ASCEND INTO DARKNESS
by Ulquiorra9000
Chapter 9
After a quick breakfast with his friends and the Wild Branch Cathars, Leo found himself racing through the mountain paths again, this time in one of the two large carriages provided by the Wild Branch. Leo kept his eyes on the misty forests and rocky crags for any sign of devils or other monsters, but yesterday's bad luck reversed itself on this chilly morning: the town of Rotswand came into view within two hours of traveling and no incident had stricken the Cathar convoy.
"We finally made it," Abigail commented happily as the two carriages parked in front of the town's Church facility. She climbed down the carriage's steps and folded her arms impatiently as everyone else disembarked.
"This town doesn't look like much," Rick said with a little disappointment as he gave Rotswand a good look. Situated near the edge of a dark pine forest to the north and with a swamp to the west. Twisted dead trees rose from the brackish gray swamp water and Leo could hear the steady croaks and chirps of insects and frogs from the swamp's vegetation. Rotswand itself had few remarkable buildings, mostly private houses, taverns, and a few business buildings. None of them were over three stories high, and the people in the crowds had the same stoic silence as those in Zeewier. Overhead, the midday sun struggled to shine its yellow light through a layer of writhing gray clouds.
Jorge shrugged, taking out his packet of cigarettes. "It's not so bad. Reminds me of my home town, to be honest."
"Where is it, anyway?" Leo asked, unable to help his curiosity.
After striking a match and lighting up his cigarette, Jorge glanced to the southeast. "Hmmmmmm... about a three hours' trip down that way, past another swamp and a small demon fissure."
"There's another gateway to the hells down that way?" Abigail repeated with alarm.
"Some devils would come out of it and harass the towns that neighbored mine," Jorge explained. "But they never went to my town. I don't think it'll be an issue with this mission."
"Right. The mission," Abigail repeated, turning to the Wild Branch Cathars. "Are you all ready?"
"Let's be off," Karin said brightly, leading her fellows toward the Church's front doors. "I'll be in charge of my group. I guess you'll lead your team?"
"Right," Abigail said sharply, stiffening her back. "Leo, Jorge, Rick, follow my lead. We'll be a four-man team."
Rick made a face. "We don't even get to vote on a leader?"
"Well, she does take this the most seriously," Leo admitted. "It might as well be her."
"Thank you, Leo," Abigail said with a small smile. "Let's get moving."
*o*o*o*o*
"The three Skirsdag facilities are being set up in these three locations," explained a Church-affiliated cartographer in the church, pointing at a large map on a table while the Wild Branch Cathars crowded around to listen. Twelve more Cathars, who were stationed here in Rotswand, were present as well. "One is on a hill in that swamp, the second is situated on a cliff and the last one is along a mountain ridge near the second one. The last two bases are very close to each other, so a large group will get close and then split into two groups."
"Will vampires be a problem?" asked one Wild Branch Cathar, the man who had the aspect of an eagle.
"Unfortunately, yes," the cartographer said. "The base on the mountain ridge is actually a Falkenrath fortress, a small one. We believe that the cultists there are allied with the vampires, possibly offering their blood in exchange for an alliance. Either way, I want everything in that fortress wiped out."
The cartographer swallowed hard and continued, "There's another issue. I had a four-man scout team in that area but they went dark. I haven't received any courier hawks from them in a long time, and I'd like to have those men found and returned to Rotswand before the Skirsdag cult or the vampires get to them."
"I'll take care of finding the missing team," Abigail offered.
The cartographer nodded once. "A fair plan, but you might have trouble finding those men alone."
"I'll help, then," Karin offered warmly. "My fox aspect heightens my senses. Abigail, I'll make sure you can find the missing team. We'll form a five-man team while the rest of my guys take out the Skirsdag base in the swamp. Getlar, you're in charge of the team."
A man with short stubble and green eyes nodded. "Understood."
"Unless there are any other questions, the briefing is concluded," the cartographer added. "May Avacyn watch over you all."
*o*o*o*o*
"Do we really have to do this on foot?" Rick asked, his voice tight with anxiety as he and the others marched up a steep mountain path. Towering dark pine trees shaded the path and small animals scurried about on the rocky dirt road.
"We do," Karin said frankly. "There aren't any real roads leading to this part of the Geier Reach, and besides, we'll need to go slowly to find the missing team." She pointed up ahead, where a small stone fortress sat on the rocky bluff. "That's the Falkenrath outpost. As long as we avoid the notice of the vampires and stick to cover on the way there, we can locate the missing team and take out the Skirsdag cultists without too much trouble."
Leo hugged himself for warmth as he gave the fortress a good look. Hiking on foot, it would take him several hours to reach it, and he didn't like the idea of snooping around in vampire territory by night. At least he had the twelve Rotswand Cathars tagging along.
The cloud-obscured sun crept across the sky, casting deep, cool shadows as it slipped behind the Geier mountains' jagged peaks. Leo panted for breath as he and the others marched up the mountain paths and through misty forests, and he found himself longing for the plains of his native Gavony. This mountain hiking is killing me! Maybe I'll pass on future missions to Stensia. I don't think I'm cut out for this!
Breaking free of the forest and reaching an open stretch of the mountain path, Karin paused and tensed her muscles, letting primal green mana seep from her skin like an aura. Her furry fox ears sprouted from the top of her head and a bushy tail emerged from her lower back, swaying back and forth.
"Hey, it's the tail again. Can I pet it?" Rick asked with a grin.
"Friedrich..." Abigail narrowed her eyes.
Karin giggled. "I can't help it. The first stage of my fox aspect involves the ears and tail. I have to activate both."
"Can you pick up the missing scout team's scent?" Jorge asked simply. He tossed his cigarette butt onto the rocky mountain path, stomping it with his shoe to put out the embers.
"One second." Karin tilted her head back, sniffing rapidly with her eyes closed and her fox ears poised. She opened her eyes. "Faintly, yeah. To the west. As soon as we find a fork in the trail, we have to make our way west. We're on the right track."
Once again, Leo and the others set off into the mountain wilderness, shadows stretching further and further in the pastoral valley far below. Leo shivered, realizing that Stensia's early evening was already setting in. Wanting a distraction from the monotony of the hike, Leo asked, "So, Karin. You have a family back in Kessig?"
Karin's fox tail twitched at the question. "Yeah, my little brother Anton lives in my old home town with our parents. He's doing okay."
"Does he miss you?"
"Yeah, but we exchange letters all the time, since I'm too busy with my duties to visit very often," Karin admitted. "I haven't been back there in over three years. I bet Anton's grown pretty big by now! I really ought to visit again soon. Maybe if I can convince the boss to give me a little vacation..." Karin looked back at Leo over her shoulder. "What about you?"
"My parents are on a long-term visit to Nephalia with Abigail's family," Leo explained. "It's a little unclear who will live where in the coming years with my arranged marriage, but we'll all work it out."
"Huh, that does sound complicated," Karin admitted. "Hey, I know. Maybe you and Abigail could move in to Stensia and hang out with me!"
"No way!" Leo and Abigail protested at the same time, making Rick and Karin laugh.
"I was only kidding," the fox Cathar smiled. "I'm fine with anything as long as you're both happy together."
"Thank you, Abigail smiled back.
Karin led her friends through a new path that led toward the west, pushing toward the missing team. She sniffed the air every few minutes, confirming that they were on the right path. Finally, as the first stars started to glimmer on the dark horizon, Karin led her team to a small village, halting just outside the village gates. "They're here, but something is wrong," she stated, her fox ears perked up in alarm. "Something's weird about their scent."
"Weapons out," Abigail told Leo and Rick. "There could be an ambush."
Leo nodded silently as he drew his short sword, and Rick unclasped his crossbow from his back and held it at the ready. The team crept into the village, noting that everyone here had already retreated indoors, leaving only a few lanterns on the street posts for lighting. Karin sniffed the air again, her eyes bright. "They're coming!" she hissed.
From a side street approached four men in Cathar uniforms, the Church collar symbol easily noticeable on their jackets. "Hail!" called out the man in the lead.
"There you guys are!" Karin called out. "You're the scouts, right? My team and I came to retrieve you so we can finish the mission. Took longer than we expected, though. Assaulting the Skirsdag bases by night will be riskier."
The lead man shrugged. "Well, that's a risk we'll have to take."
"All right, then." Karin clapped her hands together. "You'll have to come along with us. It's too dangerous to hike back to Rotswand at this time of day."
"Yes, that sounds perfect," the man said with an odd grin.
Karin frowned, sniffing again. "Wait a minute."
"Is there something wrong?" the lead scout asked smoothly.
"You're not the scout team," Karin realized with horror, jabbing an accusing finger at the four men. "You're wearing their uniforms, but... I can smell the taint of demonic power in you! You're with the Skirsdag cult!"
The lead scout sighed, motioning to his fellows. "And here I hoped to infiltrate the Church with the dead scouts' uniforms. Game's up, guys. Let's kill them!"
Right on cue, because the man and the other three cultists raised their arms, their eyes glowing fiery red and seething red and black mana swirling around their hands.
"They're powerful!" Rick blurted, his fear-widened eyes reflecting the intense red mana.
"I see that!" Abigail snapped. "Just neutralize them!"
Eager to see some real action, Leo raised his short sword to a ready position, holy red mana sizzling on the edges of his weapon. Rick raised his crossbow to fire and aimed down the sights, preparing to fire a bolt. Jorge backed up a few steps, blue and pearly white mana gathering on his hands. Karin, meanwhile, hunched down and radiated waves of thick green mana, her arms thickening and her fingernails growing into fox claws. Her bare legs grew fur and morphed into a fox's strong hind legs, her bushy tail swishing in agitation. Karin pointed at the twelve Rotswand Cathars and told them, "My team can take care of this. Fan out and search the area for any other nasty surprises." The twelve Cathars obeyed at once.
"So, you're a fox girl," the lead cultist sneered. "Cute, but you don't scare us!" With a grunt, he gathered red and charcoal-black mana into his hands and hurled a seething ball of magic, aiming right at Karin. The fox girl sprang to the side, nimbly evading the attack. As it touched the ground, the mana sphere exploded, releasing a blast of demonic magic everywhere. Leo covered his face with his hands, but he was still thrown off his feet by the sheer force, tumbling awkwardly to his back. Rick and Jorge were forced to dodge as another cultist started hurling tendrils of focused black mana everywhere, intending to impale them both.
Abigail stood her ground, raising her arms with blinding white mana radiating from her hands. A massive shield flared to life in front of her, blocking off another barrage of mana tendrils. Meanwhile, Karin sprinted around the edge of the battlefield, pouncing on a third cultist. The both of them wrestled each other to the ground, fox claws and black magic clashing loudly.
Springing to his feet, Leo summoned his red mana to his hands and conjured three swords of pure mana, hurling them at his foes. The cultists extended their arms and conjured their own red mana, letting Leo's mana blades clash with their own magic in a fiery explosion of mana. Leaping into the fray, Leo caught one cultist unaware, his sword's sharp edge slashing across one man's chest. Blood leaked from the deep wound as the man collapsed, wailing in agony. One sword thrust to the gut silenced the man's cries for good.
One of the other cultists, a barrel-chested man, backed up a few steps and knelt, pressing his hands to the ground. Runes etched in black mana appeared on the earth, then rotted arms and fingers sprouted from the soil, followed by heads and shoulders. An increasingly large number of rotted zombies hoisted themselves from the ground, all of them turning their sightless eyes on Leo.
That guy's summoning corpses from afar, Leo realized. Foul necromancer! His flame-enhanced blade slashed a nearby zombie apart, its fetid body crumpling into pieces. More and more zombies shuffled toward Leo, however, threatening to surround him. Leo's blade whirled through the air, cutting off arms and legs wherever it could reach. One zombie, however, reached up from behind and seized Leo by the throat in its unnaturally strong grip, and Leo found himself gasping for air. Zombie claws scrabbled at his arms and legs, drawing blood everywhere.
Suddenly, the zombie choking Leo gurgled and slumped over, a crossbow bolt sticking out of its head. Breaking free of the zombie horde, Leo sprinted back toward his fellows, his heart hammering and his legs feeling like jelly. "W-we have to neutralize that necromancer," he gasped, then fell to his knees, his vision growing faint.
"Leo!" Abigail knelt by Leo, concern in her eyes as she shook his shoulders. "What's wrong? Can you get up?"
"Th-they must've cursed me," Leo panted. "Get Jorge over here!"
"Deal with those zombies. I'll take care of Leo," Jorge told Abigail, striding onto the scene. Abigail nodded and stood up, conjuring one collar enchantment after another to keep the zombies at bay.
Jorge, meanwhile, pushed Leo onto his back and ran his hands over the Cathar's wounds, sealing them up by one. Leo felt his throbbing cuts and scrapes fading away, but his entire body trembled with fatigue and he could barely even move his lips. "Th-they... cursed me," he mumbled weakly.
"I can tell. One second," Jorge told him impatiently, sealing the last wound. Then, he applied more blue mana to his hands and seeped the ethereal aura into Leo's forehead. Leo gasped with surprise as he felt strength flood back into his muscles, his head clearing up and his red mana rekindling in his gut.
"What did you do?" Leo asked in awe as he scrambled to his feet, sword in hand.
"I have curse-breaking abilities," Jorge explained, glancing back at the battle. "Those zombies used a life-draining curse on you, applied by their claws. Don't let them touch you again."
Taking that advice to heart, Leo conjured two more mana blades, sending them shooting after the zombie horde. One zombie after another was torn into flaming pieces by the red mana swords, their mangled body pieces falling to the ground in a heap. Meanwhile, Karin broke free of her cultist victim, both of them covered in bruises and cuts. The cultist man had focused black mana on his arms and fingernails, acting like arcane armor.
"I've got her covered," Rick winked, loading another bolt and firing. The steel-tipped projectile stabbed into the cultist, and the man shouted in pain and surprise as he stumbled back. Baring her teeth, Karin pounced on her foe and tackled him to the ground, her fox claws tearing into his flesh. The cultist went limp, his black mana fading as his life slipped away.
"Damn it!" the necromancer cursed, regrouping with the other surviving cultist. Most of his zombies lay in pieces, so he knelt and poured even more black mana into the ground, allowing dozens more zombies to crawl from the loose earth.
"Let's dance, Leo," Karin grinned fiercely at Leo, flexing her fox claws and twitching her tail. Nodding, Leo sprinted with Karin into the midst of the zombie horde, their combined sword and claws tearing at the undead. Frustrated, the non-necromancer cultist thrust his fist into the air, crackling red mana on his fingers. Dozens of red mana tendrils radiated from his hands into the zombies, lighting their eyes and mouths with unholy fire.
Leo's flaming sword slashed through another pair of zombies, and he jumped out of a zombie's way and kicked the fiend aside with his booted foot. However, three more zombies approached him, all spewing flames from their rotting mouths. Leo ducked and tumbled to evade the flames, but he was vulnerable while on the ground. Bony zombie feet kicked him from all sides, and Leo tumbled flat onto his back, staring up at the zombies who reached down to tear him apart.
A crossbow bolt thudded into a zombie's head, causing the fiend to topple to the ground. Other zombies turned to face Rick and Abigail, opening their mouths wide to breath out a wave of flames. Before the zombies could spit out a single flame, however, a huge holy barrier popped up before the zombies, and the zombies pummeled uselessly at the barrier.
"Come on, get up," Karin encouraged Leo, scooping him up delicately with her fox claws. "We have a battle to win!"
"Right," Leo agreed, shaking his head to clear it. Coating his sword blade in more holy flames, Leo charged at the zombies with Karin at his side, his blade slicing through rotted flesh with renewed vigor. The zombies moaned and shrieked as they fell apart, and the two disguises cultists backed up a few steps, their eyes wide with concern.
Eager to take her chance, Karin scampered past the few remaining zombies with animal speed, then pounced at the necromancer cultist with her claws outstretched. With a tangle of body parts and a rush of blood, Karin tackled the man to the ground and tore into him with her claws, finishing him off. Conjuring one final red mana sword, Leo stuck out his hand, guiding his arcane missile. The red mana sword stabbed deep into the other cultist's chest, sizzling his flesh. The man gurgled weakly, then slumped onto his back and went limp.
The remaining zombies froze in place, their flesh turning ashen gray and crumbling into dust. Just as the moon peeked out from over the mountains, silence fell over the mountain village, save for Leo and Karin panting from exhaustion.
"Whew. That was tough," Karin admitted, letting her claws retract and her legs return to normal. Her face was slick with sweat. "You okay over there, Leo?"
"Never been better," Leo told her, giving the thumbs up. "Well, that concludes our problem with the missing scouts."
From the rest of the night-shrouded village came the twelve Cathars, and the man in charge reported to Karin, "No other hostiles detected. We're clear."
"All right," Karin nodded, still breathing hard. "Say, do you have any fibra roots on you?"
The lead Cathar unclasped a small leather pouch from his belt and handed it to Karin. "Yes, but this is the last of my stock. Are you sure about this?"
"Very," Karin confirmed as she opened the pouch and took something out of it. "We're going to storm the Falkenrath fortress and neutralize every vampire and cultist in the place. This is no time to take risks." Then she started chewing on the object she held.
Leo turned to Jorge. "Um, what is she chewing on?"
"A fibra root," Jorge said with distinct curiosity. "A tough but edible root that is found growing in mountain forests. It's rare, but valuable because of its healing capabilities. It can even restore a person's natural mana reserves. I've heard that Church members and wealthy healers harvest it, but I've never had any. I'd like to, though."
"Sorry, but I can't loan you any," the lead Cathar told Jorge frankly. "Leo, do you need one?"
"Might as well," Leo said gratefully, accepting a fibra root from the man and chewing on it. He nearly gagged on the fibrous root, which tasted strongly like soap. "Thith is awful!" he complained through a mouthful of chewy root.
Swallowing the last bit of her root, Karin chuckled and explained, "Alchemists have determined that the root is highly basic, and soap is basic too, hence the similar taste. But hey, the root does it stuff, regardless of taste."
"I guess," Leo grimaced, downing his root. "So, Abigail... how are we going to do this?"
"Us five will stick together to assault the Falkenrath fortress, but we'll need backup," Abigail figured. "Why don't we take four of the Rotswand Cathars with us to form two teams of eight, not counting Jorge? He's a non-combatant, after all, but he still comes with me."
"That sounds fair," Karin smiled, turning to the Rotswand Cathar leader. "All right, you and the rest of your squad can assault the Skirsdag base at the cliff, but if either team needs backup, it'll send out a magic flare as a signal, okay?"
The man nodded. "Very well. Each squad will be a backup team for the other." He pointed at four of his men. "You lot, go with Abigail and Karin. Make sure you've got your holy water and wooden stakes at the ready."
"Sir!" barked four Cathars as they saluted, then they marched over to Abigail's side. "We're ready for the assault," one of them told her.
"Then we're all set," Karin said happily, leading her nine-man team to the other side of town and back onto the mountain path. "Let's go vampire hunting!"