Unmei Force: Vengeance
Chapter 19: To the Sea and Kushan Attack
At the shore of the continent...
The group made their way down to the sandy shores, as they looked around, seeing that they have finally made it to the edge of the sea, as some of them were surprised that they were at the sea-side itself. The sounds of sea-gulls crying above them, rang through the sky, and the skies were a healthy blue, as if the day was quite typical, letting everyone feel relieved, after all of the troubles they had to face in this twisted world.
Isidro was already running, as he was bounding through the shore itself, looking like a excited child for once.
"This is the sea!? Frreeeaaaking huge!" Isidro yelled with joy, before he then stopped near the water itself, stripping himself down to nothing on his torso, before then leaping right into the sea, before anyone could stop him.
After a while, the reckless boy washed up by the sea, as he was flipped over, covered with various sea creatures, a star-fish on his head, and a sea-urchin in his mouth, as the boy twitched erratically. Elma gasped, before she then moved to help him, as Richard and Judeau both shared some chuckles at his expense.
"That looks fun. I understand Isidro grew up in the mountains, so it comes to no surprise." Serpico stated.
"It's just a big puddle! And it's sticky and stinks like salt." Ivalera complained, before she was bopped on the back with a finger by Antonio, causing her to jolt forward with a yelp, before turning around, looking quite incensed. "What's your deal, spiky-head!?"
"Hey, don't hate on the sea! It's got a lot of good things! Just because it's water, doesn't mean that it doesn't have any other scenic value." Antonio responded back. "Plus, we could have some fun."
"Maybe not now. We'll try and find a place to rest up for the night, before we engage in some beach activities." Richard answered back, before he noticed that Schierke was standing on one side, looking towards the sea itself. A gust of wind blew her hat off, causing her to be shocked, before Richard dashed over and caught the hat, and placed it back on the apprentice's head, snuggling it firmly on it.
"Thanks." Schierke answered back, before Ivalera, noticing what just happened, came over and said, "What's got you so distracted?"
Guts looked at his own body, seeing that Elma was able to heal most of the wounds, although it did leave some scars on his body, as he then looked at the group around him, as they were conversing about the sea and their journey ahead, before he then sighed softly.
"You sure that you're going to be safe keeping that armour on, Guts...?" Gus asked the scarred warrior. "The armour did do a lot of damage to you, while you fought on the brink of death."
"Don't worry. Your demon girl managed to do a well enough job for me to keep going, without having to sit down and lick my wounds." Guts answered back. "Besides... You know that I can't let something like this armour stop me."
"Fine... But you better not let this control you... Being in a berserk rage is doubly dangerous, for yourself, on the count that you could die if you don't snap out of it quickly enough, and for us, since you might kill us unintentionally in your rampage." Gus responded back, his tone showing his worry for Guts.
"But now I've got a reliable magic user." Guts answered back. "Besides, you guys might be good enough to keep me down, if I tried to attack you. I mean, Meiling took down that lizard, no problem, if Isidro's account was right about it."
Guts then looked on, as Reimu and Elma entered the water, followed by Velouria and Link,as the four of them waded gently into the water, up to at most knee-deep in water, as Elma was quite happy to walk along the shallow waters, as it felt cool on her legs and feet, also soothing her. "I thought, never again, could I watch the sun set and be calm for once."
"That is a great thing to cherish." Gus nodded back, before he then looked over towards Gunter, who helped everyone find a place to stay for the night in, as there was an abandoned cabin in the distance, in fairly good condition. "I only hope that you'll be able to see this times more often."
In the night...
The group were enjoying seafood soup, or more specifically, seafood nabe, that Reimu pointed out, considering that she was aware of the meal that Serpico was making, which slightly surprised the blonde-haired former witch hunter, as he wasn't aware that the dish was something that was part of a country's cuisine, one that he has never heard of.
As Richard glugged down the soup, while Guts used a wooden spoon to taste it, Serpico turned to them both. "This is my first bounty of the sea in so long, only greater with the aid of Corrin and Velouria, who helped me in the task. I wished to practice my art of cooking. Is it too salty?"
"A bit, but the broth is fairly good." Richard examined the meal, before he then chewed through a piece of crab claw, and sucking on the sweet white meat inside of the hard shell. "But the seafood inside was cooked well, so the salt only makes it taste more better on the natural aspect. I wonder if the herbs that you have collected from the forest beforehand, managed to do that."
"This stuff's good. That's all." Guts nodded as well, as Serpico took both compliments to heart, giving off a thin smile.
"What's with the hair though...?" Isidro asked, with wooden spoon in his mouth, as he pulled it, and pointing out the patch of white on Guts's head, which appeared only after he donned the armour. "You don't look like the Black Swordsman now. More like the MOSTLY-Black Swordsman now."
"That's to be expected." Richard answered back, picking open a shellfish in his bowl with his hand, and sucking out the meat inside of it. "You fight hard, hard enough that your body begins to break down, your hair is going to be first to go. Turns out whether you're frightened too hard, or that you pushed yourself a little too far, it bleaches your hair. I'd say that if we see his hair turn all-white, that's going to be grounds for worrying about how much life is in him."
"These crab and shellfish corpses are pretty good." Ivalera remarked, as Schierke slowly ate her fill.
'It's barbaric though." Schierke answered back.
"Well, you can't be vegan around here." Velouria remarked. "You got to have some meat to build up a good frame. I got this body by eating a lot of meat, and working it off into proper muscle and sustenance for my body. Sure, you revere life, but you do know that there's a food chain, right? Trying to save things would mess it up bad, and make nature go crazy from the drastic change. So you just have to deal with it."
"...That's true... And it's tasty." Schierke conceded.
'Oh, right. I forgot to ask." Isidro suddenly stated, looking towards Puck, perching on Elma's shoulder. "What kind of place is your homeland, anyway?"
"Elfheim! A utopia amidst the sea, far to the west, the flower blossom, the birds sing, and the elves dance the day away, and more!" Puck exclaimed, as he spoke dramatically, and posed the same way.
"I have heard of it from my mistress too." Schierke interjected. "On a legendary island in the western sea, an island called Skellig. Like the forest of the Spirit Tree, it belongs to the interstice, so it is unrecorded in that area of ocean, and regular humans cannot reach it."
"If it ain't recorded... Wait a damn minute..." Isidro asked, before his eyes snapped to Puck. "So you're going to guide us there?"
"It is also said that many magicians live with the elves on that island. I have always wanted to see it with my own eyes." Schierke answered back.
"Hm... I see.." Judeau remarked. "Then we might see more of you and Richard's like there?"
"Um, Schierke... I have an earnest request to make." Farnese interrupted, as she stood up, setting her bowl down. "Would you be willing to teach me magic?"
At that statement, Serpico barely resisted to do a spit-take with the soup in his mouth, as he was shocked to hear that, quickly swallowing down the soup, before it would dribble down on his robes, and then turning to Schierke with a disbelieving expression. "La-Lady Farnese... What did you just...?"
"...Well, this is going to be interesting to hear." Reimu simply stated, crossing her arms, as everyone reacted to this, some approving, and some disagreeing like Serpico.
"So Farny wants to be an witch... Considering how Richard did all that... And how Schierke managed to do a lot for us..." Isidro stated.
"I have been thinking about it ever since the trolls." Farnese exclaimed, as she reached down and clasped Schierke's hands with her own. "To be honest, when Richard cast the flood, and you created the magical bulwark, my heart trembled that time, so much dread and excitement, at all of the miracles you caused, at the art called magic. In this unknown world, into which I took my first steps, I was powerless, only able to hug my knees and cower, while the others fought for me. But when I was given that magic dagger, I felt that I was given courage to fight once again."
"But, that's just a silver knife... So..." Schierke stated timidly.
"To me, the dagger was undeniably magical, having managed to cleave through trolls easily..." Farnese continued. "Flora said to accept the great mysteries, and explore the entire universe from within your world. That is the way of magic. If there is a light of reason that illuminates the unknown darkness, then please, I ask you to impart it to me."
"Then... why would you ask her, not Richard? He is the one who is more capable of direct magic." Casca asked Farnese and Schierke.
"Because the magic I use... It is through a system that you will not be familiar with. The only reason I was able to connect with the water spirit, is because I used Schierke as a outlet to receive the power." Richard answered back himself. "I lack the proper experience to teach my form of magic to you, and even then, I lack the means to do the proper teaching. So I'm afraid that Farnese is right to approach Schierke, whose magic system is more down-to-earth and infinitely easier to grasp than mine."
"...It is said that magic is quite unmasterable if one can remember a time when they did not study it. That is because, more than any other reason, as a person ages, they become bound by the world view of the physical world before their eyes, and those prejudices become harder to abolish." Schierke answered back, before smiling. "But... you have been through some thoroughly dreadful experiences, so that does not seem to be a concern for you. I am still in training myself, but I think I can at least teach the basics to you."
"Thank you so much, teacher!" Farnese exclaimed with joy, as she leaned closer to Schierke, who inched back to avoid being made uncomfortable by her newly-inducted and eager disciple.
"T-Teacher..." Serpico remarked, as he twitched in disbelief, before letting out a despaired cry, clutching the sides of his head. "L-L-Lady Farnese... A witch...!? WWAAAGH!"
"...Well, that's a hoot. Who knew that someone against magic, would become a disciple of it." Guts chuckled slightly under his breath.
"Right then... I might just take a walk. After all... I need some time to think to myself." Schierke answered back, before she then exited the cabin.
After a while, all silent, Guts stood up, before he then followed Schierke outside. Richard then looked at everyone, as they were fairly silent.
"Well... The silence is awkward..." Richard answered back. "I think that we might have some time to burn, before we head to bed."
"What do you plan on doing?" Gus asked, before Richard produced a pack of cards. "Oh... Of course."
"What manner of game is this?" Serpico asked, intrigued by the pack of cards. "Some sort of playing cards? I never seen this kind of brand before."
"Don't ask about it. I'm sure that you might know a game or two on cards, Serpico... But I've got other ideas." Richard answered back. "So... Who's in?"
"If you're betting money, count me in." Isidro remarked. "I'll tell you that I'm quite good when it comes to playing these kind of games, that rely on wits."
"Woah there, you might want to watch a few rounds before you begin playing this. And also, the only money betting is between me and Reimu." Richard responded back, before he then shuffled the cards. "House rules, everyone. Isidro, Casca, Judeau, Serpico, Farnese, just listen and watch, to learn how this game is played. I assure you, this game is rigged to no-one's favour. This game... is all about luck, and fore-sight."
After a few hours of playing...
"Damn!" Isidro growled, as he slammed his remaining cards down on the table, as he was the last to finish in the group of 8, as the circle of players occasionally swapped around, as Puck watched round after round of cards pass, often helping out Elma as much as he could, although he almost got caught by Richard, who threatened to gap him out, until the cards were all done, were it not for Elma pleading for Richard to not do that. "The hell is this!? Why do I end up getting crappy hands all the time!?"
"Well, you did have good hands." Reimu remarked, smirking. "Shame that you weren't good enough to play it right."
"I must say, this game is really interesting." Serpico stated. "To have such complex rules, which make each game a battle that can be won with a single hand, if one were to know how their opponents would act..."
"Yep. That's Big 2 to you all." Richard nodded, before he then collected the cards, shuffled them down. "You win some rounds, and you lose some rounds. You're more likely to end up as the latter, as you're against everyone here. You lose the advantage, you're unlikely to get the lead back in the battle to empty your hands first. Not only that, all it takes is a well-planned counter to your plays, or even worse, a sapper's quartet, that can immediately render the player who played it almost an guarantee to win the round, regardless of what is played before it."
"Thankfully that there is no bet to all of this..." Judeau sighed. "I could barely hold on to what little I have, with how badly it's going for me."
"Cheer up. I'm sure that fortune will smile upon you soon, Judeau." Corrin smiled back.
After a while, the door to the cabin opened, as Richard immediately placed the deck of cards back through his sukima, and then clapping his hands. "Alright, that's enough for tonight." Richard stated. "Now then... How was the walk, both of you?"
Guts walked past the gathered group, as he was mostly aware of what went on, although Schierke didn't feel the same, as she just walked forth.
"I have some good news for everyone." Schierke announced. "At Elfheim... If we can find King Hanafubuku, then we will be able to use his power to remove the Brands of Sacrifice that have been embedded on Guts, Richard and Casca.
"What!? Is that true...?" Casca squawked out, surprised by the news.
"The three of them... might be able to be free of all of the dark torment following them!?" Farnese exclaimed as well.
"For real!?" Isidro added.
"Yes. King Hanafubuku is said in legend to be a great elf king. I think there is little doubt that even a arduous task like this, is something he can do reasonably well within his bounds."
"Still, this is wonderful news to hear of, the three of you." Farnese told the branded trio.
"Yeah, that would be quite heart-warming to hear, that there is hope of ridding this curse upon us." Richard answered back with a hopeful smile. "This means that Casca and Guts will be free of all of this."
"Why not yourself, Richard?" Judeau asked back, curious.
"Psh, you saw that these demons have nothing on me. And with friends as good as the ones with me... I don't need to fear being tormented." Richard answered back.
"I see..." Judeau hummed back, nodding slightly.
Suddenly, there was a fog that rolled out outside, as it unnerved Elma, who noticed it, as well as Schierke. And then the Brands began to act up, as Richard and Guts jolted to the windows, and caught notice of the fog as well.
"Guts! Did you... notice it too?" Schierke asked him.
"What is it, both of you?" Serpico asked them.
"Something's coming, hidden in the fog." Guts answered back. "Looks like we've got company."
"Fun! It's been a while since we saw any action!" Isidro smirked, drawing his Salamander Daggr.
"The usual wraiths, perhaps?" Serpico pondered.
"Not quite." Richard answered back. "The charms were dealing with them, weren't they? I think that it's something greater. And with the Brand bleeding... It's something like an apostle, but not exactly of those things..."
"The od is closer to the monsters who attacked the mansion of the spirits, than to simple wraiths..." Schierke confirmed Richard's answer. "Something feels different about them... Like they are merely ethereal bodies..."
Velouria looked outside, as she peered through the fog, before she was able to catch the sight of crocodiles, waddling on their back-legs, their fore-legs acting as arms, holding a spear in them. They also had a eerie glow to their eyes, as if they were possessed by something.
"I see crocodiles standing on two feet and holding spears... Not exactly normal, even in this damn world, don't you say?" She quipped, as everyone prepared their weapons.
"By your description, that means that these creatures have been controlled by spirits dwelling within them. A magical life-form, a 'familiar', so to speak." Schierke answered back.
"That sounds more like magical parasites, than actual familiars." Reimu scoffed. "I know proper familiars, and they're known as 'shiki-gami' from where I come from. And it involves magically contracting to become one, not latching on any physical body like a leech, as I have said."
"Well, familiar or no, we can't just sit around, and expect them to pass by us." Richard answered. "The Brand reacts, it means they're after us. We're going to take them out, before they actually start attacking us in our abode. Everyone, get out, and be ready for battle."
"Right. Ivalera!" Schierke called out to her pixie, as the pixie slapped paper charms to the north and south sides of the cabin, as they had triangles on them, with lines crossing the top side of it, and the triangles were pointed in the direction they faced, in terms of the cardinal direction they were situated on. Ivalera then cheerfully gave her an OK sign, before the apprentice looked up to the skies, where she saw that there was a full moon in the sky. "Tonight is a full moon. The time when the power of magic is most manifest. Even though this is not a church or holy ground, I can still affix the formation of the Four Kings. Please buy me a little time until the completion of the spell."
As everyone was prepared to get out and fight against the familiars, Schierke called out to Guts. "Wait, Guts! A full moon is also when a person's mind is most unhinged." She warned Guts. "Be extra cautious that you do not let your mind sink into the insanity stored within the Berserker Armour."
Richard, Antonio, Gus, and Link were the first ones to clash against the bipedal crocodile warriors, as the group easily cut through their wooden weapons with little ease, although cutting through their scaled skin was a little more difficult, for all except for Richard, who used his dark katana to cut through their skin, and use Divine Judge to gouge through their body from the wide gashes his former strikes did.
Serpico used his Sylph Sword to cut through the familiars, as his cutting winds proved to be more than a match for the scales of the crocodiles, and Isidro usually did sneak attacks from below or behind, stabbing his Salamander Dagger between the gaps in their scales, as it either cooked them alive if he was able to plunge the length of the blade into the familiar, or weakened them greatly if not, allowing their actual opponents to finish them off. Judeau, using his weapon, managed to take out the enemy with his throwing knives, as his metallic spike bursts managed to skewer the crocodiles, leaving them to die a slow death.
Guts was fighting quite strongly, as he looked around, seeing that the familiar numbers were dwindling, thanks to the combined efforts of everyone, although his mind began to waver, as a familiar feeling of dark rage and blood-lust ran through his head, as it was the very spirit of the armour trying to lure him into a berserk frenzy. However, Guts shut his eyes for a moment, and suppressed the feeling hard, using calm feelings to smother the hot rage.
'Can't afford to let it take control here... Draw out the minimum power of the armour, just enough to move, and control the pain enough to move freely... The one who's holding the reins here... is me.' Guts thought to himself.
Behind them, the cabin immediately lit up, just as the group forced the wave of familiars back to the shore, as the same prismatic barrier that was erected in Enoch Village during the troll attack, surrounded the cabin.
"Keh! Always gotta be so damn flashy!" Isidro remarked.
'Everyone... You are all right?' Schierke asked back through their minds, before she then received everyone's confirmation one by one. 'For now, at least, the cabin is secure. But the familiars are not like the trolls, who have only astral bodies. Though they are warped, their bodies are of flesh. The spiritual sensitivity of their astral bodies wrapped, in the membrane called matter is quite dulled. There is a limit to the efficacy of the bulwark against them. If they continue to advance on it... Eventually...'
'So it's only a stop-gap measure, is it, Schierke...?' Gus thought back solemnly. 'Is there any way to blunt the enemy assault? Any leaders that lead their assault? Anything that can more permanently stop them?'
'There is. These familiars do not possess the willpower to act individually. There is sure to be a nearby spell-caster controlling the mob. If you defeat him...' Schierke answered back, to everyone.
'I understand.' Richard thought back. 'Leave this to me. I'll sniff him out myself. You just keep that barrier reinforced.'
Richard then closed his eyes, as he spread his senses out, using his magic to detect any traces of magic. After a while, he managed to find it, as it was on another part of the shore.
"I located it!" Richard shouted, before he turned to Antonio. "Antonio! Take care of the spell-casters! I found them on the shores!"
"Got it!" Antonio shouted, before he then sped through the familiars, cutting them down along the way. "Get out my way, you damn lizards!"
Antonio then managed to reach where Richard had detected the spell-casters, as they were right there as he predicted, all of them looking like dark-skinned monks, that were clad in white monk robes, which was their only clothing on their bodies. He also noticed that some of them had white tattoos of runes engraved on their heads.
The spell-casters noticed Antonio, although far too late, as Antonio sped towards them, and beheaded them in a flicker of speed, as the separated heads landed on the ground. Afterwards, Serpico managed to reach the area, as he noticed that Antonio finished the job for them, before he then noticed the heads on the grounds.
"These are... Kushan...?" Serpico blurted out, attracting Antonio's attention, as he grabbed one of the heads, taking a closer look.
"Yeah, you're quite right. They're the same kind of people who attacked us back in one of the villages..." Antonio stated, before a plume of fog rushed out the mouth of the deceased spell-caster, causing Antonio to yelp and drop the head. "...What the!?"
More plumes of fog exited through the mouths of the other deceased Kushan spell-casters, before they merged and formed a wispy figure above them, which seemed to have a head with many spiked appendages, before it disappeared as well.
"This is definitely supernatural crap here..." Antonio grumbled, before they then heard the ground rumble ahead of them. "What NOW!?"
He then turned around, as a dark figure rose out of the water, as Antonio and Serpico readied themselves, as they knew that this was some sort of monster. The figure then finished rising out of the water, as it was something that looked like a mesh between elephant and whale, as it had large fins around its blobby body, and a large whale tail. However it's head was a different matter, as it had elephantine features, like large floppy ears on the sides of its head, a long trunk, as well as short tusks on the side of its maw, which was filled with sharp fangs. It then let out a loud and deep bellow, as the size of the creatures, which was even larger than the ogres they fought before.
"The... The hell!? This is... Oh god, if Jonah's whale and Dumbo had a son..." Antonio remarked. "This damn thing would be it demonised!"
'Schierke! I sensed something big coming up the shore! What is it!? It looks like some sort of marine creature that is able to live upon land!' Richard called Schierke through the telepathic link.
'I... I do not know, but as with the familiars-' Schierke responded back.
'It's being controlled by someone. But it has to be a lot... because this creature...' Richard thought, as he watched Serpico and Antonio avoid the attacks of the creature, while trying to retaliate, although their attacks weren't doing much against the monster. 'It's quite powerful...'
Richard then closed his eyes, as he sensed it once again, although he put a lot more effort into it, as his senses spread across the ocean itself. After a while, he was able to locate the controlling spell-casters, as he smirked slightly. "Clever. Controlling your weapon from the sea. You'd expect that there is no naval capabilities with us... But you would be wrong to think that there is no way that I can get you. In fact, you just only sealed your fate."
He then immediately opened a sukima, as he appeared on top of the boat, as the spell-casters were surprised for a moment, as Richard smiled widely, and waved a hand.
"Bon soir, gentleman. You do know that these waters aren't quite safe at these times of days." Richard told them, before his teeth showed through his smile, in pure malice. "Especially when you're left with nowhere to go if something goes for your boats, like this!"
Richard then snapped his fingers, as a live grenade from his arseneal was dropped on the boat, as Richard slipped through a sukima, waving his hand again, and saying a mocking "Ciao!". Before the spell-casters could even figure out a plan to deal with the live explosive in their boat, it exploded with great magnitude, tearing everything around into thousands of pieces, as the spell-casters were vaporised at point-blank range to the grenade, and some of the water was dissipated by the heat of the explosion, creating a large plume of steam.
Meanwhile, back with the group, Guts reached the beast, as he was prepared to fight it to the death, even ready to tap into the Berserker Armour for whatever power is needed to help him get through the fight. However, before he could do that, the beast immediately froze, as it looked around, as if it was recently awakened, as it slowly morphed into a regular whale, while it slowly retreated back into the waters. Upon sensing the great amount of killing intent i the air, created by several of the people nearby, it quickly paced its retreat. Guts was surprised that the familiar was already released, as he wondered what the reason was, until Richard appeared besides him, looking quite reasonably smug.
"Don't worry, the ones controlling this big lug have been, safe to say, not physically existent at all." Richard told Guts, before he noticed that the armour on Guts's body began to react, as the wolf-like helmet, which was drawn back right behind his neck, was slowly creeping up, as the eye-slots began to glow ominously. "Guts... You don't need to try to fight anymore. Calm yourself down, or you're going to get controlled again."
"What about the-" Guts asked back, before he noticed the crocodiles were already gone, as they started retreating back into the ocean, having completely forgotten their reason to crawl upon land, without the control of the Kushan spell-casters, as all of them reverted back to their normal quadrupedal locomotion motions, as the rest of the group didn't attack them, seeing that they're harmless now. "Oh right. The familiars in them are gone, right?"
"Yep." Richard grunted back. "Still, be careful. If you draw too much, you'll go too deep in your berserk state, that you won't be able to be dragged back to reality. You heard Schierke, your mind is extremely vulnerable under the light of the full moon. No wonder the armour was reacting so strongly, despite the fact that you are actively resisting it with your mental will-power. That should be enough fighting for the time being."
"We should be safe to rest for the night. If not... I'll stay up as lookout for danger." Gus told everyone.
"I'll participate in the night watch. It's only fair for a gatekeeper like myself to keep guard." Meiling offered as well, although Reimu scoffed gently at that.
Schierke, knowing that the danger had passed, decided to leave the magical bulwark active, as the group entered the cabin one by one, ready to tuck in for a night's rest, all except for Gus and Meiling, who stood by the entrances to keep an eye out for any hostile creatures or beings that seem to be heading in their direction.
A few days later... at Port Vritannis...
The group passed by a few platoons of soldiers, all bearing different banners of their respective kingdoms, as there was also civilian foot-traffic and vehicles heading inwards towards the port, as the port was right before them, looking like a well-built castle, with the tall and sturdy fortified walls on the border of the port. Isidro was left stunned at the amount of soldiers gathering to the port, as it was hard to find a single square meter of land in sight, that was not occupied by soldiers.
"Wowww... It's an army. That old shepherd before, ain't kidding before..." Isidro responded with a worried expression on his face.
"It's actually a muster of armies from all the Holy See's territories." Serpico answered back. "The great knights of the Chuder Empire, and the Kingdom of Balden. From the east, the royal knights of the duchies of Morgar and Wallatoria. The army of the newly established Randel Commonwealth under the Paneria Alliance, the army of Lana, and mercenary groups of Faris, Nise, and Vritannis. There are also others that I have yet to mention."
"H-How did you managed to recognise all that, Sir Serpico?" Elma asked back, amazed at Serpico's recognition skill of the present armies.
"Because Serpico was an herald to arms, young Elma." Farnese answered. "He has every coat of national arms and royal knight troupes memorised."
Richard, Guts, Casca, Judeau and Corrin shared a look amongst each other, upon hearing the mention of Chuder, before Judeau then turned to Serpico.
"Say, if you know most of the royal knight troupes, then let me ask you this. Do you know of the Purple Rhino Knights?" Judeau asked the blonde-haired rapier-user.
"Indeed I do. The Purple Royal Knights belong to the Kingdom of Chuder. They are renowned for their elite discipline and skill on the battlefield, especially General Boscogn, who managed to claim the heads of many experienced officers of Midland, back when they were at war with each other." Serpico answered back.
"Looks like you know your stuff then." Judeau conceded, before Guts spoke up.
"Yeah, and then he lost his own life at the battle of Doldrey. He was the only man I respected out the entire line of greaseballs leading Chuder's forces." Guts growled.
"I remember a certain one who paid for his life for the transgressions he attempted to force onto me." Casca scowled as well.
"You all seem to have a fairly great hatred for Chuder." Serpico stated to the both of them. "Could you tell us what garnered such hatred?"
"...We're mercenaries before all of this demonic shit fell onto all our heads, Serpico." Richard answered back. "That's all you need to know. We played both sides before, so we know who's the chaff and who's the real talent. Like Guts said, Boscogn was a good man. Shame that he was eradicated by someone better. But then again, good people die on the battlefield for no reason, other than the others' survival. At least he was given a fair fight to die with honour against..."
"Hey, which army's the strongest then?" Isidro asked, before he found himself being dragged back by Corrin. "What?"
"...Let's not ponder on that question. It doesn't matter. This alliance has nothing that interests us." Corrin told the ginger-haired boy sternly, with a hint of sorrow in her voice.
'What the... She seemed a fair bit pained to hear that kind of question. What's her problem?' Isidro thought, as he complied and kept his mouth shut.
"Speaking of mercenaries... The scent of the battlefield around here... the clamorous preparation... This is my true home, on the battlefield itself." Guts remarked.
Richard looked at Guts for a moment, before the group continued past the armies, right to the gates into the docks. As they came in, they saw that the streets and alleys of the docks were filled with people going about their lives, as the former members of the Hawks had their attention caught upon something fairly interesting, while the others looked around, and saw the various soldiers gorging themselves on any nearby food booths, pubs, and food stores, while Elma tried to comfort a ill-looking Schierke, who was a little nauseous having to deal with a urban environment, that was noisy and chaotic, unlike her usual peaceful times in the forest.
"Hark, brethren gathered for the holy war!" A man cried, standing in front of a pile of crates, dressed like a noble with fancy clothing under his armour, and puffy sleeves, surrounded by a small group of men, dressed like him. "If you've confidence in your skills, come ride with us! We are the Band of the Dawn Fang! As you know, gentlemen, our deeds of arm include going unbeaten in the Randel war of Independence, as well as beating a Balden heavy knight brigade!"
"Who're those flashy guys?" Isidro asked, intrigued by the man's call.
"He's a recruitment barker. That's how mercenaries enlist troops. The guy on the crate is their leader." Guts answered back stoically.
"The leader does this himself?" Isidro asked back, turning to Guts.
"Well, you got to show that you're worth having the men." Richard interjected. "Does he look dependable? Does he look wealthy? What is his stance on his soldiers and more. And looking at how he is... He's too uppity to be a good leader. Mercenaries will do any job, as long as it gets food on their table, morality merely a rarely-sought attribute for the job. You want to be an mercenary, you got to be damn strong, and know which fights are worth it or not, as well as knowing the relations between you and the leader, as well as the relation between client and leader. A good leader is one that can use his men well, no matter how crap they are at fighting, and turn struggles into victories. When you're a mercenary, you're either a good warrior, or you're a simple pawn. The difference is that the former can act for themselves and earned the respect of their comrades and leader, and the latter couldn't give two shits about those things and just only care about loyalty."
"And as for their feats... They're only good for getting the easily-persuaded." Casca scoffed bitterly, glaring at the recruiting band. "A few feats like that, and they believe that they're worth anything? I bet all of their fights were as little as their band is, and they might have won the other feat through a fluke."
"So they should be strong, with a charismatic leader everyone likes." Isidro pondered, as Richard nodded lightly in agreement.
"Oh, I do recall one with charisma. Sir Griffith, the mercenaries he led was the Band of the Hawk. In the hundred-year war between Midland and Chuder, he never lost to his Chuder opponents. He was the legendary mercenary who, after the Band of the Hawk became part of the Midland's regular army, brought about the surrender of the impregnable stronghold of Doldrey, defeated the Purple Rhino Knights, said to be the mightiest in Chuder's army, and finally lead to the conclusion of the war. I believe we discussed this earlier, right?" Serpico recalled, and then asked the others.
Casca was frozen hearing that name, while Guts showed a brief flare of anger, which he quickly hid, while Judeau was plain stunned. Richard however, merely sighed and nodded.
"Indeed we did." Richard answered back.
"Oh, hey, you said that you were mercenaries before... What group were with all with?" Isidro asked the others.
"...It's best we do not talk about it." Link denied back. "Regarding that matter, we have too little to discuss about that topic."
"I see." Serpico answered back. "Ironically, it can also be said that the discord between Sir Griffith and the King was the cause of the fate Midland faces today. Rumours have it, the Hawks were destroyed by the King's scheming... But some also say that they remain in Midland and are fighting the Kushan. I do not know the real truth."
"Well, it's best that you don't know." Judeau spoke in a serious tone, with a similarly strong expression on his face. "This kind of thing... I think that this is also something that we would not like to touch upon. The Band of the Hawk... It's something that we rather not talk about."
"Oh? Why's that, blondie?" Isidro asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Let's just say that we were mercenaries looking up to them." Richard lied smoothly. "We were the only ones who found the actual truth about the Band of the Hawk... and... well... Let's just say that the results are not pretty at all."
The group passed by, as each time they passed by the town guards, the group huddled up around Schierke, until Richard decided to deal with the problem, as he took Schierke's hat off, much to the apprentice's displeasure.
"Hey, give that back, Richard! That's the hat the mistress gave me long ago!" Schierke complained, before Richard shushed her, before she could attract any attention.
"Calm down... It's only temporary." Richard whispered back, before he then dropped the hat in a sukima, as Schierke froze a little, worried about where it went. "I'll keep it here, until you're safe to wear it again. In here, no-one can find it at all, even if they tried to scour me entirely for it."
"...Alright, I'll trust your word on it." Schierke complied, as she nodded back, before the group continued along the port.
After a few hours, in a small house rented by the group...
Farnese and Schierke were sitting opposite of each other, on a wooden table, as Ivalera was atop it, standing beside a fresh red apple placed between the two of them. Farnese's eyes were locked on the apple, while Schierke instructed her disciple.
"Look closely, please." Schierke told her disciple, as Ivalera chimed in with a 'Concentraaate.', and Farnese slowly closed her eyes. "So as to burn the image into your mind. Slowly, close your eyes."
Farnese then shut her eyes entirely, as she concentrated on the apple she saw before, as white threads of light were forming in her sight, as they moved and twisted to slowly form the shape of the fruit. "Now imagine it, the image of the apple you just saw. Shape, colour, as much detail as you can. Not rushed... but slowly."
When Farnese was at the limit of her visualisation, she couldn't make the apple in the right shape, as it was blurred heavily, let alone have the apple in any colour, other than a black and white frame. She opened her eyes and sighed, frustrated. "It's no use. The image is blurred and will not take firm shape." She responded back.
"That's how it is, at first." Schierke encouraged Farnese. "This is the first step towards becoming a magic user. It is basic practice for 'tangibly imagining a phenomenon within your mind'. Magic is not accomplished merely by reciting spells and drawing symbols. It is the chaining of images in conjunction with those fields that first yield efficacy. The essence of magic is the world of thought, practised in the astral world and what you felt a portion of already."
"The trolls and ogre... And that light, yes?" Farnese asked back.
"The four-hued light is the manifestation of power from me personally proceeding into the astral world, offering supplication and receiving assistance from beings known as the Four Cardinal Kings. The astral world is comprised of wills and powers, memories of portents in various domains. To accomplish things in the midst of that, more than anything, it is necessary to make your mind, your ethereal body adhere firmly as a projection of the physical body, so as not to lose yourself." Schierke explained, as she picked up and handed the apple to Farnese, who received it, bringing it closer to her face. "We magic users call that unwavering stable projection, a body of light, a 'luminous body'. That apple is your first step in obtaining your luminous body, Farnese. Persistent practice is sure to bear fruit. Please do your best."
Farnese slowly nodded, as she tried to visualise the apple mentally in her mind, although she was still failing. After a while, the others, who have situated themselves to different parts of the house, heard the sound of the front door opening, as a dejected Isidro and Serpico walked in, heading upstairs, where Casca, Guts, Judeau were, along with Farnese and Schierke.
"Aaah... Man... Forget it. Not a single bite." Isidro moaned.
"That was sure a vain effort." Serpico commented as well, as Richard rushed after them from behind.
"Welcome back, how did things go?" Farnese asked both of them.
"They went nowhere." Isidro bluntly stated.
"We tried every maritime trading firm, and even a private ship captain in the city..." Serpico explained. "But every ship has been commandeered as a warship or has accepted military-related commissions. They curtly... well, all of them turned us away without negotiation."
"Honestly, we overestimated our prospects." Guts sighed. "I assumed something would work out as long as we reached a port, but it looks like this is different from how our journey's been left to chance so far."
"So, two choices then, we force our way onto a ship, suffering what consequences may come, or we keep trying, and hope that we can find a free ship to commandeer." Richard proposed.
Hearing that, Farnese stood up, as she had a urgent look on her face. "Would you mind... leaving this to me?" She asked everyone in the room.
"What, Farny? You got some idea?" Isidro questioned back, as Serpico had a shocked expression on his face.
"Lady Farnese, you can't mean..." Serpico asked, as there was dread in his voice.
"I will be gone for a bit." Farnese walked over to the stairs, before turning back to Serpico. "Serpico...?"
"A-Aye..." Serpico stated, as he received Farnese's ceremonial dagger, as Farnese left after her.
After a while, Serpico wordlessly left the house as well, possibly in pursuit for his mistress, causing everyone to feel a tad bit suspicious about what was going on.
"Say... Don't you think that this is fairly coincidental...?" Richard asked back. "We're down a ship, and Farnese suddenly offers to help us by using some sort of means to get us the ship we need. That should have raised some eyebrows, right?"
"Well, even if we say that, we don't have any basis to be suspicious about her for. Her attachment to our group is most genuine." Judeau commented, walking up behind Richard. "It must be something else that she had to do, that only she can do alone."
"...Yeah..." Richard stated, before he then turned to Schierke. "Schierke... A word with you please...?"
"Of course, Richard." Schierke agreed almost immediately, as she followed Richard downstairs as they walked down into a small room, where no-one could see or hear them, before Richard closed the door behind him.
"Schierke... I have something to tell you, no, actually two things." Richard answered back. "I'll tell me the good one out the two first. Your mistress... Flora, she is very much alive, and she is safe with us, in another dimension."
"...I'm glad to hear that." Schierke responded back. "Although it will be a long time until I see her again, knowing that I can still be with the mistress in time, gives me hope to continue. But... What is the other thing you wish to tell me? You said that the mistress's condition was the good part of the news. Does that mean... something bad has happened with you or your friends...?"
"...Yes." Richard nodded back, as his expression turned solemn. "After you make for port... We will part ways."
Schierke was shocked to hear that, as her mouth fell open, as she tried to find words to respond back to Richard with, feeling betrayed that the group's most potent and reliable members were going to be leaving so soon.
"...Do you plan on coming back?" Schierke asked, trying to keep calm.
"...Not as fate intends." Richard answered back, before he then leaned closer. "You see, our time here has long passed. We should have left this world, and moved onto others. As a friend, I couldn't bear to part with you so suddenly and sourly, so I decided to stick close, until the opportune time come. Your departure will mark the moment that we will split paths, most likely never to meet again. But I will ensure you that we will do you one last favour, before we leave."
"But why...!? Why would you want to leave us!?" Schierke exclaimed in outrage.
"Because it is my role to travel through the worlds, and be a saviour. I failed my job here, by letting what I considered to be my comrades die for nothing but torment." Richard replied back. "And you all have grown to the point that you do not need us to fight your battles, and be your extra hands. You will be strong enough to make the rest of the journey, and put an end to this age of darkness. Your role is set, as is mine. I'm sorry that this had to happen, but think of it this way... Everyone has a purpose, myself as a saviour... Would it be right if I stayed with you all, and turned an blind eye to all the other worlds oppressed and tormented like this one?"
"...No..." Schierke reluctantly answered.
"That's right... To be honest, I can't bear to leave Guts, Casca, Judeau, or even you behind. All of you treated us as true friends, despite everything we have went through." Richard responded back. "I cannot betray that trust for nothing, but nor can I let it disturb my duty. I do have something to give you though."
Richard then opened a sukima, as it deposited a rainbow spherical crystal charm that was threaded through with string, to act as a necklace.
"Use this... This is my own created fetish, something that I created with someone long ago." Richard offered. "This crystal has two purposes. One is to enhance your connection to the elemental forces of the world, while maintaining your degree of control over your sense of self, and the other is help stabilise your emotion, by washing away negative emotions like sorrow, fear, anger, and guilt... For someone like you, this is the most optimal gift that I can create for you."
"Richard... You... You really would..." Schierke asked back, as she was about to return it, although she saw the sincerity in his eyes, making her consider not doing so. "I... I can't possibly take such a gift."
"Think of it as paying back all the work you have done for us." Richard smiled back. "And a apology gift for this sudden development. Please... take it."
Schierke stopped for a moment, before she then slung the crystal gem around her neck, tucking it under her robe. "...Now I see why the mistress favours you." She admitted with a warm smile. "...You're the only person who could still show kindness, despite all of the betrayal and manipulation you have been through."
"Well... That's not entirely true. I'll be handing two more gifts. One for Guts, the other for Casca. I'll hand them on the day of departure." Richard smiled. "Now then, how about we see if the time we spent in here, if things have changed at all."
Schierke nodded, as they came back upstairs, as the group were still doing their own things, passing the time away, while they waited for Farnese or Serpico to return.
After a few hours, Serpico did return, although without Farnese by his side. He seemed to look fairly disturbed, as everyone directed their attention to him.
"Daammmn, took you long enough. Where'd you wander off all night?" Isidro asked Serpico. "Well, what about the ship? Where's Farny?"
"A ship has been arranged." Serpico announced, much to Schierke's glee. "Lady Farnese... Lady Farnese will not be rejoining you."
"What? Why!?" Casca demanded, as she got up from her seat, walking over to Serpico.
Serpico didn't say anything, as he pulled out a scroll from inside his waist pouch, and placing it on Casca's open hand, as the female officer was confused as to what the scroll was, with red stamp and ribbons tied around it of the same colour. "Take this, if you show this to any trader in the city, you should be able to acquire a ship and as many sailors you need. Just do not open the seal before you do so." He told the brown-haired woman, before turning to Schierke, and pulling out the magical fetishes that Farnese was carrying. "I am returning these borrowed items. Thank you very much."
Schierke quietly accepted the items, as her hand brushed against Serpico's, allowing her to sense his emotions, as they were in turmoil, being mostly grief, as well as a sad Farnese in a regal wedding dress.
"Oh behalf of the Vandimon family. I offer the sincerest gratitude for safely returning the head of the family's daughter, Farnese Do Vandimon, to this place." Serpico bowed deeply, speaking in a curt tone. "It amounts to little, but our Vandimon bank shall shoulder the burden of any and all expenditures your group incurs in the city. Again, I extend our formal thanks. Now, by your leave..."
"W... Wait a second, Serpico, please!" Schierke pleaded, as Serpico was already marching down the house stairs.
"Hey. There's no harm in at least telling us the reason, is there?" Guts asked Serpico, who stopped in his tracks.
"There is nothing for me to say on this matter." Serpico argued back dryly.
"I wanted to try having a fight with you again." Guts bluntly stated, as Casca glared at Guts strongly for that.
"That... motivation no longer exists. Good day, all of you." Serpico responded back, as his eyes moved to the corner of his eyes, before he left the house, shutting the door firmly behind him.
"Well... What a fine mess this has become..." Richard stated. "Is there any way we can figure out what's going on?"
"It's no use for me. She must have untied the hair I placed on her, so her mind is closed for thought transference." Schierke answered back.
"What gives, we've all cheated death together so much, and in the end, it's a scrap of paper and 'have a nice life'? That's why I can't stand aristocrats." Isidro sighed, taking a closer look at the scroll in Casca's hand.
"Well, when I touched Serpico's hand briefly, I felt his conflicted emotions, as well as Farnese's sad face and attire."
"Wait, what kind of dress...?" Richard asked back.
"It seemed to be a long frilly dress, with a silken hood-" Schierke explained, before Richard placed a hand up. "What is it, Richard?"
"I guess that confirms it then. Farnese decides to throw herself away, and use herself in a political marriage, to get a favour done for us." Richard deduced, placing a hand on his chin. "As for who did what, she must have been offered the choice, if she decided to do that. And she was given good reason to make that choice as well."
"Well then... Do you think that we should get your apprentice then?" Guts asked Schierke. "It's ain't much of a deal, since she's the only one who can cook for good around here, excluding Casca, but she can only cook so much at once, for a lot of mouths like our group. So it ain't worth it to let her go yet. "
"Right then... Could you at least trace the direction Serpico went?" Richard asked Schierke as well.
"...Yes. I can guide you all." Schierke answered back.
"Well then, time to get back a good companion of ours then." Judeau chimed in, as the group readied themselves.