Vermin Tide Quest
Chapter 26
As the Sorcerer and the Lord of Change with him came up to the boundaries of Witch Hunt Village, a woman approached them. Unaware of who she was dealing with, the Human woman spoke up, albeit softly and discreetly.
"Sir, I don't think you should be here. The guards, they have been-"
"I'm aware of the situation" the old man interrupted, passing by her without so much as a second glance. Two guards then approached the Sorcerer. "Let us not waste any time dancing around what you are planning to do, I do indeed practice the Dark Arts. Now, take me to the Lord of this town at once, or else." his suddenly took on a dark and unnatural shade, making them look like dark pools of black ink. However, while it did scare them, they did not take to the manor where the Lord of the village lived, instead running away out of fear and terror.
"WITCH! IT'S A REAL WITCH!" one of them screamed hoarsely, while the village woman, having overheard what he said, fell back in fear when he looked at her. He then scoffed, clearly disgusted with this pitiful display.
"Whelps, the lot of you." he muttered, then moved on. As news had spread quickly of the new arrival, many of the townsfolk watched as he passed by their houses, some cowering in fear when they saw the white raven grooming itself stare at them. Others wondered what one old man was capable of, to have scared the guards so easily, as a group of the village group, around twenty or so blocked his path. The Sorcerer scoffed, then raised a hand. Before they could react, a pillar of fire erupted from the ground, and the entire group along with a section of the village they were in was turned into a blazing inferno, a number of men, women, and families caught in the blast as it traveled around the village. Screams of terror quickly enveloped the village, as the confused and horrified people did not know where to run or if they should hide, as the column of burning death moved unpredictably.
When it enveloped him suddenly, people thought he was consumed by the flames, and sighed in relief. That relief however stopped, as he emerged unscathed and undisturbed from the flames like nothing had happened. The white ravens' eyes were seen by many as glowing different colors from different people, and the pillar died away, but the fires left behind did not. The Sorcerer smiled inwardly, taking great delight in the crowds that ran around the village trying to put his work out in vain, as he went towards the manor. When he came to the entrance, two guards held up their spears, unnerved by how cool he was. He then waved his hand with a move aside gesture, and they obeyed like cowed and beaten dogs.
As he looked at a window, he saw a woman in a green dress with hair the same color looking out towards the burning village and raising smoke cloud with a shocked expression, her mouth open with a half-chewed bite of half a sandwich, which was in her hand with a glass of what the Sorcerer was 50% sure was milk in the other. When she saw him staring at her, he pointed at the ground in front of him, then tapped his wrist. When Lily shook her head in refusal, he formed a ball of fire in his hand, which motivated her enough to leave the window. A few moments later, the doors opened, and Lily walked out toward the Sorcerer and the Daemon, a faint remnant of the disturbed horror on her face still evident in her eyes.
"What, in the hell, was that?" she asked, as the old man in front of her smiled wickedly.
"That was a display of what I can offer you, or rather, the one who I have pledged my soul to." he explained, lowering the collar of his shirt to reveal a Mark of Tzeentch, the central eye of which opened up to stare at her as it shifted into various colors. "Sorry about the mess, but it was to make sure I have your full and undivided attention." Lily stared at him, a glint of hesitant eagerness in her eyes.
"What kind of power?" Lily asked.
"The kind that is not of this world, or the next." the Sorcerer said, circling around the Witch. "The kind that will make even the strongest of Monsters hesitant to attack me. What's more, I will be willing to... mentor you, teach you about it, and the origin from which it was spawned from..." Lily followed him with her eyes, craning her neck as he made a full circle around her.
"Why do you want me?" Lily asked. The old man sighed, then chuckled. The raven she was observing also seemed amused by the question. Looking at the two guards cowering in fear, she raised an arm as he replied towards the door, and they proceeded to walk inside.
"It's not me that wanted to recruit you. It was my master, who was drawn to your willingness to, alter your body, and bodies of the other women of the village." When the door closed, the Sorcerer looked around at the supply of books, the cauldron of boiling liquids, and other symbols of Witch Craft. "I see you are at the beginnings of a master Wizard."
"Well, nor really. The Four Spirits are capable of normally reducing the Elemental Magic that people are capable of using, so I never got around mastering even the weakest of Monster-grade spells."
"Well, as you can see, I'm not bound to play by the rules of such... petty beings. They are the masters of this worlds' magics, only because it's believed they are, and with time and strength of will to not submit oneself to their arbitrary restrictions. That is true magic, Lily Everstone, daughter of Penelope Everstone and James Schmidt." the Witch was then creeped out by this old man knowing her name, and her parents' names without even being told about them.
"How do you know their names? Did you acquire them from some runaway?" Lily asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"No, my master knew their names, as he does yours and the... experiments you were doing when no one was looking." the Sorcerer replied, not bothered by the way the Witch regarded him. "In fact, while this world is not one he been to before, he even now is already having his own plans for it, including what he wants from you. I was sent by the Raven God to offer you a choice, a... change in career shall we say?" Lily snickered at the idea.
"Sounds tempting, but how do I contact this so called Raven God? Is that him there?" she asked, pointing to the Daemon on the Sorcerers' shoulder.
"No." the Daemon said, causing Lily to stare at it with a confused look. "I'm one of his many eyes, here to appraise whether you were worth the effort in coming here to begin with. Know this Lily, as far as the Raven God is concerned, you are going to have to constantly show you are worthy of his gifts, and that requires more then fucking a few Humans to death..."
"Yes, what he said..." the Sorcerer sighed, getting Lily to focus back on him. "So, what do you say, shake a poor sinners hand?" he asked, offering his hand to her
"...Try me then." the Witch smiled wickedly, and stopped just short of touching his skin when she noticed something shifting under his skin. "What is that?" she said, pulling her hand back.
"That was your first test." the Sorcerer replied bluntly, as a spike burst out from his palm. "You are more then required to keep your eyes open, and your ears listening, for the Raven God never considers anyone indisposable. Now, I will show how to contact him, then we'll have to set off. He will explain."
**POV SHIFT**
As the Monsters were gathering together to discuss what to do next, a cry for help was heard as Tamano and Granberia looked over to the direction it came from. As Alma Elmas' scout party was seen running over to them, their eyes widened in shock at the blood-covered bodies running towards them, as several arrows flew out and struck their legs. An armored figure landed on the ground, and was about to stab one of the screaming Monsters, when Granberia shouted.
"Hey!" the attacker looked, and then ran when it saw that it was about to be attacked by the Monster running towards it. "Get back here!" the Dragon Knight yelled, cutting down a tree as the figure ran up it. It simply jumped to the next tree, as Granberia cut them down in rage in her fury to stop the murderous wretch. However, Alma Elma reached out to her telepathically, causing the Dragon to become half-focused as she chased the intruder.
Granberia, there is a couple of Elves running around the area. One of them is trying to kill me, and I got him contained for now. Unfortunately, he is too angry trying to kill me, and I require assistance to get him to calm down..
What do you mean 'him?' Granberia asked, as she stopped in confusion. Hold on, could these be Elves from the other world? The Heavenly Knight asked, as she resumed the chase after dodging an arrow.
I think so, and unfortunately I have discovered that you may have to hold back if you fight them, as they're fragile as glass. I have unknowingly killed one by dropping it out a tree, and the one I'm fighting has already suffered a number of injuries, even with me holding back.
Ah shit.
Yeah. Strange thing is they are hostile towards us, yet friendly towards the Humans for some reason. Alma Elma gave a run down on how she encountered them
Oh bloody hell, think the Empire sent them? Like mercenaries? As a side note, I am chasing another one. It was the one pursuing your scout team. Their all safe now, though they're going to have spend time in a medical bay getting all the arrows out. Granberia replied with, when she heard Alma Elma scream out psychically in pain. Elma?!
IT'S THE IMPERIALS! GELT AND HIS SHADOWMANCER FRIEND JUST SHOT ME! I HAVE TO FALL BACK! The Succubus cried out. Several banging sounds emphasized the Heavenly Knight of Winds' words, as Granberia sped up. She proceeded to bash her way through the forest, descending into the darkness of the forest as she did so.
HOLD ON! I'M COMING! The Dragon cried out to her, fear at losing another of her comrades pushing her to faster speeds as she ran past the Elf archer, even if it was Alma Elma that was under attack. As she bashed through the underbrush of the forest, the Dragon followed the sounds of the Imperial fire-spears shooting their projectiles. However, she began to notice something was off when she began to sense the sensation of magical energy around her. She wondered why it felt familiar, yet distant off.
What the hell? She thought, as the forest shimmered with a gray energy. As she began to look around for a way to exit, a voice spoke inside her head. It at first sounded like Alma Elma, but there was none of the usual casual teasing nature to it.
*BGM: SEATHE THE SCALELESS THEME FROM DARK SOULS*
"So, you managed to see through it already." the voice said, as Granberia raised Aries to a guard stance. "Most take at least five minutes to process that they were stuck in one of my illusions at best, but you did so in but thirty or so seconds." the Dragon Knight glared off into the distance, and shouted, as she realized this must be the Shadowmancer. Cursing under her breath, Granberia pulled out her sword Aries.
"Where are you coward?!" she shouted, lighting the sword on fire. Suddenly, several shadows rushed out and smothered it, causing the Dragon to cry out as as the flames died. When they left it, Aries was not alight. "How the hell? Who are you, to think you stand a chance against me, Granberia the Sword of Justice?" she demanded.
"...Justice? You think you can call yourself that?" The Shadowmancer asked, and Granberia noted that there was a hint of disgust. Suddenly, Granberia felt something moving to her left, and swung her sword at the Wizard. However, when she saw nothing but air, the Dragon stopped her swing. "Huh? KYAAHH!" she yelled, as something stabbed her from behind. As a sword suddenly stuck out of her chest, she stared at it, and laughed. She realized that the attack was meant to be a killing blow, and would have run through her heart had it not been for the fact that it was on the other side.
"You missed."
"What?" the mimicry of Alma Elmas' voice muttered, then grunted as Granberia elbowed them. She felt the Human Wizards' ribs crack as he stepped back from the blow, then swung Aries for an overhead swing, and slammed it down to kill the murderous bastard, a crater forming in the dust. However, when she saw there was nothing there, her eyes widened. Then, she cried out in pain, as she felt another stabbing sensation in her arm. Granberia screamed, as it hurt more then she had felt an injury should have, as a small cut was all that formed on her arm. However, she refused to drop Aries, and instead shouted in rage. Letting out the power that her kin can unleash with the Cursed Sword Style, she swung up as though decapitating an opponent, and swung in a circle. A ring of debris was kicked up, and Granberia stepped back to balance herself back to her original stance. A shockwave also was released, as the ground was suddenly turned into a patch of dirt with nothing on it.
"How was that for size, Human? I am giving one chance to lower your illusion at once, and cease this attempt to kill me. I'm beyond even a legion of soldiers, a mere Wizard like you can not hope to withstand my Cursed Sword Style. I'll even speak for and try to appeal for a pardon for whatever role you played in death of Erubetie, Queen of Slimes and the Heavenly Knight of Water, who- guah!" Granberia grunted, as she felt something slash her stomach, and a red wound opened up, spraying blood as she quickly covered her abdomen. She knew by feel, that if it weren't for the fact the scales on the sides of her body didn't glance the sword the Wizard used to attack her out of alignment in his hand when it aimed for her abdomen, he would have disemboweled her on the spot. The hell? This man really is trying to kill me. He unlike most people actually went for the gaps in my armor plating, at least what little I wear as armor. Suddenly, the light from overhead pooled into a cross-shape, which formed a sword with a cruciform guard and pommel.
"I am not some petty Human of this world you can beat down with but a finger." the Wizard retorted. "I am a true Sword of Justice. Justice, is not imprisoning a dozen men in a dungeon and keeping them prisoner solely for satisfying your need bodily urges. You would be an insult to the Grey Order just for that crime alone." the Wizard snarled using the sword as an avatar, as Granberia flinched at the hate that dripped from the voice of Alma Elma he was mimicking.
"Who are you to rant about justice, while you hide behind this cheap illusion, and disguise your voice? Besides, we made sure those men enjoyed their time there, and if they-" Suddenly, the Sword burst into flames. A beam then shot from the sword, and Granberia barely dodged it as it went for her head.
"Silence from you, Mutant Spawn! You practically drugged them! Did they really agree to be kept to near starvation then, to be kept there while you drained the very life from them?! HOW ABOUT THE MURDEROUS BASTARD OF A DAEMON YOU CALL THE 'HEAVENLY KNIGHT OF WIND'?!" Granberia covered her ears, but the raising voice was coming from her head, and thus it did not quiet down. "YOU CALL ME A MURDERER, YET YOU LET THAT BITCH WALK FREELY AS SHE PILLAGED AND RAPED AS SHE PLEASED, ALL IN THE NAME OF HER OWN AMUSMENT! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CALL YOURSELF THE SWORD OF JUSTICE, YOU ARE AN ABOMINATION AND AN AFFRONT TO TRUE JUSTICE!"
Granberia then looked up, as the sword dispersed into a mist of gray energy, then formed into a pendulum with a giant curved blade on the end, which swung towards her. Granberia channeled her latent magical power, and tried to brace for attack with her sword. However, the pendulum phased through Aries, and then through Granberia. The Dragon proceeded to let out a blood-curdling screech, as she felt it trying to rip apart her soul, and fell to her hands and knees as it passed through her. The pain practically paralyzed her shaking form on the spot, and when she saw a shadow loom over her, the terrified Dragon Knight looked in horror as the pendulum was coming from a second strike. Granberia, now shaking, saw that the dirt patch she created wasn't there, the debris being arranged as it was originally, and Aries was alight, glowing with the power of Fire. She looked up as she heard the Shadowmancer approach her, and she saw only disgust and contempt in the gray robed Humans eyes as he crouched down and pulled out a knife from the sleeve of his robe.
Granberia swung a fist up at her attacker, only for him to dodge it, but just barely. The Dragon Knight then twirled, kicking the Humans' legs out from under him. With a new burst of adrenaline coursing through her, she then jumped to the side and back to avoid his throwing the knife at her. She then ran towards a tree, and began to climb it, as the Human Wizard watched her. Smiling to herself, she jumped of, and fell down towards him, preparing to incinerate the Wizard with a Vaporizing Rebellion Sword. However, when she looked at him, her eyes widened in shock as the Wizard, instead of trying to avoid the attack, was channeling his own magic while holding his free palm out in front of himself towards her, which had a Crucifix of Illias with a pure white Angel Diamond on it with it's chain wrapped around his wrist going into the sleeve opposite of the one he had the knife hidden in. As it began to glow, she realized what he was going to do.
"Oh shi-" The beam of Light energy that was let out from the Crucifix struck Granberia, and the Dragon Knight was blasted back from the force of it, and through the same tree she ran up of. She then crashed into a boulder, which split in two. As she wheezed in pain, the Monster could barely see, as a gash was bleeding blood which coated her hair and dribbled down her eyes. As she tried to scry out and sense where the Wizard was, she could fell another blast of Light energy coming towards her. The Dragon rolled sideways, and screamed as the Elemental blast that powered the Angels blew away the boulder into rubble and launched her further into the air. As she landed, she grunted and then moaned in pain, the exposure to the first Light beam having causing internal injuries to her body, which got worse when she struck the ground.
*BGM ENDS*
Where did this Human get a source of pure Light energy form?! It was reported that they refused to worship Illias, and Angel Diamonds only come from Heaven itself! They were specifically banned from being given to Humans! I must get out of here to warn Alice at once that Illias is violating the Treaty by arming these Humans with Angelic weaponry like she did in the Great Monster Wars! The Dragon Knight thought, her mind panicking as she tried to look for Aries. However, when she heard footsteps, she tensed up. When she caught onto the second persons' scent, she realized it was the Elf that she was chasing from earlier. And that was when she sensed an Angel was there as well.
"So then, looks like you have beaten, again." the Angel replied with small amount of satisfaction, as the Heavenly Knight of Fire stared in shock. Then she growled, getting up slowly with a furious look on her face. However, she could barely balance herself, and had to lean on the tree behind her.
"You bitch, you're breaking the Treaty by arming these Humans with Light-based weaponry. Lord Alice will see you burn for this." she then looked at the Elf. "Why would you fight alongside them, you traitor?" the Elf visibly rolled their eyes while the Angel snickered. The Human Shadowmancer appeared, ready to fire upon Granberia with another blast from the Crucifix. However, they stopped, and looked at the Elf and Angel.
"What's going on here?" the Elf spoke up first, ignoring Granberia who stared in confusion. The Human seemed to recognize the elf as non-Human, yet didn't attack her on site like with the Monsters of Hellgondo.
"Well, Lord Teclis back at our world had assembled a force to find you, Balthasar Gelt, and the regiment of soldiers that got sucked up whatever portal the Skaven created with their weapons, the Land of the Dead has got a new breed of Mutants like this half-breed of a Dragon running around, though for the most part they have fled back to whatever pit they crawled out off when the Undead there, but now a potential Storm of Chaos has begun. So, we High Elves at Ulthuan came here to save you guys, but now it seems we're on the same boat." Granberia paled, as she realized they were familiar with each other, if in a non-hostile manner with each other. Not only that, but when Dragons were mentioned, the Elf refereed to the Dragon Knight as a 'half-breed' of one, as though the thought of Granberias' mere existence offended it.
"I assume you have also been told about how screwed up a this accursed world is?" the Human asked, gesturing to the Angel. The Elf nodded.
"Yeah, there are Elves native to this world, but they are yet another sub-species of Monster here, much to my disappointment."
Oh no. Granberia thought, as the Light energy coursing through made her fall to her knees, and cry out in pain. The three others around her looked at the trembling Knight.
"What's happening here?"
"Oh, basically us Angels are made of Light Energy, which is incompatible with the Dark Energy which Monsters were created with. If I was suddenly blasted with Dark Energy like you did Granbberia here with Light, I too would suffering massive internal bleeding among other things." the Angel replied.
"That explains why I'm seeing a bunch of Dhar unweaving from her body."
"Dhar?"
"The Black Wind of Dark Magic? Do you have the Sight, a kind of sixth sense that lets you see magic in and of itself?" the Angel stared blankly. "I'll explain later." with that, the Shadowmancer turned the Crucifix on Granberia, who suddenly shot out a column of fire at them, catching the three off-guard. As they were distracted trying to avoid the flames, the Dragon Knight managed to flee, picking up Aries on the way. She had no chance of victory standing her ground, but normally she would have fought anyway. However, this violation of the Treaty had to be reported to Lord Alice at once, and takes precedence. With that, she got and starting running, breathing laboriously as she did so...
**POV SHIFT**
As Luka went into the house with the tablet that Meia gave him to give to the Mermaid Queen to get her and her mate married, the Mermaid in question turned and saw the Human boy set it down. As she wobbled over to him on her tail, she spoke up. Somewhere outside, Alice went to get more fried Starfish.
"Did you make it to the Queen?" Luka sighed and then nodded.
"Yes."
"The Mermaid Queen having memory lapses?"
"Yep. How did she become leader of you Mermaids?"
"She was the strongest." Luka stared blankly, then shook his head. "So, I was thinking about your reward." at this Luka looked back to her, then his eyes widen when he recognized the hungry look of lust in her eyes. Realizing what the nature of her 'reward' was, his face turned into a scowl.
"No. You are now a newly led wife, start acting like it and cleave to your husband only, etc. etc." with that he left the house, leaving Meia speechless. When he found Alice, she looked like she stifling a giggle. "Something funny?"
"Yeah. It was a joke I heard once. I just remembered the punch line." Luka stared at her suspiciously, then moved on.
On the way there, Amira was seen running over to them. Upon his first glance, Lukas' hand twitched closer to the hilt of Angel Halo, until he saw the terrified look of the Monster, his expression reflected on Alice as well. When the Monster finally caught up to them, she huffed in loud and wearied wheezes.
"The Five... the Five are... oh gods." Amira muttered, before falling over. Luka and Alice then ran up to her, and the boy pulled out a water skin and brought it to her mouth.
"What about them?" he asked as the monster drank down the clear liquid.
"The Five have joined with Lazarus and Illias Kruez. They also have some kind of... warrior priest with them. They plan to storm Witch Hunt Village, and use it as a base of operations." Lukas' eyes widen at the news, while Alice tensed up at the mention of the terrorist group. Amira then gave a brief run down of how she listened in on their conversation concerning the village, then ran all the way to Luka and Alice from Sabasa to tell them, not stopping until she found them. Luka cringed at the image of how long or fast she had to have been running, while already imagining alongside Alice what could happen if Illias Kruez was able to arm themselves with weapons like what Victor was carrying with him. However, when Amira finally recovered enough to stand she started to fidget. Luka once more placed a hand on Angel Halo.
"Amira, don't." he warned
"That's not what I was thinking about. It has to do with Erubetie." Alice looked over to the Monster.
"What happened?"
"The Imperials that took your castle, they... managed to... kill her, somehow." Amira said, as though she herself couldn't believe it. Alice and Luka stared in shock and incredulous denial, waiting for her to say that it was a joke. Luka, although he did not meet her, the things Alice said about her made her out be the most durable of the Knights due to her being a Slime, yet apparently this Balthasar Gelt was more then able to slay her. Alice meanwhile, felt a pang of horror in her throat, as the reports of the Imperial Human battle Wizards she secretly received said they were stronger then the ones that were of this world, strong enough that they could fight off three of her Heavenly Knights at the same time, but to be able to kill Erubetie? That bespoke of a level of strength that may very well threaten the Monsters of Hellgondo themselves.
While Erubetie and Alice never saw eye to eye when it came to Humans, the Monster Lord now also remembered the other Slimes the Heavenly Knight of Water carried within her body were likely also killed off as well depending on how she died to them, which now only those few that lived at Undines' Spring are likely all that remains of them. Alice started to have a panic attack at thought of how much closer the kin of Kanade were now, and slithered off rapidly some where.
"Alice?!" Luka cried out in shock, then ran after her. It was useless however, as she was already leaving him behind, and into the forest. As she placed a hand on a tree, she started panting heavily.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it..." she repeatedly softly, the sheer amount of burden and horror at the news overwhelming her emotionally. It was already hard enough as is with the Queens barely following her orders, if they did at all, and Balthasar Gelt managed to seize her castle, effectively strangling what political clout she could manage, now Erubetie, one of the Monsters chosen personally by Alice to oversee the following of her will was killed by his hands, or one of the Humans serving him? The Heavenly Knights were not just her royal guard, nor those closest to her. They were also symbols for the Monsters to see and look up to as the strongest of their kind! They were the invincible exemplars of the Dark Goddess' blessings to her children, and Gelt slew one of them in the very castle her descendant Alipheese the 16th was supposed to rule from. Alice punched the ground in rage, then recoiled as she smashed a crater into it. The Lamia pulled her hand back, and held a hiss of pain back as she looked at her knuckles.
When she heard the sounds of bark splitting, she turned to see one of the trees had extended its avatar toward her. As it approached, it formed a bandage out of the moss and placed it on her hand.
"Why did you not stop him?" she asked, her tone emotionless as the tree man did its work.
"She Attacked Gelt. While he was. In your home." Alice sighed, and placed a hand on the bridge of her nose.
"No surprise there. How though?"
"Gelt. Tricked. Her. Killed the Knight. With poisoned clothing." Alice turned to the tree-kin.
"What do you mean?"
"Gelt learned. Of the weakness. Of Slimes and. Used it to his. Advantage. Turned the Castle of the Lord. Into a trap. Then, he finished her. By sacrificing her. To Morr, thus sending her soul and all those contained in her. To his Garden." Alice felt a knot tighten at the mention of Morr.
"By the Dark Goddess." Suddenly, the tree-kin tensed up, and Alice yelped as it squeezed her hand. "Ow! Watch it!" she yelled, then saw it shudder in fear, shielding itself with its arms as though expecting a blow. Realizing that the tree spirit had reacted to the mention of her direct ancestor, Alice realized the mention of her caused it to freak out. "I'm sorry. What happened?"
"Don't invoke the Dark One." the creature said. Alice swore she heard fear, and offended anger in its voice.
"Why? Why do you fear her?"
"She created. The Abomination of Tree-Kin. The Enslaver. Became The Betrayer of the Forests since then." Alice realized who the tree-kin was talking about.
"You were talking about... the Ancestor Lord of all Plant Monsters, right?" at that, the tree man nodded. Alice had a look of visible confusion. "Why is... she a Betrayer?"
"The Dark One. made a pact to the Forests. In return for. Letting her take samples of plants. She would not. Disturb, control or bring harm to us. Later, the Light One also made a pact. In exchange of teaching Humans. How to protect themselves from the Dark Ones' kin. She would do the same. We watched as both races grew. However, Humans became our preferred. Conversationalists." this was a shock to Alice. She never heard of Illias caring for her creations, only that she sought the extermination of all Monsters. Then again, she never knew that Druids were real until now. Not only that, but the idea that the trees preferred the company of said Human Druids was, a complete removal from how Monsters considered themselves closer to the forces of nature, the Four Spirits being massive supporters of them being proof.
"How come?"
"The Humans, grateful to us. Came to view the Forests as. Their friends, in a world. Where they were. Constantly hunted, and trying. To live. As a result, they tended to us. Cured those suffering from. Blight. Put out wild fire. Monsters on the other hand. They fought amongst themselves. In the Forests, often leading to. Us being hurt. While Monsters sometimes. Repaired the damage. Normally it was Humans that. Had to heal the broken, and take care of those that died. We began to grow angry with the Dark One. We demanded her children. Fight elsewhere. She ignored our pleas, so when. The War began, many marched for the Light One. The Dark One retaliated, by bestowing the Abomination. The power to control us, and steal. Our free will. We were forced to kill those Humans we loved. Defiled their bodies, tortured them. The Light One and the Angels. Along with many Humans, who loved us as friends and. Comrades, soon grew to hate us. They began to purge us with fire. Only after peace was restored, did they realize what they. Had done to us, but the damage was done, and so we became silent. We swore to never help anyone ever since, whether of the Dark One, or of the Light One. However, times have changed, and war is now. Inevitable, so we cannot stand aside. Anymore..."
Alice was silent, as the tree spirit walked back to its home, and went back into it. After wards, Alice looked at her bandaged hand, and turned to head back over to Luka, the Human boy likely her only hope of proving them wrong. She stopped however, and looked back to the tree.
"I'm sorry." she then moved on, now determined to end this madness as soon as possible.
Authors Note: Well, seems my little divergence into what going on in the Warhammer World was received positively. With that, I imagine you would like to know more. Oh, and let me know how you like, or dislike my interpretations of the characters and their divergences from their canons elves, etc. Forgive me Sigmar, when you read on, for this was the only thing I could come up with to convey the sleeping giant the Monsters have awoken that is the Warhammer Fantasy setting...
As a television broadcast made by 'Kitsune Ancestor Network' showed an army of Monsters, regal patriotic music could be heard playing in the background, while banners to the Dark Goddess flowed in the wind. They were wearing a set of special armor forged from Dragonsteel, made with a quality Humans of the world of Aliphessa could never hope to create. One of them turns to the camera, a Behemoth with flowing dark red hair.
"I'm doing my part in the Grand Army of the Dark Goddess." Several more Monster soldiers turned to the camera as it focused on them.
"I'm doing my part."
"I'm doing my part."
"I'm doing my part." A Dragon Pup steps into view.
"So am I." the Grand Army can be heard laughing, as a voice can be heard.
"Join the Grand Army today, and we'll take the Second World! Enlistment guarantees rights to colonize it." With that, a block of text comes saying 'Would you like to know more?' appears.
After clicking on it, another announcement could be seen, showing the Dark Goddess and her six Daughters overlooking a parade. A voice proceeds to speak.
"It has been 5999 years since the Great March was launched, and Aliphessa was founded as one unified world. Monsters have become the greatest species to walk upon its earth, while Illias and her Angels are no more a threat to world peace. Tomorrow, it will be the 6000th year, and our Goddess promises to mark the occasion with a broadcast that will never be rivaled yet." the camera shows an imagine of Illias, Lucifina, and Micaela making one final stand against the Monsters, then Illias' summary execution while her daughters are dragged away to a building, then it shows a desolate desert. "As it stands, we are also in the midst of a great discovery. A world, scorched and in need of invigoration has been discovered. The Dark Goddess has already made plans for it, as we will come to this world to enlighten it and bring paradise to it." With that, the news station shows an army of Monsters entering a portal, and traveling to the Second World. Then a live stream was shown with a Dark Elf looking into the camera, clearly wearing the uniform of the soldiers around. "Now live with the Dark Elf Clarrisa Hemmings. Hemmings, if you will."
"Greetings and salutations my fellow Monsters and Humans, hope you having a ravishing day today. As you can no doubt see, we have encountered a majestic city, likely built by a civilization that has collapsed at least several thousand years ago." the camera pans to the city in question, "Can't imagine Humans were responsible for building such a noble jewel in this otherwise desolate waste, as one can clearly observe that there is almost no signs of life, with the exception of us Monsters of course, and some wandering native Humans nomads we encountered. What they were doing here, we do not know, as there are no known sources of food or water such pitiful creatures would be interested in. Now, I know what some of you at home listening might be wondering are thinking, 'Why are you in such an isolated place, if there's nothing of value to begin with?' Well, you just answered your own question, as there is no river that we can see to give this ruined city the Humans fled to out of desperation, and what evidence we have of agricultural development indicates the land is a dead one, similar to our homeland of Hellgondos' own wasteland. With nothing to sustain any counter attacks, the natives will not reach our army once we bring back life to this city, and form a forwards operating base out of it, such is the wisdom of our Goddess for such a plan that only she could conceive." the camera moves back to Monster Camp, as a Goblin with tan skin and sandy blonde hair calls out to them, carrying a large hammer that would not be lifted by even the strongest Human, despite the Goblin being only waist height to her taller sister Monsters.
"How long are we going to be here? I want to get out of this desert and find me a nice snuggle partner already, if you know what I mean..." with that, the Dark Elf laughs, along with the Succubus and a few other Monsters who heard it. The Dark Elf then brought the microphone back to her mouth.
"Now now Estlia, we have to be patient, and restore this city, and reinvigorate the land around it with power and flow of Water. Then, we will create a beautiful and prosperous oasis, that will be the envy of the nations of this world. Then, Humans and what ever else inhabits the Second World will come, and witness what the Great Mother Goddess Alice offers to them; a paradise, populated by women willing to satisfy their every desire, and more then skilled in any art of such lustful skill then their own I bet." with that, several Monsters gave a 'hear, hear' in agreement. However, when a bright light was emitted off screen, the Monsters stopped what they were doing, and looked towards the source of it all. "What in the hell?" the Dark Elf says, as the camera pans to reveal that the light was coming from the beam, and smoke clouds was being emitted from the pyramid, as giant blue lights were falling from the sky, and landing there.
"What is that? Wait, the half-animal, half-Human statues, they're moving!" someone yells off camera, and it zooms to confirm that the statues were indeed moving, now pulsing with the same blue color, as the gates opened and they ran inside, weapons drawn. The camera then pans up, as large number of Monsters could be seen flying to the air, and flying away from the city. Various bolts of magical energy and projectiles are also observed following them, along with what appeared to be dead vultures of some kind, and Monsters dropped left and right as they were swarmed and or slain by the missiles cast after them, some by the archer statues not yet entering the city.
"Who in the hell is attacking us?! What is going on?!" Estlia cried out, as a sandstorm could be seen forming around the city, then she cursed. "It's coming this way!" she screamed in terror, as it formed shapes of screaming skulls and began to grow ever bigger, swallowing up larger and larger numbers of the flying Monsters trying to get away from it. A voice cried in a calm and collected voice.
"Everyone get in the tents! They're enchanted to repel any disastrous sand or snow storm by the Earth Spirit herself!" with that, the Monsters began to run inside, the camera following the Dark Elf as she goes into the nearest one. A Lamia jumps at the sudden intrusion, her mate wrapped up and being crushed in her coils. Cries of panic could be heard through out the camp
"What are you doing in here? Get out of my tent!" the snake Monster yelled, displaying a sudden burst of uncharacteristic modesty as she covers herself with a blanket, as well as placing herself between the two Monsters, and the Human in her grip. "This man is mine, record someone else you perverts!" the Dark Elf and Succubus then both snapped at her.
"Shut up!" they both yelled.
"The city we found just got enveloped by a sandstorm, and the Monsters there were attacked by a bunch of natives! Not only that, but the statues there are Golems of some kind, skilled in the weapons they carried with them. The entire city has suddenly become alive!" the Dark Elf explained, as the Lamia pulled back a cloth flap and looked out towards the city, then turned to the camera crew. She had an angry look on her face, and snapped back.
"Bullshit! Explain this!" she said, pointing to the still open flap, as the two Monsters looked out. The city was fine, and the sandstorm was gone.
"What the hell?" the Succubus camera woman could be heard saying as she stepped out from the tent along with a gathering crowd of Monsters, along with their Human slaves and mates. A Centaur stepped forwards, and rode out, yelling that she was going to check it out while swiftly disappearing into a speck until the camera zoomed in to follow. Suddenly, a giant scorpion statue jumped out of the sand, landing next to the horse Monster. As she fell screaming, the scorpion could be seen having the same magical energy flowing through it, and had a skull head, and one from which the stinger emerged from. The stinger proceeded to impale the Centaur, who yelped as she was pulled up into the air, the pointed tail swinging her around. The scorpion then jumped back into the ground, and its tail flicked her away from it, sending the Monster screaming off into the distance. A swell emerged from where it burrowed, and began to turn towards the camp, while a large wall of statues could be seen running towards the encampment.
"Oh bloody hell! We're next!" Estlia screamed, as the Monsters began to panic and run. However, multiple skeletons and mummies began to crawl out of the ground, along with statues like the ones that were seen on the city walls. As the Monsters realized they were surrounded by the Undead, terror and panic overcame them, as these were not slow, shambling corpses. These instead were fast, running towards them with weapons drawn and the mummies in particular letting out horrific and rage filled shrieks of hatred towards their living counterparts.
"What is going on?! Where did these things come from, they were not in the ground a few seconds ago! Help, HELP!" Suddenly, the same voice from before cried out, and a Dragon could be seen pointing a sword at the creatures.
"Where's your Alipheese-damned pride? They're only Undead! Just form up and run them over, they can't react fast enough to stop us all!" She screamed loudly, rallying the Monsters into a coordinated charge, though she herself sounded panicked. The Monsters let out a war cry of their own, rushing forwards in a wall of berserk fury, though some such as the Lamia could be seen moving slower then the rest due to trying to carry their men with them. As they closed the distance however, the fronts ranks of the skeletons and their mummified counterparts lowered down a wall of spears, forming a phalanx at the last possible second. Before the front row of Monsters realized this, they unwittingly ran into the shield wall, impaling themselves upon rank after rank of ancient weaponry as their charge was ground almost immediately to a halt. The camera turns to the flanks, and several mummies riding large snake statues could be seen moving around to hit the sides. As they slammed into the sides of the Monster regiment, the statues began spitting some form of acid on them, while the Undead on top of them swung various bladed staff weapons that swept into and carved gouges into the Monsters.
The next half hour or so was a graphic battle of attrition, as the Monsters were formed to push onwards, climbing over a growing wall of their fallen comrades and the enemy assaulting them from all directions. The Monsters were fighting valiantly as hard as they could, and even smashing and crushing the more common Undead by the hundreds, thousands even. But even so, the statues were more then capable of fighting on equal grounds,and there was never ending sea of the cannon fodder that kept throwing themselves at the Monsters, and most of the Undead creatures also were somehow being repaired. Various animal-headed statues ran towards isolated members of the First Grand Army, tired and falling behind, tackling and then tearing the terrified creations of the Dark Goddess apart. A Minotaurus could be seen rushing what appeared to be the leader of the army after somehow barreling her way out from the main mass of the Undead, which was identified as the Tomb King itself with her hammer ready to strike it down, only for it to raise a hand and catch said hammer in mid-swing. The Undead Necromancer then grabbed the shocked Monster by the throat and lifting her up with one hand, then stabbed her with its kopesh. Arrows were also raining from the sky, and more then once the Dark Elf and her partner were almost struck by the projectiles, but the use of magic barriers pointed up at the sky saved them and those around them.
The Monsters pressed on, their numbers rapidly dwindling as they were growing tired from the fight. However, as a green figure appeared and then decimated the back ranks of the Undead by stomping on them, drawing their attention, they got a second wind, and fought with to reach their saviors. However, when they appeared as green men of some kind, one of them pointed at the Monsters.
"LOKS LOIKE GORK N' MORK SENT US SUM NEW GITZ TA FOIGHT BOYZ! WWWWAAAAGGGGHHHH!" as the green brutes then rushed forwards echoing the war cry as they cut down Monster and Undead alike much to the former's horror, "FOIGHT MEH, YA PANZY GITZ!" The beast coming at them roared in rage.
"We're not fighters!" the creature paused, looking at them with what looked to be surprise and shock. Then, it gave a look of utter disgust, and charged once more.
"WWWWAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"
"NO DON'T, WE'RE NON-COMBATANTS! WE DON'T FIGHT! OH DARK GODDESS NNNOOOO!" the Dark Elf screeched, and the Succubus was knocked down as she knocked to the side of the lumbering beast, sending the camera tumbling as it landed with a thump on the ground. The Dark Elfs' corpse fell down, cleaved in two as the Succubus could be hearing groaning and screaming in pain. Suddenly, the camera is picked up, revealing the bruised, and bloodied Succubus as she cried out again. The last few seconds of the footage was spent with the sobbing and crying Monster pushing a button, when a green hand grabs her by the hair, and she is lifted up with a cry of pain away from the cameras' view.
"GET KRUMPED!" with that, the footage ends with something being thrown on top of the camera with a crunch, and the recording cuts out...