a large stone, where Volvo was treated on¡­his blood was still there. He tried not to let that get to him, he needed a clear head to take care of the monster in human¡¯s clothing.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s fitting to use the one thing your actually good at to take the other thing you like to boast, prepare for my lightening.¡± The duke said as he brought the staff to her head.

    ¡°Hey!¡± he said, catching the duke off guard. Before he could turn Luvrit took a leap and pushed the sword, with all his weight, into the man¡¯s back causing him to fall and tumble down the slope. As the sword fell out of his hand, carried away by the duke, Luvrit fell atop Natravi.

    It wasn¡¯t until he lost all his breath did he realize that he¡¯d fallen on her in an accidental lip-lock. He quickly pushed himself away and lay beside her gasping for air. He licked his lips, tasting some dirt and hints of bread. Turning his head Luvrit sighed in relief when he saw that Natravi was no longer writhing in pain, but as he continued to stare black dread began forming within his stomach. She lay motionless with her eyes wide open, she wasn¡¯t breathing. He was about to check on her when she suddenly turned, her eyes wide. She slowly touched her lips and tried forming words that never came out.

    ¡®Seriously?¡¯

    ¡°Yer welcome *Cough*Cough*¡± Luvrit managed before violent coughs took over.

    ¡®Is this it?¡¯ He thought as his vision began to blur. ¡®Well I¡¯ll know when I wake up-¡¯

    ¡°Daddy!¡± A shrill voice, vaguely familiar, struck his ears and compounded the headed he was already suffering.

    ¡®Shut up kid, I¡¯m going to sleep.¡¯

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­...William von Solus¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Hey,¡± He blinked again and saw himself standing above the traitorous woman. He knew someone had called him out but as he turned to see who it was pain erupted in his back. He felt a push and lost his footing. He turned his head just in time to catch a grey sword sticking out of his back before he fell. He was confused¡­until he saw the face of the one who pierced him. The boy¡¯s eyes glittered in the darkness, infuriating him at his own weakness.

    ¡®A mere boy did this to me? My own enforcer!?¡¯

    He screamed in pain, but he did not scream for help. He was the duke for god¡¯s sake. He was the Blue Flame of Ansdrovea. He had the king¡¯s right ear and left hand at his beck and call. He was the successor and prosperer of his father¡¯s crumbling land. He was William von Solus.

    These thoughts accompanied him as he fell down the slope, the sword wedging its way in; deeper and deeper.

    ¡°Daddy!!¡±

    All his pain muddled thoughts disappeared when he heard his Lidia¡¯s voice echoed through the cavern. As he fell to the ground he looked over to the top of the cliff he saw a small figure doubling over as she screamed for him. His child¡­

    ¡®Forgive me Lidia,¡¯ he thought as a tear rolled out of his eyes.

    He may have been born and lived like a nobleman, but he died like a commoner¡­They all did.

 Chapter 32: Battle for Yikensworth-Part 3

    ¡®He kissed me!¡¯

    For once, in a long time, Natravi was flustered. She was thankful for her wood-brown skin that hid the evergrowing blush. She rubbed her quivering lips and resisted the urge to lick them.

    Fortunately, the sight of Luvrit: badly bleeding, wheezing and unconscious shook her away from pursueing those thoughts. She glanced up at where her uncle was thrown and released a sigh of relief, she didn¡¯t know she was holding, when she saw him stand up.

    ¡®At least he is okay,¡¯ she thought.

    Natravi dusted away some of the dirt off of Luvrit before ripping away his old bandages. As she struggled with his wrappings she noticed her uncle making his way over.

    ¡°Why are you ripping them?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Because he is dying. I can¡¯t leave him like this. W-we owe him atleast this much.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± he whispered. Natravi looked up just in time to see her uncle give a nod.

    ¡°Uncle?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll need water to clean it,¡± he said, making his way over to Karl¡¯s unconscious form and procuring a flask.

    ¡®What did he mean ¡®hmmm¡¯? That wasn¡¯t his agreement ¡®hmmm¡¯, could he see me blushing?¡¯ her thoughts were running amok and would¡¯ve continued down a hole if he hadn¡¯t interrupted.

    ¡°Focus on keeping that blood in.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes.¡±

    ¡°Did you clean your hands?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you.¡± She accepted the water and scrubbed vigorously before resuming her work. It was weird¡­she didn¡¯t know why she was helping him, she felt like she needed to. Once again she felt a small flare of anger rise within her when she realized how easily she¡¯d been swayed away from her teachings. He still had a way past her defences, he could still manipulate her.

    Her work was slow as each movement was a small skirmish on its own, thanks to all the fighting she did beforehand. By the time she¡¯d ripped the last wrappings Drac came over with a pouch. He knelt opposite to her and poured some water onto his flowing wounds. She immediately tried clearing off any of the dirty water away from the wounds.

    ¡°Use fire,¡± he instructed.

    Her confusion must¡¯ve been showing on her face since he took her hands and placed them over the wound, just an inch away from Luvrit¡¯s skin.

    ¡°Use, fire.¡±

    She looked for that thick blue thread and fixed on the thick light tube until it omitted the words she needed. While she read those words, a tingling sensation began spreading over her hands, continuing until a soft sizzling noise rose from beneath them. Almost immediately she felt its effects. Her breathing became more rapid, her body shivered as she broke in sweat. Her chest felt heavy, but no matter how hard she tried to breath fully her lungs refused to let her. They ached too much.

    Meanwhile, her uncle kept guiding her hands over a writhing Luvrit. Grasped by the arms, she was led over wound after wound until most of his skin looked red and puffy. It would scar, of that she was certain, but for the moment she sighed in relief at the clotted wounds.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright now, let it go,¡± uncle Drac said soothingly. She looked down and realized that she was gripping Luvrit¡¯s clothes in her shaking hands. She immediately let go in slight embarrassment that never made it to her face, and waited until her hands stopped shaking.

    ¡°I am alright,¡± she said.

    ¡°Can you stand?¡± he asked, extending her a hand. She responded by grasping it and following him up. ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± she felt content. She wasn¡¯t running away. She wanted to leave because it had nothing to do with her. She wanted to tell herself that it was pointless worrying but looking at the man she¡¯d gone out of her way to save made her stomach weak. She wanted to leave, he didn¡¯t have anything over her. ¡°But your sword?¡±

    ¡°It-¡±

    ¡°Hello~ Everyone!¡± That familiar, irksome voice cut over his words leaving Natravi annoyed. The voice reverberated through the cavern, announcing itself to everyone by the wind that blew through the enclosed space.

    Looking over at the edge of the cliff, jutting out in the middle of the field where the undead seemed to be coming from, Natravi could barely see the announcer. Squinting, she could see a woman wearing a shiny black armor, making her way down. She was falling down, with her hand clawed into the cliff.

    Natravi could see the flow of magic within the cave shift to the sides, causing the undead to move along with it, splitting the line of soldiers to clear some ground in the middle. The woman landed with a flip and bowed, as if putting on a performance.

    ¡°Oh, what a lovely audience. You¡¯re so~ ni~ce.¡±

    ¡°Natravi,¡± her uncle spoke. ¡°This doesn¡¯t concern us. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Natravi~, I~ see~ you~¡± the woman cooed. Uncle Drac looked her way questioningly but before she could answer he grumbled something inaudible and lifted Luvrit over his shoulder before walking towards the exit.

    ¡°We don¡¯t need to be here Natravi, she is taunting you. Do not let her.¡±

    She gave a quick glance before following her uncle up the stairs. They never made it to the exit.

    Before uncle could take the last step he suddenly dived off the stairs, narrowly dodging a sword that disappeared into the tunnel above.

    She looked back with narrowed eyes and tried locating their attacker. But before she could her uncle pulled off the stairs, away from the sword that would¡¯ve pierced her. From her uncle¡¯s arms she looked up and saw him nod towards the shadows of the half tunnel she¡¯d run in before to save him. Now it was to save herself.

    They were currently in the shadows of the stairs so she hoped that the flowreader couldn¡¯t see them as they made their way towards the tunnel. Natravi gave a quick glance at where uncle Drac had left Luvrit, hidden behind the shadows and rocks, before catching up. When they reached the beginning of the glowing rocks she noticed Drac hesitate, no doubt considering leaving her with Luvrit. But she wasn¡¯t having it and it seemed she showed it in her expression since he relented and motioned her along, after he¡¯d looked her way. They ran over to the open-sided tunnel, past the glowing rocks and began walking, half-bent, through the space. She hoped it led to where the flow reader was.

    ¡°Wait,¡± he said. She obeyed and watched with interest as he rummaged through his pouches before procuring a few purple herbs. ¡°Eat.¡±

    She silently accepted the purple stalk and chewed the foul tasting plant before forcing it down her throat. Her mouth burned from their juices and that burn carried down her throat until it warmed her stomach.

    ¡°Wh-*Cough*Cough* what will it do?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Give you strength¡­an hour at best. More than enough. A lot can happen in one hour.¡± He seemed to be reassuring himself more than her. He quickly shook out of it and led them onwards. Since the walk was very slow she stole glances from time to time, watching the walking flesh and bones beneath intensify their efforts to gouch, bite or kill the men.

    ¡®The flow-reader must be getting desperate,¡¯ she thought. ¡®We can win this if he¡¯s getting worried.¡¯

    The soldiers had created a turtle position, with their varying circular shields, that allowed their spear wielding comrades a clear shot at the hearts or heads of their enemy. The undead began to climb over their soulless brethren in hopes to break from the top. She felt her breath hitch as she watched with bated breath at the first screams. However, for as long as she saw it, the men held strong, and it was only until Drac motioned for her again did she take her eyes away from the situation below.

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡± the first man screamed. She quickly looks down and saw a man being pulled out from the middle. He was holding his neck, a wound no doubt sustained from their bite, and crying in pain while his comrades stabbed him dead. They quickly threw out the body, toppling the undead before pushing them back.

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± uncle Drac grumbled.

    She didn¡¯t realize she was lagging behind and was about to cover the distance, until her uncle yelled. She responded without thinking and only saw the glint of steel stumbling back. A small dust cloud covered her vision, likely due to the sword piercing the wall beside her. When the dust settled she realized her mistake; that sword had cracked and crumbled the path between her and uncle Drac.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Get back Natravi,¡± she heard him shout before another dust bloom blew out and cut him off.

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Awwww, does little Natravi have a suitor~?¡± that irritatible voice asked from behind.

    ¡®Dammit, I forgot about her,¡¯ she silently cursed. Looking back, she saw Cleo making her way over with her swords drawn. Her own hand went to her sheath before she realized that she didn¡¯t have her sword on her anymore. It was still stuck on the duke¡¯s back.

    ¡°Oh my, no sword?¡± even in the darkness Natravi could see her Cheshire smile.

    ¡°Natravi, here!¡± Her uncle shouted. She looked back and saw a thin, long knife clatter between her legs. ¡°Just...survive.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± she shouted back. She slowly picked up the knife, her eyes never leaving the incoming Cleo. ¡°I¡¯ve fought her before, I can defeat her.¡±

    ¡®But it will be hard to do it here. I can¡¯t do it like this.¡¯ Her robes were only midly stretched and constricting of her movements when she tried to bend in the narrow space, during a battle in such a narrow space would only mean her defeat. Not only that, but because of her small height Cleo only had to duck slightly to fit in the tunnel which gave her a clear advantage. She needed to get out of here.

    ¡°I¡¯m making my way over Natravi,¡± she heard uncle say before another booming sound indicated another sword piercing the wall. Hopefully missing him.

    ¡°Uncle, the undead are more important here. Stopping them wil decide if I survive this, so please stop the flow reader!¡± She said.

    ¡°Ooh, uncle?¡± Cleo said. ¡°I was always a sucker for breaking up families, say how mad do you think he will be if I kill you now? Madder than when you killed her father?¡±

    ¡°Her?¡± Natravi frowned.

    ¡°Oops, wasn¡¯t supposed to say that. Hehe, come one let¡¯s see how you handle yourself with that beard-cutter.¡± Cleo thrust out one of her sword but Natravi deflected it with her ¡®toothpick¡¯. She lunged in for a stab but Natravi had already jumped off the open sides.

    ¡®A few seconds at best,¡¯ she thought. Her eyes scanned the threads before her and grasped the purple one. She read the first few words before speaking the rest off of memory.

    ¡°[Fulgur telam]¡±

    The blue tendrils worked their way out of her hands and slowed down her fall with only a little strain on her hands. Fortunately, the undead she¡¯d connected the tendrils to began to spasm and smoke and were burnt black by the time she touched down so she didn¡¯t have to deal with them.

    ¡°Hey, no fair!¡± she heard Cleo yell before she leapt after her and smashed into the ground in a crouch. The undead began to make their way over towards her but before she could attack Cleo interrupted by yelling; ¡°Get back! She is mine! Give me what you promised girl, or I¡¯ll tell everyone what you did here when I get out! Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t!¡±

    After a moment of unease, in which Natravi prepared to take on the incoming undead, the corpses let up and moved away. They created a clear circle for them to fight in while focusing on the men now holding their final stand atop the slope.

    ¡°THIS IS IT BOYS!!!¡± A voice boomed from the slope which she suspected belonged to Strompf. ¡°YOU M**HERF*C**RS BETTER NOT THINK O¡¯ RUNNIN¡¯ ¡®CAUSE I¡¯LL KILL YA MYSELF IF YA DO! LET THE MONSTER COME! WE¡¯RE YIKENSMEN, THE WORTHY GUARDIANS OF ANSDROVEA. HOOOAAAH¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°HOOAAH¡±¡±¡±

    ¡°Ow, owe~¡± Cleo winced as she touched her ears, ¡°They¡¯re so loud~, but cute that they think they can survive this.¡± Cleo gave her Cheshire smile. ¡°Now that we won¡¯t be interrupted, I. Can¡¯t. Wai~t. To ki~ll you~. Hahahaha.¡±

    While the orange haired woman was occupied Natravi carefully brought down her dagger and cut a long slit at the side of her robes, freeing her movements. However, what she missed was that Cleo had seen her distracted.

    *Clang*

    Natravi jumped back and brought out the knife to block Cleo¡¯s cross-strike. But her the orange haired vixen wasn¡¯t done yet; she followed up with a kick placed at base of her sword. Knowing that the steel was useless against her armor Natravi quickly spun around to barely avoid the attack. She jumped back, being careful to avoid getting swept into the rushing undead behind her, to create some distance between them to be able to read the flow.

    ¡°You ca~n¡¯t,¡± Cleo said, noticing her actions. She closed the distance by leaping towards her and midfight swung her sword at her neck. Natravi paid it no heed, instead, focusing on finishing the words. When her sword met her dagger Natravi whispered;

    ¡°[Parva Fulgur]¡±

    Tendrils of purple lightening began to move up from where she¡¯d gripped the dagger, imbuing the blade with an orange hue, latching onto Cleo¡¯s sword. It took less than a breath for the tendrils to spread across to Cleo¡¯s armor. She immediately fell and began writhing in pain, hacking and spasming like a fish out of water. Natravi used this opportunity to descend onto her for a stab at her neck, the only part exposed.

    However, Cleo suddenly curled to the side, barely dodging her stab. The dagger easily dug into the ground and lost its orange hue as smoke arose from it. Before Natravi could yank it out, Cleo grabbed her hand and stared up at her with her most cat-like smile, causing a shiver to run down her spine.

    ¡°GET BACK,¡± her uncle¡¯s voice shook her out of her shock. She pulled back, narrowly dodging the kick aimed for her head, however; she was still struck across the cheek, with such force that she was thrown back several feet.

    ¡°Awwe, what¡¯s wro~ng Vi~?¡± Cleo sang as she stood up. Natravi looked up and saw her armor move like to fluid, to cover her face, till it solidified into a helmet. Her armor lost its metallic black shine and was soon replaced by light grey. ¡°Was I really that good? I dabble in the arts from time to time.¡±

    Natravi pushed herself and climbed up to her feet, ignoring the flames of pain that emanated from her bruises. Giving her cheek a slight touch she hissed. Something was broken and like before none of it showed outside.

    She wiped the sweat out of her eyes and looked around for a weapon. That was when she found herself in the worst possible predicament: she was out of reach of anything proper, she had enough strength to use the flow two more times but without a proper medium she would only end up hurting herself, and she needed the blade to conduct her spells because using her hands would mean permanently damaging her fingers so she couldn¡¯t use the weapons, laying just out of reach, afterwards. She knew Cleo would kill her before she even reaches one.

    ¡°Suka Blyat!¡±

    Natravi whipped her head to the top of the cliff and saw Drac struggling with something atop him by the cliff¡¯s edge. The creature looked to be a black version of the monster she¡¯d seen near the mausoleum.

    ¡°Oh ma~n,¡± Cleo said looking at where she was staring.

    ¡®This is it,¡¯ she thought.

    ¡°She¡¯s gonna be done before m-¡±

    Natravi used this chance to run at Cleo. On her way she grabbed a rock lying around and aimed for her hand. If she could steal her sword Natravi could have an even footing in their battle. She needed to get that sword. However, as if expecting her, Cleo turned around and smiled, settling in a stance to strike.

    ¡®You¡¯re not the only one expecting this,¡¯ Natravi held out her palm and whispered the prepared flow; ¡°[Caecae Lux]¡±.

    A quick flash. An instantaneous moment of bright light, leaving no mark but the circle of red on Natravi¡¯s palm, gave her the opportunity she was looking for. She swung at her arm and the rock crumbled upon impact. Cleo¡¯s hand trembled with the hit, but she did not let go.

    She pulled back and before Natravi could react, caught her squarely on the chest, knocking her on her back.

    ¡°Agh-¡± she spat. The spray of blood fell back on her face and she knew she¡¯d lost. Her wound had reopened and from the pain she was sure some more ribs had broken too. Natravi felt the vibrations of the undead subside until only the sound of her footsteps remained. Soon Cleo¡¯s face came into view. She¡¯d expected her to be beaming with happiness, at winning, but she could only see disappointment and soon her face was replaced with her uncle¡¯s.

    ¡°Is that it,¡± she said with his face. ¡°This is where you get up and tell me that this wasn¡¯t all you had, right? ¡­Ugh, so disappointing. Bye~!¡±

    Cleo smiled, displaying all her teeth as she brought down the sword.

    ¡°YAAAAAAAH¡±

    A large approaching shadow drew their attention. The distraction was a welcome opportunity, she shouldn¡¯t have stolen a glance, but seeing her uncle impaled at in a monster¡¯s hand stop in her tracks.

    ¡°Get away from her!¡± he yelled. They fell out of her sight and raised a dust storm so large that it consumed her completely.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    ¡°Where am i?¡± she said to noone. Natravi looked at the unfamiliar sight before her, trying to get her bearings. One moment she was struggling on the cavern floor, surrounded by corpses, and the next: she¡¯s standing in what appeared to be an old stone bedroom, filled with roses.

    Her attention was immediately drawn to the woman sitting before her. Even though it was nighttime outside the fair-skinned woman continued to stare out, completely ignoring what she¡¯d asked.

    ¡°Excuse me, where am I?¡± She tried again. Something about the way the woman sat made her uneasy, all the signs were telling the pale skinned woman was dangerous. ¡®It¡¯s best to approach with caution.¡¯

    ¡°Oh. You are real?¡± The woman asked getting up. When she turned around she frowned. ¡°Or are you another abominable hallucination?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Natravi couldn¡¯t believe it. She looked just like her, almost to the point of being an exact copy. Only thing that was distinguishing them was that she was wood brown coloured, not fair white.

    ¡°Another hallucination, huh?¡± the woman said, suddenly losing interest. She turned back around and sat down to continue looking out the window.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m Natravi, who are you?¡±

    ¡°What does it matter? You¡¯re not real,¡± The woman said, uninterestedly. Natravi slowly turned towards the door behind her and cautiously turned the knob. It was best to leave, the woman didn¡¯t seem hostile and even if she looked like her she needed to get back. Her uncle needed her.

    The door creaked loudly as if it hadn¡¯t been used for a long time and suddenly Natravi found herself being pinned against the wall by the door by her dobbleganger. She tried to breaking away, surprised that she was completely healed from the wounds of the battle, but even her best efforts only gave her and inch.

    ¡°You are real, you wear my face but¡­you are real,¡± she spoke with wonder, a smile forming on her lips. Natravi dug her fingernail into her hand but it didn¡¯t even register on her face.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she managed to chock out.

    ¡°I have been stuck in this room for years. I want to see outside. I have a family that I have to check on and since your real and you¡¯re¡­here,¡± she gestured with her hands. ¡°I¡¯ll need your permission to leave¡­so would you please let me get out of here?¡± she was all smiles but her tightening hand didn¡¯t betray her intentions.

    ¡°Alright, you can go-¡± *Cough*

    She fell into a coughing fit as the woman released her.

    ¡°Thank you. I suggest you relive your memories; it¡¯ll pass the time.¡± she said. She walked out the door, making it disappear after her.

    ¡°No, no, no,¡± she threw herself against the wall. She tried scratching out the stones or finding any crack to get her fingers into but it was all to no avail. The image of her uncle, impaled through the stomach, kept flashing in her mind. She felt her legs shake and eventually give out.

    ¡­Natravi tried, she tried so hard to keep it in¡­but she couldn¡¯t. She had to let a tear out. She¡¯d never felt so defeated. She knew she was weak but she¡¯d worked hard to grow strong despite that. She¡¯d spent years trying to use her weaknesses to her advantages¡­and where did that lead her? Toyed by an opponent after two fights and completely decimated by a complete stranger. She hated herself, it was all her body¡¯s fault not her own. She was trapped and didn¡¯t know how to get out. So she did what she couldn¡¯t do in public, infront of her fianc¨¦ or uncle: she wept, finding no comfort in the closed walls laughing at her weakness.

 Chapter 33: Battle for Yikensworth-Part 4

    The towering man in ashen armor finally fell, his life struggling to keep hold on his body, under the monster. He was running on nothing but herbs and drugs, pushing his body to just get through that night, but now: he lay defeated. All of it wasn¡¯t good enough, for defeated he was; staring at the sockets of an old bull skull above him. He shouldn¡¯t have put his body through all the pain just to get back at a man long since dead because now he had to pay, pay with the realization that he wasn¡¯t good enough to protect his precious one until her wedding, an event she¡¯d discussed ever since that weakling proposed it.

    Natravi had spoke volumes of the matter but never wasted a breath on it. He knew her anticipation not from their words exchanged, which were rare, but from the cracks in her mask whenever the matter was discussed openly. She was happier in those times than he¡¯d seen her in a long time.

    ¡®I hope the fool heeded my words,¡¯ Drac thought. ¡®He¡¯ll have no choice but to if he wants to protect her. Fools; the both of them, just like her parents.¡¯

    Natravi was foolish enough to follow him when he waded into the dark waters, instead of staying in the bright island he¡¯d built for her. It annoyed him, even made him furious sometimes and now; finding himself so helpless against the monster atop him, he felt disappointed. At himself and her, they were better than this. He¡¯d survived deuls, battles, ambushes, wars and more but having Natravi in danger made him forgetful. She knew this yet still persisted to-

    ¡°[Sequi mandata mea] Impale him.¡± The little girl said, and before he understood what was happening he was screaming in pain, as the monster followed her commands.

    ¡°AHHHHH-gblugh¡± Drac spat blood. It sprayed out and painted flecks on the skull. The girl came back into his view; her face obscured by the darkness but her voice never more clear. She knelt beside his head and spoke;

    ¡°She killed my father,¡± she said in a mournful voice he knew all too well. ¡°This wasn¡¯t supposed to turn out like this. We were supposed to leave together once Yikensworth was destroyed. We were supposed to be together after this, no guards, no duties, no fake mothers. But she ruined everything.¡±

    ¡®She¡¯s Willaims¡¯? She did this?¡¯

    ¡°Why?¡± he croaked out. That caught her attention as she suddenly whipped her head back to him.

    ¡°Because she loves you,¡± the girl knelt again. ¡°You mean as much to her as father did to me, so you will die and she will watch and suffer like me.¡±

    ¡°Why this?¡±

    She hesitated before answering; ¡°I wasn¡¯t good enough and he hated it.¡±

    ¡°My father loved putting on acts for the public,¡± she said. ¡°He showed everyone that he was a loving husband and father but the truth is; when you¡¯re a constant reminder of his greatest failure you were treated like one yourself; left alone and as far away from him as possible so he wouldn¡¯t have to see his mistakes. I wasn¡¯t good enough and I wanted to change that. This halo was one way to do it.¡±

    It was then that Drac realized that the little girl had indeed worn a simple hoop of metal around her head; a halo.

    ¡°It showed me control over my abilities, and control over his mind. He was to create the monsters you see before you, he was to destroy his own city and become his own greatest failure. He would have been lost, and that was when I was to step forth and guide him, give him hope when he had none and finally earn my due the proper way.¡± She sighed. ¡°But now it doesn¡¯t matter. Your daughter and that know-it-all mercenary, Luvrit, deprived me of my precious moment. So, I will kill you and make her watch before I kill her and Luvrit.¡­.[Sequi mandata mea] Lift him.¡±

    The creature began to move Drac, using the claws he¡¯d been impaled with to lift him. Fortunately for him most of the force rested on the armor so it didn¡¯t hurt him as much as the stab had done.

    ¡°Any last words?¡±

    ¡°Kto¡­nauchil tebya kak nenavidet¡¯?¡± Drac felt the edge of the cliff with his feet and hoped he could still move them.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Suddenly he kicked the edge and pushed off, pulling the monster with him. Despite it¡¯s larger size it was a lot lighter than the previous one because of having been made with a black liquid instead of human limbs. Drac held onto its arms and tried twisting it below him. Now that he was on top he could see Natravi lying in defeat before an armored orange-haired woman.

    ¡°YAAAAAAA!¡± he yelled, hoping to crush the woman with the fall. He heard a ¡®thump¡¯, felt pain on his front, saw a dust cloud bloom around him and smelled copper before falling unconscious.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Natravi stood up amidst a cloud of dust and observed the scene around her. The hallows before her and the grimy mortals around her locked in combat, the heavy stench of blood, dust and corpses normally found at the gallows surrounding her, all confined in the misshapen hollow cavern almost made her flinch in disgust.

    ¡°Atleast It¡¯s something new,¡± she inhaled the putrid smell and smiled.

    Though the cave was dark, it did little to affect her perception. She¡¯d spent too long a time living in places this dark when the world was young, when it was nurturing itself, growing and evolving. She lightly dusted herself, feeling the smooth skin instead of just remembering it.

    ¡°Free at last,¡± she sighed.

    ¡°Wha-what the fuck?!¡± a shrill voice caught her attention. She slowly turned to look over her shoulder and saw a young girl with bright orange hair yelling at another girl atop the cliff. ¡°You were supposed to handle him!¡±

    ¡°Behind you, she¡¯s still standing!¡± another girl yelled. Natravi¡¯s lips quivered in a ghost of a smile as she watched the little girl twist around like a little cat, sporting an equally pleasing expression.

    ¡°How¡¯re you still standing? I cut you!¡± she shouted.

    ¡°Did you now?¡± Natravi said. She brought up her hand, the loose sleeve falling, to reveal her flawless skin. ¡°It seems you didn¡¯t cut well enough. However, if you had cut me before my awakening then you must have cut my vessel. I could thank you for finally pushing her into that place¡­but I can¡¯t overlook the slight against one of my descendants so easily.¡±

    ¡°What?!~¡± the girl sung. ¡°Did I knock something loose~? I¡¯m sworry~.¡±

    ¡°Tell me little girl; why have the hallowed been allowed to roam free?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Hallowed? Do you see any saints? Unless of course you¡¯re referring to me~.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, no matter I shall ask someone else after I do away with you,¡± Natravi said, taking a step towards her.

    ¡°You sure you want to do this? Again?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about child, but I assure you this will not be like before,¡± she said as she took another step, smirking at the sword the girl had pulled out. ¡°You may have fought and beaten my descendant but you have not fought me.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± the girl said as she took off running.

    ¡®Should I use the reality thread? No, it wouldn¡¯t be any fun. Oh, she¡¯s already here.¡¯

    Natravi sidestepped and the girl missed her by an inch from her nose. She sidestepped to her left and tapped on her outstretched elbow she¡¯d narrowly dodged. She sidestepped to the right and traced the sword as it thrust out to where she¡¯d previously been.

    ¡°This is rather fun; walking like this again,¡± she said before slapping the girl on her shoulder and causing her to fall. The orange haired girl flipped up and tried kicking her chin but Natravi merely pushed her leg higher and swiped at her other foot, causing her to fall over once more. ¡°What a beautiful piece of magic your armor is. Tell me who¡¯s its maker.¡±

    ¡°The same person who killed him,¡± the girl pounced at her. The girl¡¯s expression turned victorious as her sword pierced the robes but when she felt it prick her skin Natravi; picked out a thread, recited its contents from memory and pushed the girl away with a jerk of her body, all in a matter of half a breath, before moving to inspect the damage to her robes. There was a small cut that tore all through her layers, and if she stretched one could see all the way to her stomach.

    ¡®How barbaric,¡¯ she thought. She looked up at the young girl, who was sent through the hallows and trapped in the base of the cliff in an indent made by her own armor. ¡®Who was she referring to?¡¯

    ¡°¡­him?¡± Natravi looked at the strange form a few steps away from her and frowned. She observed closer and realized that the creature was actually two creatures. An interestingly designed beast lay motionless before her, something she was so encapsulated in finding more about that she almost missed the armor she¡¯d been seeing outside her window for the past few decades. ¡°Are you her beloved?¡±

    ¡®Perhaps it was passed down the family¡¯ she thought, as she stepped closer to the armored man. ¡®She could¡¯ve given it to her husband since he was large enough to fit it. Are you dead, child?¡¯

    She slowly lifted the helm and peered in. Such was it¡¯s designed that unless it was titled in such a way, under the brightest of light, it could not be seen. So only after using another thread for her eyes was she able to learn something by peering in. He was, surprisingly, of different race than her vessel. He had a broad, thin face: most of which was hidden beneath a large black beard. He had a sunken eye, probably due to a loss of it, a few small scars that looked like stretch marks below his high cheeckbones and an arched nose that complimented his other facial features.

    ¡°Her father certainly chose poorly,¡± she said. ¡°So old, she¡¯ll be a widow before long... Hmmm, he does look familiar.¡±

    ¡®Incest? He looks a lot like Ivan, albiet bigger.¡¯ She thought curiously. ¡®Normally I¡¯d let fate have its way but considering she¡¯s the last of my line with him I¡¯ll have to interfere until I can produce an heir. So, who is foolish enough to go against my line? Who dares-Hmm, they seem to be too busy fighting for their lives to listen to me; I¡¯ll have to fix that. I haven¡¯t tried this in a while.¡¯

    Her wood coloured skin faded into a faireness that bordered on chalkwhite. Next came the red lines, spreading out from over her heart and running all over from her head to her toes, creating braid-like patterns.

    With her transformation complete she turned towards the ongoing battle. Their attention was too focused on survival to even notice her change. She observed the threads of the flow, particularly the different shades of red and white her altercation allowed her to see, and chose words carefully. She raised her hands and whispered;

    [Apponere vita: Libertatem et Imperium]

    She felt the usual pain of creating pure forms of energy from her body but kept it from escaping her lips. Tendrils of red shade began to slowly spread out of her fingertips. They swayed and separated into more and more tendrils until there was one for each hallow and mortal. By the time the humans or the hallows became aware of her it was already too late. Each tendril connected to the necks of the creatures, bending them to her will.

    ¡°Oh shit! Men, retreat!¡± Someone yelled. Glancing over she saw someone lead some mortals away from her and up the slope in a pathetic attempt at escape. With an almost indescernable frown she sent her first thought to the army before her.

    ¡°Stop them.¡±

    The men closest to them broke out, abandoning their weapons and running away with reckless abandon. In a few minutes her subjects tackled the runners and subdued them with ease. They wriggled like fish out of water but her subjects kept their hold.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it simple; who did this to him?¡± She spoke through her amplified voice. By the nod of her head she lifted him and the creature into the air- ¡®[Lux]¡¯-with light illuminating them from the side. She waited a minute and when none came forth she lifted her middle finger, causing the men attached to that finger to struggle with air. They were slowly lifted up as they fought against their hanging.

    ¡°Anyone?¡±

    ¡°Its them!¡± that person furthest on the slope yelled. ¡°It was the undead!¡±

    ¡®He must mean the hallows,¡¯ she thought. ¡®Now where is their master?¡¯

    ¡°Behind you!¡± some of the men yelled as if reading her thoughts.

    She turned around and was surprised to see a sword sailing towards her. She let go of the armored man, letting him fall on the hallows to be used as a cushion, and with a flick of her head stopped the sword before it could pierce her head. She pursed her lips and lightly blew on the metal-[Repellunt]-causing it to fly back where it came from with twice as much speed. It struck the tip of the cliff and created a crater.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    She waited a minute before another sword was thrown her way. This one was spinning on its axis, almost like an arrow, and had strings of blue flames trailing in the air as it travelled. She prepared another breath, this one a lot deeper than before, and blew it all. Instantaneously, the sword flew back: disappearing behind the edge of the crater.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± the shrill shriek of the girl brought a small smile to her lips. She suddenly felt a strong pull to her being coming from atop the cliff. She closed her eyes and focused on the pull. ¡®Come to me, come to me¡­.¡¯ She repeated multiple times until she felt the pull weaken to almost nothing. Opening her eyes, she saw a silver halo the size of a girl¡¯s head.

    She whipped her hand, sending the motion along the red tendrils and causing the men and hallows attached to her five fingers to suddenly lose their heads. While they played headless chicken with eachother she reached up and grasped the halo.

    ¡°Ah,¡± a moan escaped her lips as a shiver ran down her spine. The sensation was so¡­pleasing that she didn¡¯t think until her lips were pressed against the silver, giving it a kiss. She pulled back and held the halo against the head.

    ¡®Must be one of his creations to make me feel like this. I wonder where he is?¡¯

    ¡°Natravi?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re awake, good,¡± she responded with delight. ¡®No, that isn¡¯t how she¡¯ll do it. Emotionless, arrogant¡­am I missing something. Wait. That isn¡¯t a stranger shes talking to, that¡¯s her husband. How would she be with her husband? Subserviant, huh? Interesting attitude for somone who thinks she¡¯s better than everyone else.¡¯

    ¡°Please sit still Drac, I¡¯ll let the hallows take you down,¡± she said. ¡°Take him down, don¡¯t let him die.¡±

    They moved slowly and carefully, pulling the claws out as the man cried in pain. They supported him as he stood and caught him when he fell. She let them sit him down before continuing.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright now, Drac. I took care of their master, they obey me now.¡±

    ¡°Did-ugh, did you¡­kill her?¡± he croaked.

    ¡°Her¡­yes, I think I did.¡± She frowned at Drac¡¯s posture; his head hung low, his shoulders were drooped and he slowly shook his head. No matter how small those movements were, she knew disappointment when she saw it. ¡°I even got a spoil of victory.¡±

    She lifted the halo before him and narrowed her eyes in scrutiny. She knew the girl, Natravi, held deep love and respect for the man so was caught quite off guard when he suddenly shifted from hidden disappointment to outright anger. Although he was bleeding and badly beaten his posture was a threatening one, not what she was expecting of a loving husband.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you proud? We can finally leave-¡±

    ¡°Ugh, argh-fuck you bitch-Hmmmm,¡± their attention was caught by someone struggling under a hallow who was now muffling his screams.

    ¡°Drac, we can finally leave and no-one¡¯s going to stop us,¡± she explained, getting down on her knees to come at his level. ¡°I¡¯ll let the¡­undead stay here after we¡¯re gone so the rest of the men don¡¯t have to worry about fighting them anymore. I can control them Drac¡­why don¡¯t you trust me?¡±

    ¡°¡­Haven¡¯t you noticed?¡± He wheezed out. ¡°We¡¯ve been talking in Ruvski-tongue, I never taught you that.¡±

    ¡°Well of course you have, don¡¯t you remember?¡± she stared with worry. Although she put up an innocent front she was absolutely furious inside. How did she miss something so important? She was still speaking in Ivan¡¯s tongue and didn¡¯t know where she was to change. He was dangerous, it was regrettable but, she will have to-

    ¡°Another thing,¡± he gasped out. ¡°You didn¡¯t change back. You still have your marks.¡±

    She frowned and jumped back, expecting an attack. It seemed she¡¯d judged correctly for she saw Drac suddenly jump from his place and close the distance between them. He had no weapons to kill her with but considering her vessels weak constitution she had not doubts that his weight would be enough. She didn¡¯t have another descendant that would suite her as a vessel anywhere close-by and only the creator knew how long it would be before she would have someone suitable. She didn¡¯t want to lose herself to the eons spent in the quiet place, as time was spent differently there, before she could feel a vessel call out.

    However, as fate would have it, Drac tripped over a rock and fell, merely slapping her chest back before falling incapacitated once more. She quickly directed the undead to press into him, pinning him down. Natravi raised an eyebrow at him as he continued struggling, even though, the most he could do was wiggle.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked coldly. When she didn¡¯t receive any response for a full minute she hummed disappointedly. ¡°Fine, take your secrets to the grave. I¡¯ll find them eventually when I resurrect you as a hallow.¡±

    ¡®I could read his mind but where¡¯s the fun in that? Now, how should I take care of him? It has to be fun and new, something I haven¡¯t tried in a long time.¡¯ While she went through her ideas, she was acutely aware of the struggling guard in the back but ignored it for later. ¡®He¡¯s so far it hardly matters what he gets up to.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided,¡± she clasped her hands together and looked at him expectantly. ¡°I¡¯ll melt you. It wouldn¡¯t take long; with your injuries a mere minute would do ¡®the trick¡¯.¡±

    She began to feel the itch in her palms as her pores released the acidic substance. The closer she got the less Drac began to struggle until she stood directly above a motionless Drac. That was when the defeated man began to cough violently. She paid it no mind and continued poring the substance over the neck part of his armor.

    ¡°Argh! How does it feel, hmmm?¡± he whispered. ¡°How does it feel to kill your own son?¡±

    ¡°I am not your mother, child,¡± she said, frowning deeply.

    ¡°So Ivan Izmennik wasn¡¯t your husband?¡± Drac continued to laugh.

    ¡°How do you know that name? Who are you?¡± she said, gaining a scary look on her face as she dismissed the acid in her hands.

    ¡°How can a mother not recognize the face of her son; Dracovich Izmennik and your granddaughter, Serafima¡¯s child?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± she said. She thought the man was lying, but the conviction in his voice left no room for doubt. Whatever cracks appeared in his story were quickly mended over because of her actions. No one should¡¯ve known who she was; everyone who knew was dead, for she made sure of that. So lost in thought was she, that it wasn¡¯t until the arrow was half an inch away did she realize what was happening. But by then, it was too late.

    The arrow struck, just two inches off from the center of her heart. She cried in pain as she was knocked back from the force. She felt her consciousness fading. She desperately tried to hang on but the knock on the back of her head from her fall made her lose her grip. The last thing she heard was someone shouting ¡®you-beautiful-whoreson,¡¯ before she fell back into her bedroom inside the white space. However, one thought kept replaying in her head and she held onto it tightly.

    ¡®Dracovich, Dracovich...My child is alive.¡¯

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    Luvrit couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. He suspected it was still due to his mind playing tricks on him from when he was awoken by the screams¡­or rather just a scream because it was only one person who was screaming bloody murder.

    ¡®How did he ever get into Karl¡¯s post?¡¯ He thought. He winced as a headache claimed his mind. He tried moving his hands he was once again reminded that in Drac¡¯s infinite wisdom he forgot to pull his arm from behind his back. It hurt; stung pins and needles into that limb, but the headache was worse.

    He didn¡¯t care that the undead were right there. In his state; death seemed like an easier option.

    ¡®Heh, a day ago you wouldn¡¯t catch dead me saying that, now¡­fuck¡¯ he reeled in his lips to suppress the sounds of pain. He didn¡¯t think his headache could get worse, but with the help of his stomach injury it was very possible.

    Luvrit tried to keep his eyes open as he watched the events unfold before him. Everything was a lot quieter now that white Natravi had made her intention known. He waited with baited breath as he saw her rise up slightly and throw the swords back towards the cliff. There was no doubt in his mind that one of those were his. He was impressed by the blatant display of power, much like how he was when under the subtle effect of being infactuated by her but since he wasn¡¯t as feeble minded as the rest he retained his power over himself. He was more interested in finding out who she was batteling. He¡¯d assumed that it was the person responsible for this massacre.

    ¡®And by all the gods am I going to watch him die,¡¯ he vowed. However, he was not prepared to find out as when the shrill scream of a young girl, Lidia, rang out. He was left staring wide-eyes, open mouth and headache forgotten.

    ¡®How is this possible? She was supposed to be taken away¡­She did this?! That bitch!¡¯

    Fortunately, his thoughts were interrupted, from going down a more colourful scheme of words to describe his anger, by that screaming archer who was now wrestling with an undead. Surprisingly, his actions didn¡¯t draw too much attention.

    He saw the man finally knock the head clean off the undead and watched in fascination as the body continued to writhe in place. Meanwhile, the archer stood up and aimed his bow and arrow at the white Natravi before knocking it loose. Luvrit watched the arrow sail off into the distance, losing it in the darkness before he heard the shout that caused shivers to run up his spine. The involuntary function, born from fear of those spider-like women he¡¯d seen on his way, caused his arm to finally be set free.

    He continued watching as everyone suddenly gasped and stood up. Strompf made his shouts, the idiot always had a knack for inducing headaches, before the rest realized their situation and began cutting off the last remaining undead.

    They were doing it. It seemed almost hopeless a few minutes ago but the men, rejuvenated with newfound morale, took arms and diced the undead, sliced their throats and stabbed their heart. They had hope, right before the bitch decided to throw her tantrum.

    ¡°I will not fail!¡± she yelled so loudly that even he could hear it from where he sat, lodged in rocks.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Strompf shouted. Luvrit tried speaking out but his chest hurt too much to form any proper words. Instead, he stayed mute and watched the archer, Gale he thought, knock back another arrow. It sailed and disappeared into the darkness.

    ¡°RRRaaaauuuu,¡± twin growls erupted from where the cliff was. Luvrit knew that growl all too well, it was the same as when he¡¯d encountered the creature atop the mousaleum.

    ¡°Gale, what have you done?¡± Strompf said.

    ¡®Probably killed that self-centered bitch!¡¯ Luvrit thought vindictively. ¡®Run you fools, run!¡¯

    As if he could hear him, Strompf repeated his words to his remaining men and saw them run.

    In hopes to dislodge the few stones on him he tried wriggling, but after a minute he finally gave up. He knew the rocks weren¡¯t that heavy but his limbs hurt too much to do anything. He looked at the men as they made their way out and tried calling out, but his voice was drowned out by the stomping of heavy feet.

    ¡°Karl! Come on sir, I¡¯ve got you.¡± Strompf said as he picked up, what Luvrit thought was Karl.

    ¡°Wait, hold on Strompf,¡± he said gruffly. ¡°Go grab the girl, she¡¯ll be useful.¡±

    ¡°But sir, she¡¯s a demon. Didn¡¯t you see her command the undead as her own, calling them her ¡®hallows¡¯.¡±

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe they can¡¯t hear me!¡¯ Luvrit thought, frustrated. He was wriggling as much as he could and when he tried to speak Karl voiced over him, almost as if the warden knew he was there. ¡®Down here! Warden!¡¯

    ¡°She¡¯s powerful. Her-her uncle; Drac, I know what kind of man he is. She seems to follow his ideals,¡± he gulped as he explained further. ¡°And if I¡¯m right about this and we save her life she¡¯ll do anything for us. We can gain a very powerful ally with this.¡±

    ¡°But sir, she¡¯ll kill us if she wakes-¡±

    ¡°I know how to deal with flow-readers, you leave her to me and get her,¡± Karl began coughing. ¡°Go, just go!¡±

    Without so much as a glance in his direction Strompf took off running towards the end of the slope. He yelled and some people to join him as they disappeared into the darkness.

    ¡°Funny thing, isn¡¯t it?¡± Karl said, suddenly very calm. He turned towards him and looked at him from beyond the rocks. ¡°Me and old William always tried to out-do each other. He got soldiers loyal, only to him, while I got the guards. He got enforcers, well so did I. He, however, won in having an heir, while I¡¯m still far behind. But the ironic thing is, the only victory he had over me as adults is actually the main reason why he lost it all. But I still have my guards and my enforcers so I say I won in the end. Say hello to your master down there and tell him; the game was never getting the important parts in life, it was simply surviving. Think you can do that for me? Blond-dog.¡±

    ¡°Fucker,¡± Luvrit barely croaked out. He tried pushing away the rocks but after a few fell off the strength suddenly left him, and he was exhausted again.

    ¡°Goodbye,¡± Karl smirked. He wiped away the blood coming from his head and disappeared from sight.

    ¡®Goddamit! Somebody!¡¯ Luvrit¡¯s arms hurt and it only made him shed more tears as he tried forcing his hands up to signal anyone. But everyone had already left, leaving the undead and the last group carrying Drac and Natravi towards him. ¡®This is my last chance, god if I don¡¯t make it out of here¡­fuck you. I gave my everything following your words, sure I wasn¡¯t always true on the dot but I did what I could with what I was given. If you think anything of me, even anything bad; just look out for my family. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to Peter and Fliss. Please.¡¯

    With the last of his thoughts concluded Luvrit stared at the growing figure of Strompf and his men battling their way through the undead. Behind them, he could distinctly hear the sounds of beasts bounding towards them.

    Fortunately, the undead were quickly plowed through and the group continued on. Luvrit frowned when he saw Drac being dragged like a rag doll while holding, the now brown, Natravi in one hand and his sword in another. The men were too busy dragging those two than focus on him, hidden behind the rock. For what seemed like the umpteenth time Luvrit cursed Drac for hiding him so well. Fortunately, the begining of the steps weren¡¯t far away so he decided that when they were close enough he would grab onto Drac¡¯s armor or stuff his hand in one of its openings so tha even if his hand if forever lost, he would at least live.

    Luvrit waited, once again, with baited breath until he saw them walk up the stairs. It was then he used whatever strength he could and thrust his hands out into the wedges of Drac¡¯s armored legs. While he laid there he waited with fear gripping his heart; if they didn¡¯t move, if hey didn¡¯t live him up they would die because the beasts were very close now. One of them was even approaching the end of the slope.

    In those painfully, excruciatingly slow seconds every possible scenario went throught Luvrit¡¯s head; decapitation, mauling, stabbing, impalement, defilement and being left behind. However, his worries were for naught as he felt himself being lifted up.

    The pain, the pain of his hand being bent in an unnatural way was too much to keep in. Luvrit whimpered, because that was all he could do with his strength; wriggle or whimper. Pathetic. But he kept his self-depreciation from evolving, it wouldn¡¯t do to suddenly find faults in his salvation. His prayers had been answered and god¡¯s answer was pretty obvious; ¡®I¡¯ll leave you to take care of your unfinished business.¡¯

    Luvrit sighed with relief when he felt arms hefted up before he was thrown down the stairs. He tumbled and rolled till he stopped by a pair of hands that wrapped around him, pulling him off the ground. He peeked through closed eye-lids and saw the spikes of three heads poke his face. Instinct overruled pain, and then fear overruled instinct. He kept his body from quivering under it¡¯s inspection. It turned him over, twisted him around before losing interest in a corpse and trekking towards those bastards. Luvrit kept his body limp and focused on his hearing as they disappeared out of sight. He could only imagine what was happening behind him.

    ¡°Raaaaauuuuu,¡± the creature growled as it began running up the stairs. The sudden cut-off of someone¡¯s scream told him that those who threw him had been taken care of. He didn¡¯t dare breathe but he nodded in contentment at having his brief vengeance sated. He imagined that the monster¡¯s white glistening skulls juxtaposing the dark environment as it bathed in blood and clawed at the entrance. It began by digging at the sides, trying to widen the tunnel so it could fit. However, there was another monster waiting for them.

    ¡°AAAH!¡± Drac yelled as he brought his hand up, lifting his sword, and thrust it into the creature¡¯s head. The beast flailed about, throwing itself at the entrance. It probably knocked off some rocks because the next sound was one of rocks falling and flattening bodies. The monsters fell atop one another and died together. Their shrill screams being cut short were all the evidence he hoped to believe in.

    The dust settled over the pile of undead. The darkeness settled back onto the piles of corpses. Now, the betrayal began to really settle on the only survivor left behind. Surrounded by the smell of death, piles and piles of bodies to see as far as his eyes could and suffering from festering threatening wounds Luvrit sighed in defeat. They¡¯d left him, knowing he was trying to survive just like them. Ironically, it was exactly those actions that prevented him from being ripped like them.

    ¡®They knew I was there and threw me off,¡¯ he thought. ¡®I guess god has other plans for me. I¡¯m fucking Luvrit Ade, come on. I should be able to get out of this. I am responsible for keeping the streets safe for all that dead shit¡¯s subjects. Even the criminals sentenced to unlawful death were given a second chance. So give me my chance god! I may be forgotten but I ain¡¯t dead yet!¡¯

    Luvrit struggled to turn around and by the time he gave up he was lying on his side. The sweat had begun seeping into his wounds burning them like alcohol. Atleast it gave him a chance to speak.

    ¡°Hello darkness, it seems you¡¯ve come to greet me again,¡± he said, no longer caring about the pain in his throat or his chest. He tried to embrace it, hoping that if he did it would lead him to the much sought after relief faster. ¡°My old friend.¡±

 Epilogue + Important Decision for the readers

    It wasn¡¯t a victorious moment. Not a single joyful face could be found amongst the masses as they filled the streets of their city, their home. They walked and cried at finding all they¡¯d amassed be nothing more than scrap. Now they were left to decide their futures; to salvage what was left and rebuild or leave the ¡®dreadful border¡¯. How predictable.

    Years he¡¯d spent watching Willaim mold and weld the city in blood and backroom deals to create his little paradise. The masses loved him. he was always so sure of his power. ¡®Nothing will happen in here unless I deem it so and no external force will be able to take this power away from me¡¯ he used to say. How true that was; for it was not their enemies but his own blood that took it away.

    ¡®You deserved this.¡¯

    If not for him, that snobby ungrateful kid he¡¯d grown up on the battlefield with would¡¯ve died at the battle of The Caeper Plains. And how was he repaid? By sparing his life and caging it in a jail cell under his supervision. That wasn¡¯t living, that was carrying out your sentence, something that didn¡¯t happen to a spared man. He¡¯d pleaded, oh how he¡¯d pleaded for another chance. But the masses and his once upon friend turned him away. It was around that time, lost in his darker times that he¡¯d vowed to make them pay. Exploiting the loopholes of Willaim''s revolutionary laws for ¡®social justice¡¯ was as simple as eating giant gecko meat. In the newer generation of weaker men, his old ways painted him as the boogeyman, something he embraced with open arms if it meant living in the truth. So, he became the boogeyman for the people of Yikensworth. He was feared and scorned by the masses. He held power over them, but back then it wasn¡¯t enough. He needed them to pay.

    Now, seeing the women and children cry, over the corpses, they¡¯d only moments before were running from, brought an irresistible smirk to his lip. Yes, this was enough. Now they¡¯d paid for their betrayal all those years ago. If they¡¯d stood with him, seen the duke for what he truly was; things wouldn¡¯t have to turn into this bloody mess. But they didn¡¯t listen. They only saw the good in the daffodil flower he offered, never realizing that the hand offering it was still Ruben¡¯s, except now it was gloved.

    ¡®Changes to society is an urgent calling that we all must adhere to, if you don¡¯t get on the chariot with us you¡¯ll be left behind.¡¯ In the end, the woman who told him that died by the same hands she once supported. She was blind, just like the rest of them.

    Fortunately, her child wasn¡¯t. It was a momentous day when he saw William¡¯s own; admit to his wrongdoings and offer her help. She was the first of her family to finally see his way. Lydia knew who her father truly was, what he really did behind that mask and wanted to stop him or at least that¡¯s what she claimed. Going by her plan though, he wasn¡¯t so sure. But she guaranteed his revenge while he guaranteed her protection from that baron uncle of hers when it would all come to fruition. However, thanks to the demons they¡¯d captured, not only did he get his revenge but he also didn¡¯t have to go against that conniving baron uncle of hers.

    But nothing was ever easy; the two demons in their embrace were discovered by Mina who¡¯d been waiting for them by the wall. He¡¯d hoped that he would be able to keep her distracted but he did not love a simpleton. She¡¯d quickly found them being escorted to the dungeons and despite his explanations of all that had happened; from the demons revealing their true nature to the deaths they¡¯d caused he was only able to dissuade her from taking Drac, thinking him a bigger threat. Little did she know that it was the woman who was the true demon.

    He could¡¯ve stuck his ground and forced his demands to be met but the repercussions would take much longer than he cared to waste his energy on. It was just simpler to agree and change his plans from thereon.

    Just by looking at Drac¡¯s injuries he knew that the armored man did not have long. He¡¯d have to use Natravi instead, but a flowreader was a dangerous person in closed quarters. Provided they were powerful enough, one misstep in their reading could create explosions big enough to destroy everyone in his keep, and from what he''d seen, Natravi was strong enough to do so. But her biggest strength was her eventual downfall for she had him as an enemy, and he¡¯d dealt with powerful flowreaders just like her at the Caeper plains. He¡¯d felt content taking care of her, knowing that his beloved wouldn¡¯t be put in harm''s way thanks to the tongue he¡¯d collected in his pocket.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have time to take care of the other one so he could only hope that Strompf was doing as well a job as him. The hopeless and hapless victims of the chaos needed someone to lead them and with the duchess gone mad in her castle; they needed him. He was still serving, even after all that he¡¯d done, but at least it was under his terms. Under his terms, he was free.

    ¡°Hopefully that bastard¡¯s bastard son is dead too. Don¡¯t need another bratty kid to come claiming ownership of the fiefdom.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    She wanted him tied in ropes, hanging from a ceiling, and at her mercy. She wanted that man at her mercy, but she had to act meticulously. It wasn¡¯t something she could go at with passion and fury. There were too many other objectives she had to complete before she could get her desires, and the wait for it would make it even more satisfying.

    Her father wasn¡¯t faring too well with the city nobles. Though his authority was unquestionable; his popularity had started dwindling as of late. So she knew that if she proposed a chance at defeating the city that was the cause of the people¡¯s lost hope he would give her permission with his support. Her fear; however, was whether he would give her his full support. Though she loved him she knew that her father could be very¡­passionate at times, like at the annual Domerburg rallies where he would actually froth at the mouth when delivering his speeches. She feared that his passion would lead to the relocation of all their forces towards the west for only one city, leaving the rest of the nation unprotected.

    Other than the invasion, she needed to take care of all the undead that would be a hindrance in taking over the city while also kidnaping the duke¡¯s family for leverage. If she knew that pampered king as well as she thought, he would pay whatever he could to take them back, claiming they were his treasured citizens, just like all of the rest. Oh, how chivalrous of him. The only reason he would take them would be for the hope that one day one of them would produce and an heir that would be as strong as William.

    While she waited in her carriage for her father¡¯s message she listed her objectives once again before smiling contently. Soon, a horse was heard galloping towards her carriage. Soon her bodyguards face bowed in through the ¨®pen window and spoke in hushed a tone, confirming her suspicions. The hunters were already sent after the abominable mercenary, she had received her father¡¯s support, she was ready and 1500 men stronger.

    ¡°Victory to my father.¡±

    ¡°Victory to the F¨¹hrer.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    It was dormant. It had been dormant ever since the Traveller had breathed his last. So when it awoke after half a century of inactivity it caused quite a bit of stir.

    Previously its students had been living in peace, secluded in the valley and hidden behind mountains on all sides. The elders spoke of the Traveller as a prophet and continued its teachings through their lessons, on the world of science. The Traveller had spoken of a world under threat of creatures made of wood and flesh. A time so far into the future that their grandchildrens'' grandchildren would still be dead from old age. But it was their time in which a war like no other was meant to birth these creatures that the Traveller faced. Due to its body no longer capable to hold its magnificence, the Traveller created a host.

    Deep under the surface; inside a room where no sound echoed twice, or any light reflected off the surface, the Traveller built its host. Etched with intricate designs and weird symbols, the Traveller''s body hung undisturbed until the earthquake happened.

    On the night when the sky turned white, a large earthquake trembled the earth and awoke the Traveller.

    Now, the men and women of the village go deep underground to hold council. Many went and many returned, but all wore the same face. An expression of hopelessness that eventually morphs into stone and metal-like features. A warning of what was being discussed.

    The ball was dormant and had remained such for a long time. But now it was alive and that meant that the war to consume all, the war that would birth these creatures they were facing was approaching. The adults were scared, living in peace for such a long time had made them accustomed to it, but not the elders. The elders had seen what was life like before the prophet, they had fought alongside it in many wars and won many times to create the haven they all lived in now. So, under their guidance and by the power of the Traveller; the children of New Earth were tasked with bringing the chosen to their home.

    The task was not easily accepted, but no one dared go against the Traveller''s words. So, here they stood at the cusp of the mountain that separated them from the rest of the world when the light of dawn was breaking over the mountains, and prayed:

    ¡°May the All-Mighty save us all¡±