Chapter 48- Rescue operation
Disclaimer:- all the characters form the game belong to moonton and this is not a commercial story but just the work of a diehard fan.
Claimer:- the other characters which are not in game of mentioned are mine
To say that Miya was having a bad day was a huge understatement. It had been in the dead of night yesterday when the Abyss had attacked. The town had always been a peaceful one and the guards were merely just for formalities and slacked a lot. Their slacking of their duty had been the reason why they got no chance to retaliate and soon the town was overwhelmed.
As the priestess of the moon goddess, Miya had tried her best to take the people to safety and tried to send for help from the capital of Moniya but alas, their messengers were the first to be cut down. Trapped within their own home town, Miya had gathered the remaining citizen towards their only refuge, the Moon Temple.
The weary elves had no other to turn to other then their Goddess as they prayed at the altar for a saviour as the abyssal horde was trying to bring down the main door of the temple. It was then when a miracle happened. A ray of pale blue light descended from the sky and fell upon Miya, The Moon Goddess had blessed her from the heavens above as a crystal bow materialized in her grasp. The bow was not a normal bow, they all felt it. It was an ancient and powerful weapon and with it, Miya lead the counter attack to reclaim her town. With the blessed bow, Miya rained down arrows from the heavens upon the abyssal forces, forcing them to actually retreat.
However, there is only so much a single woman could handle. Miya fought all day, dealing heavy damage on the enemies, as they had not anticipated a strong resistance. But the Abyssal forces gradually recovered from their initial shock. They took severe casualties by the arrows of Miya's bow, but they eventually overwhelmed her, especially that night-elf assassin that had knocked Miya out, whom she had failed to detect. They ambushed her and eventually took her down, thus ending their small resistance.
Miya was lucky that they decided not to kill her after the whole fiasco. That is the reason why we now find her along with the rest of the survivors being loaded to cages, awaiting to be transported back to the abyss, most probably as slaves or sacrifices for their Abyssal God.
She was kept chained and bound on a separate cage, a precaution taken by the demons after having proven just how much of a trouble she can be. Helplessly she watched as people were taken cage by cage by the Demons while she was powerless to stop them.
"I must say, this is indeed a very beautiful bow." A voice speaks aloud, pulling Miya's attention. Just outside her cage stood the Queen of Apocalypse herself and in her hands lay the Goddess blessed crystal bow that had been confiscated from her. Seeing the holy bow in the hands of the demoness really angered the elf priestess and so she snared venomously, "Unhand the holy bow at once you filthy spawn of evil! You will pay for this!"
Her outburst only making Alice laugh hysterically as she twirled the bow in her hands a bit more, "No…" she says pulling the string of the bow, making a magical arrow to appear on the bow magically, "I think I will not." Alice says playfully, shooting an arrow in the sky, further infuriating the elf. Meanwhile, Alice just kept examining the bow with a satisfied look. "I think I will keep it."
-X-
As all these events were unfolding, Saya and the CO had just arrived near the town square. Hidden behind the rubbles of the burning city, they examined the situation at hand. Upon seeing Alice, Saya felt her heart ache with sorrow and betrayal while Hanabi cursed under her breath, "Damn it, it's that Psycho Lady."
Pushing her personal feelings aside, Saya tried to focus at the task at hand and observed the situation. Finally having loaded all the citizens in the cages, the abyss were now slowly heading out with their newly acquired cargo.
Being impatient as ever, Hanabi tried to attack head on but was suddenly held back by Saya, much to her surprise, "Saya-chan, what are you doing?"
"Are you insane? We cannot attack just head on, there is just too many of them!" Saya scolded while holding Hanabi back from doing something drastic.
"But if we don't catch them, we will lose them!" Hanabi argued back. Determined and stubborn, she was unwilling to look out for her own well being and this scared Saya. Characteristically brash and impatient, she feared that this very nature would be the reason of her downfall and this was a thought Saya dreaded the most.
Karina, (still a cat-rabbit) who was being held like a teddy bear by Nana, slowly spoke out loud, "They are probably taking the path through the forest trench. That's the way we arrived here in the first place."
Nana perked up at this and hopped on her legs, "Oh I know that place, and in fact I know a short cut!"
This new information was the most helpful because that was exactly what they needed to even the odds of number. With a determined look, Saya declares, "Prepare yourselves, Ladies. We set up an ambush."
-X-
It had been several hours since they were taken from their home town. With the help of the Night elves, the Abyssal forces were easily able to travel through the Magical forest, the main defence of the Elven kingdom. For hours, Miya watched lifelessly as the Demons dragged her and her people further and further away from their home. A few minutes ago they had entered the Forest trench and were steadily making progress onward.
All the while, Miya kept worrying about the future; she worries about the fate that awaits for them in the abyss. Hearing cries of children, Miya gently moved her head to face a cage that held several little elven children. It was no secret that Alice's favourite was the blood of Elves. Especially young ones and Miya couldn't help but pity them. Ripped from the hands of their wailing mothers, waiting to be served as the latest fix for the cruel Queen of Apocalypse, Miya regrets that these children will meet their end without receiving the last love from their parents.
And she couldn't help but believe that this was her fault. Had she been a bit stronger, had she been more careful, she could've saved them. The question of 'What if' kept eating her as Miya sunk deeper into her own failure while the demons kept moving forward towards their destination.
Meanwhile, Alice was at the head of their cargo caravan. The Crystal Bow, a trophy of her victory, lay proudly on her back as she led her men forward. The Bulk of their forces were still stationed in the towns and settlements that they had conquered while sending only a small contingency of soldiers to supply the cargo back to the abyss.
Their cargo didn't just contained people but several supplies, weapons, metals and all the other supplies that had been looted as spoils of victory. This was important as it would serve them for what was to come in the near future and this was just the beginning.
Unconsciously Alice's hand went towards the scarf that she always keeps with her and caressed it gently. It had been a long time since she had heard from Saya. Alice shook her head at these thoughts. She had hoped that with time, she would forget about her infatuation and start feeling as normal as she always had been but for this instance, time didn't heal her. Alice still thinks about her. She thinks what she would be doing, how she was, whether she was safe or not. Had she forgiven her?
She always tried indulging in her other passions, yet no matter how many elves she tortured, how many goblets of blood she had consumed, she just couldn't stop thinking about the gorgeous Sai'ore.
'It had been a mistake.' She said to herself so many countless times, yet deep down she knew, she was not ashamed or guilty of her mistake.
Yet she feared that this was making her soft. So Alice tried distracting herself by serving the Abyss as much as she could. She fought, led the army and even accompanied the small platoon for the cargo delivery which would normally be carried out by other lowly figures. However, Alice was way past such petty matters of pride. She had got a taste of what it felt like to be regarded with emotion besides anger and fear. It was too intoxicating and it made her somewhat resent what she been through all these times. She was a demon, a being meant to be hated, that was what her kind was supposed to be, yet the taste of the other side was breaking the entire notion of her mentality and her mind was barely holding together.
She would sometimes consider leaving all these and fleeing back to the arms of Saya, to say 'Screw you' to the entire world and be with someone who accepted her. Alice knew she could, Saya would never turn her down. She was hurt but she still cared for her, as did she.
Then Alice would swiftly be reminded just why she was doing all this, the very reason why she left Saya in the first place. She couldn't. The Abyss would hunt them down to the edge of the world and give them a slow and agonizing death.
No.
She was doing this for Saya's own sake.
However, Alice couldn't help but have hope in her heart. That when this was all over, when their ultimate plan would succeed, Alice might be able to return to her and at that time, no one would be able stop her.
This thought caused her lips curl up in a small but genuine smile. Maybe, perhaps their union was possible someday, even if it was not possible just yet.
However her train of thoughts was broken when an explosion rocked the whole forest.
-X-
Nana had been extremely helpful on their trip as the young elf, as true to her words, led them towards the Forest trench. She had taken the shorter route which gave them an hour lead from the enemies and gave them enough time to set up an ambush.
Saya and Hanabi spent that time wisely by setting up their trap. Using the steep trench to their advantage, they worked together and toppled a huge tree just over the trench and rigged its trunk with the several explosive tags form Hanabi's arsenal.
Nana too have been busy setting up her own traps with her doll thingies and frankly, it really unnerved them, especially after seeing what it did to Karina who was still a cat-rabbit. The said transformed assassin was currently trapped within a straw basket, an item from one of the various supplies on Nhari's back, whose lid was closed tightly. There were several perforations on the lid as well as the front so that their tiny prisoner doesn't suffocate.
The entire situation was very humiliating and Karina obviously couldn't decide what was worse, to be turned into a helpless toy or to be trapped in a basket.
"Seriously, a basket? A freaking basket?" she said loudly as her captures were busy setting up traps for her allies.
"Would you rather be tied to a tree trunk by a collar?" asked Saya humorously, causing Karina to pale frightfully.
Hanabi laughed at this and added her own suggestion, "I still think she would be excellent bait!"
Poor Karina nearly had a heart attack at what the ninja girl was suggesting, but Nana suddenly butted in and stomped her legs angrily, "Don't be mean!" she then pats the basket cheerfully and chirps, "Don't worry Monila, if you behave, no one will hurt you."
Karina rolled her eyes at this and grumbled in annoyance, "For the hundredth time, my name is Karina, not Monila!"
The group couldn't help but laugh at this small banter. However their laughter seized because Saya suddenly told them all to be quite. Her sharp ears twitched (an action Karina didn't fail to pick) before she declared seriously, "They are coming."
As soon as she said this, the mood turned grim and Hanabi and Nana sprung up into action. They all took their respective positions.
Things were dead serious when the cargo caravan moved down the trench. Saya watched with hard expression as she looked upon all the people that were being transported. Her grip around her bow tightened, as a new determination took a hold of her. She was going to save them, this she had promised to Nana and Hanabi.
The time of action was now, so upon her signal, Hanabi triggered the explosive tags on the tree trunk that they had toppled over the trench. When the trunk exploded in the middle, it fell straight below and successfully sealed the trench from one side.
Chaos erupted within the ranks of the Abyssal Demons as the sudden attack send everyone in a panicked fit. As soon as the explosions went off, the traps that Nana had set up sprung to action as well. Her cat-rabbit toys sprung to life and chased every demon that was closest to it and turning them into the horrid cat-rabbit things like Nana had done to a certain moon elf assassin.
Soon after that followed a volley of arrows, kunai and shurikens that swiftly thinned out their numbers before they could even react.
Alice was having a very hard time regrouping her soldiers and to form a defensive circle but she was too late. The attackers had been very quick and precise, leaving her with only but a handful of soldiers who were lucky enough to not to be hit but those dreadful cat-rabbit voodoo dolls. Soon they fell as well as a lone figure jumped down and took care of them as swiftly as ever. Her eyes widened in surprise and terror when Alice realized just who the figure was.
Saya removed her sword form the torso of the demon she had just slain and looked at Alice straight in the eye. Her face was stern yet her true feelings were obvious and clear as crystal in Saya's pained green eyes. The two just stood speechless while Alice's mind raced a thousand miles per hour.
'This was not how it was supposed to be.' She really didn't plan on this. She had hoped to save Saya form the affairs of the abyss at her own expense yet the more she tried, the more fate pushed Saya deeper into the circles of their conspiracy. It was like everything she was working for was going to waste. These were the words that raced inside Alice's mind while Saya herself was facing her own inner conflict.
'Why must we always cross pass like this? Destined to meet at the opposite side, where union is always impossible, yet still lacking the ability to despise each other.'
Fate really loved playing cruel tricks upon them as they met again in such grave conditions. However, they had to stop their reunion short as they both heard that Hanabi and Nana had just jumped down the trench themselves to assist Saya, making both of them to break free of their staring contest.
Saya was the first to charge straight towards Alice, something the Queen of Apocalypse was not ready for. She was expecting an attack from the Sai'ore, so Alice hastily brought up the crystal bow to block it; even though she knew that it would be useless considering that Saya was just too experienced and could easily bypass her pitiful defence.
However, what she didn't expect was for Saya to get close to her and grasp Alice's arm and bow. Looking straight into the blood demon's eyes, she uttered softly, "You must go…..Please."
She didn't get to ponder on it for long because, Saya suddenly pushed Alice away and fell down on the ground herself, as if making it seem that it was Alice who had thrown her to the ground. Suddenly remembering what she was asked to do, Alice turned around and quickly unfolded her wings to fly away.
"On no you don't!" Yelled Hanabi and threw her Higanbana towards the blood demon queen. Had it hit her, there was no telling what the elves would've done to her but luckily that question would never be answered as Saya had 'accidentally' got in the way of the attack and Higanbana hit her instead of whom it was meant for.
"Saya-chan!" Hanabi cries, terrified at what 'she' had done by 'mistake' and immediately when to help her teacher who now was immobilized with thorny tendrils wrapped around her body.
Giving one last look back towards Saya, Alice zoomed off towards the sky. All the while, she kept cursing as tears flowed uncontrollably down her eyes, "This was not how it was supposed to be!"….
(I was gonna publish this on 1st Jan on new year but I kinda got busy. Hope you liked the chapter and a very happy new year to you all)