A/N: And here's the second chapter for this week. If you enjoyed it, please review! Even a "that's cool" or "awesome" is welcomed.
Enjoy,
Orangepotato and Emil Lime
Chapter by Emil Lime
Kratos Aurion: Chosen Project (Tethe'alla), Status-Incomplete
He was still shaking.
Scolding himself inwardly and forcing calm over his mind, he re-evaluated the attack they'd just gone through. First the priest's betrayed them-the first time that'd ever happened on a Regeneration Journey-and after that the renegades came.
No, that wasn't right. They weren't renegades. They were desians, actual desians. Kratos could tell by the armor and the way they fought. He'd given countless training sessions to the desian soldiers, watched them learn the proper way to fight.
And in that battle, he'd seen almost every one of those technics used.
But why? The desians worked with Cruxis and were only used as intimidation for the Chosen and the rest of the world. There only purpose was to help the parasitic process of the Cruxis crystal the Chosen wore, aside from creating and distributing Exspheres.
So why had actual desians attacked the temple, dead set on killing the Chosen?
His musing was stopped when he heard an annoyed groan behind him. Barely turning his head, he peered back to see who had given it.
Granit eyes glared back at him. So it was the brother, he thought. Figures.
Kratos was getting the very distinct feeling Holtz Capella hated him. It wasn't like it was the first time Kratos had been hated by anyone in the Regeneration party, but this seemed far more intense than the average run-of-the-mill 'I hate you because you're stronger than me'.
Another sigh from the boy and Kratos stopped and turned, looking at him squarely. He forced down the shaking even more before speaking, "Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Capella?"
"Mister? What am I, forty?"
"Fine, Holtz." How Kratos hated using informal titles. As he'd learned, it was a sure sign you'd start to get attached. Rule one of journeying, never use a first name. Regardless, he'd been painted into this corner many times, "Is there something I can help you with?"
Holtz crossed his arms, tilting his head to the side like he was about to say something exceedingly sassy, "Where are we going anyway?"
Ilene popped in, her voice light against the coarse nature of her brother's, "The angel said we we're to head to 'the mountainous regions where shadows lead the way to unpaved land'". She pointed outwards before smiling at the younger sibling, "Sorry I forgot to mention that to you."
Holtz glanced between Kratos and Ilene before settling with a shrug, "Don't apologize, sis. My other question is, just what makes him qualified to help you?" Accusation hung heavily in Holtz' voice but Kratos paid it little heed.
"I am simply a mercenary who was hired to protect the Chosen. I suppose I am as qualified as anyone else in my field."
"You mean the field of ruffians and scoundrels, right?"
"Whatever you wish to call us, but do remember that if it wasn't for those 'ruffians' and 'scoundrels', you would be making this journey armed with a dull sword and a few arrows." He turned and continued walking, feeling he'd made his point.
He could hear Holtz give off a low scowl before he and his sister continued walking. To Kratos, the Chosen was tolerable, being well-mannered and polite. Her brother, however, was a different story entirely.
This was going to be a long journey.
As they progressed through the open fields, occasionally attacking wild monsters that ventured too close, the party reached their first real problem, the Foogi Mountains. The vast range spanned the entire continent, their high peaks scrapping the bottoms of clouds and casting a heavy shadow on them all. They were a great beast one did not simply scramble over. It took days, even weeks to get over them and, from Kratos' experience, those who were weak always died here.
He'd watched as elderly and small children fell to their deaths upon the steep and unstable foundation. He'd even seen a Chosen or two be crushed under rubble, before they could even begin regenerating the world.
These mountains held the graves of many travelers.
Looking back at the Chosen and her brother, the two seemed paler than before. Although he hadn't reviewed the information on Ilene, he knew enough about her from what he'd been reported to know she and her brother hadn't been outside of Meltokio all that much. This was probably their first time seeing a mountain range as intimidating as this one.
"I've travelled these paths before. It is important that we watch our footing and remain vigilant.
Strong monsters live in the higher parts as well."
Holtz gulped down his fear, "These stupid mountains don't scare me. They're just a bunch of rocks piled on top of each other…right, sis?" There was a tentative glance at his sister before she nodded with more conviction than she probably had.
"Right. We'll be over them before we know it."
Kratos really hoped so.
Securing his weapon, he started towards the dusty trail that would lead them to the other side. It was just as bad as he remembered, loose gravel toppling beneath every step, little pebbles dancing over the sides of the walkway when kicked from their unattached hold. It was narrow, big enough for the siblings to walk side by side and nothing more. Kratos, however, told them to walk single file, as the sides would give way under too much weight. Since they would be flirting with the edge of a ravine for the first part of their walk, he didn't want them standing next to each other. The last thing he needed was for this journey to end before it began.
It was slow progress, coming to a dug out camp area not to long before sundown. Wooden beams held up the rocky walls, crossing across themselves to keep it from caving in. The three settled themselves there, laying out blankets and pulling out dried foods to eat.
Kratos sat by himself, satisfied that his shaking had finally stopped once they'd began their slow climb up the mountain. Sitting at the entrance of the dug-in, he could hear the siblings talking quietly to each other, hatred rancid in Holtz' voice. No doubt he was talking about the mercenary.
Looking out at the stone wall before him, he could see the trail disappear from his vision at the bend before him. Holding back a sigh, he brought back the thoughts from earlier.
The desians.
He'd have to talk to Yggdrasill about it, though the next time an angel would be sent for a status report was anyone's guess. For now, he'd just have to call it a fluke. Desians had attacked his caravan before, mistaking it for a common pilgrimage. Just like any other group he'd encounter, Kratos would cut through them until one of their captains realized who they were fighting.
After that, they'd turn tail and run. That would be that. But this was different. He'd never been attacked while the Chosen was receiving the oracle. The Desians knew better than to attack any of the Chosen's sights.
It was a no-brainer that she'd be there, no room for error so why…
He tried to recall the names of all of the cardinals, a total of five. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall any of them. It wasn't his job to communicate with them, that was Yuan's. Yes, the auburn had met them, trained with them, explained things to them but remembering who they were among the sea of faces and names he'd gathered over these past 3000 and some odd years was nearly impossible. Not to mention, it was every couple hundred years that they got new cardinals.
Half-elves die fast, even to Kratos. Of course, being highly sought after and a main target for those brave enough to stand and fight didn't help either. Several over the years had been assassinated.
"Excuse me, Mr. Aurion."
It was Ilene who'd spoken up, causing Kratos to turn his head. "Yes?"
"Holtz and I were wondering, how long have you been working as a mercenary?" Rule two of journeying, never divulge personal information, not that this was personal since it wasn't true.
"About ten years now."
"Martel, how old are you?" The boyish nature in Holtz voice was really starting to grate on Kratos' nerves. He'd dealt with immature, but this was an all-new level.
"I started working as a mercenary at the age of 18. I didn't see any other profession I could work in that would make as much money. So, being good at fighting, I decided it was the appropriate path to take." Feeling like he'd said enough, he was about to turn back around when Holtz snapped at him.
"You're 28! That's so damn old! Hey geezer, you sure you can make it up this mountain without a walker?" Ilene shot Holtz a glare, the same kind of glare he'd seen Martel give Mithos when he was being rude to their human traveler.
"I'll be fine. Thank you for your concern."
"You son of a-"
"Holtz." A stern look was on the redheaded girls' face, "Show Mr. Aurion some appreciation. He doesn't have to escort me. He could get up and leave."
"Then why doesn't he? I can protect you far better than he can." So it was about him being stronger that Holtz didn't like. No. That still seemed to shallow for the level of hatred that Holtz carried in his eyes. There had to be something else.
Ilene gave a long, tired sigh, "Holtz, I know you can protect me but this journey is very dangerous. I need all the help I can get. You and I alone won't be able to fight off everything, just look at the desians who attacked us earlier."
It was odd not having to mentally correct them with the word renegade.
Eyes downcast, Holtz said, "I know but…I don't trust him."
"It's not about trust, brother," she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, "It's about surviving."
Kratos couldn't have put it more poetically himself. This had never been a game of trust, it had always been about releasing the seals and regenerating the world. There was never a time that he felt the Chosen he was escorting completely trusted him. He was, after all, a hired man who fell quite far out of their circles. He'd always been the odd man out and, quite frankly, that was how he liked it.
Then there was a sound, the scrap of a shoe on gravel and Kratos snapped his head towards the pathway. Darkness had long since covered the landscape and if not for the small lamp which held fire, it would be impossible to see.
Straining his enhanced eyes, he couldn't see anything besides rocks and dirt.
"Is something wrong?" Ilene's voice was distant, Kratos standing up and placing a hand on his hilt. Wine colored eyes darted side to side. He hated this disadvantage. It was impossible to see further up the trail because of the bend and his position behind the dug-in's walls.
He'd heard a sound, he was sure of it. Someone was around, watching and waiting. It'd sounded human…was it another group of desians? He heard Ilene and Holtz scramble to get their weapons at the ready, seeing Kratos had taken up the defensive.
"Mr. Aurion?" Ilene quieted herself when she saw his hand shoot up. Lowering it back to his sword, he listened with his enhanced hearing. Yes, there was definitely the sound of scuffed dirt. It was coming from beyond the bend. Softer than the sound of shoes, however, was steady breathing.
No doubt they were waiting for the group to fall asleep.
Kratos was stuck. If he made his way out of the dug-in, sword at the ready, they'd know they'd been found out. It could very well lead them to attack and it wouldn't be hard to pin them inside the small, confined space of the wooden cave. However, if he dismissed it and faked sleep, it became highly likely that the siblings would be caught off guard and, at that point, became massive liabilities.
A frontal assault.
It was the lesser of two evils. Better to be cornered than to be caught off guard. Glancing back, he whispered to them, "I heard voices from ahead."
The auburn could see them tense up, eyes shifting between him and each other. Kratos nodded forward, "I'll lead. Stay behind and cover me." Taking as quiet as a step as he could, he headed towards the bend, calming his racing heart and his quickening breath. He heard the scurry of footsteps, no longer masking themselves, and the hushed hisses of angry voices, speaking in a mix of common and elf.
Hyb, short for hybrid. They were definitely half-elves. No other race would use such a crude mixture of two prominent languages. They could hear Kratos and the others move out of the dug-in, well aware they'd been found out.
Another second and there was a swarm of them, covered from head to toe in grey and black uniforms. Swords were raised as they came forward, Kratos catching one in the throat when he got near.
The whistle of arrows from above caused Kratos' heart to skip a beat. A black cloud, darker than the sky, showered down from the tops of the cliff sides. Each tip embedded itself in the soft soil, Kratos pushing himself back to get out of their line of fire. He could hear the siblings make their way back as well.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit," Holtz repeated, readying his arrows for some kind of counter-assault.
Uniformed men stumbled forward, swords and axes swinging down on the mercenary. Blocking one blow, he drug his weapon to the side, slashing open a man's stomach. He howled, twisting backwards as his comrades pressed onward.
Slash after slash, he dropped them. Turning his gaze towards the bend, he could see more of them ready themselves and head into the narrow walkway. The archers were also readying another volley.
Damn it.
Holtz had shot off some arrows in the meantime, Ilene fighting off the ones who'd broken through Kratos' guard. It was easy to see, however, that things were going downhill fast. The sound of wind caught Kratos' attention, causing him to duck as a sword whistled over his head. Just then, hundreds of arrows were released, their bowstrings making an audible 'ping' sound as they sent their deadly weapons flying skyward.
"Get back," Kratos roared over the sound of the men, Ilene and Holtz running further down the trail to avoid being impaled from above. Ducking down as another man swung at Kratos, he kicked the man's armored legs which gave out immediately.
The man fell towards Kratos, the mercenary grabbing hold of his body right as the arrows came down in torrents. He could hear the sound of the tips penetrating the man's armor and skin. He even heard a few bones fracture and break.
Gurgling up blood and foam, the life faded from the man's eyes and Kratos tossed him aside just in time to dodge a blow from three other men above him.
Rolling back to his feet, he backed up slowly. There were too many of them. And with the archers covering the high ground, it would be nearly impossible to get through their defensive. Although several of the uniformed guards lay dead by his blade or their own barrage, several hundreds were ready to take their place.
Apparently they had no qualms with dying.
From behind, he heard the Chosen's voice, "Kratos, this way!" Throwing a glance behind him, he saw her gesture for him to follow down the pathway. Holtz was already moving in that direction.
There was no way they could make a full retreat. They'd be snagged in the back by the enemy before they could make it to the fields where they'd be out of the range of the archers and granted more space to fight.
"Kratos, please! I have an idea!" He could barely hear her as he sliced through a couple other men. An idea? Well, maybe it was better than nothing.
Continuing to face forward, he swiftly stepped back, creating a wide separation. Giving one last glance at them, he turned his back and ran, catching Ilene's arm as he passed her. "What's your plan?" He could already hear the thunder of footsteps behind them. It wouldn't be long before they caught up with them.
"The ravine…" she breathed out and Kratos' eyes widened a fraction. It was a dangerous plan but it was their best shot. They'd be within the opening of the ravine within a matter of steps, the left side wall splitting out to reveal a deep chasm with a twisting river below.
"Stay as close to the wall as possible." Pushing Ilene forward, he watched her catch her footing right as the wall disappeared and a deep abyss appeared beside them. He could already see Holtz slowing down, Ilene catching up to him and pulling him towards the wall.
Kratos summoned up all of his strength, twisting on his heel before bringing his sword in front of him, placing a palm near the top of the blade. Mana circled through his fingers, a yellow circle appearing below his feet. Muttering the words for his incantation, he shouted the name as the mana surged forward, "Dreaded Wave!"
The pathway shook, pressure bring up rubble and dirt. There was a rumble and a shift, the pathway beside the ravine breaking apart and falling downward. Hundreds of the men screamed, clawing at the broken earth to save themselves, as they tumbled downward. Kratos watched them fall, listened to their screams and cries end when they hit the ground far below. Only a few dozen remained and they turned to run, being on the other side of the massive gap that now existed.
Kratos wouldn't lose this chance, Dashing forward, he jumped the gap, arms grabbing hold of the ruptured gravel. Clawing his way up, he took after them, snagging one in the back and dropping him as the others tripped and stuttered into the darkness.
The man that laid before him was crawling, desperate to get away, "You're not going anywhere."
Pressing a foot onto the man's back injury, he howled.
There was an anger in Kratos' eyes as he looked down at the miserable half-elf, clearly wearing the desian uniform for the ranch which rested near the temple of darkness.
"You're going to tell us everything you know."
