The land of mountains, otherwise known as the location of the Intoner, Four.
The next location that Zero and her companions, Dito and Michael have to traverse to find the Intoner. Even though only one intoner has fallen, this branch has already suffered through drastic changes.
Five's interaction with a human led to her strengthened internal conflict which led to her downfall. And now, currently in the timeline, Four's sadism has only grown exponentially. Has the Flowers influence already begun to get so heavy on the Intoners? And if so, why?
Well, I'll have to find out.
"FUCK, IT'S COLD!" I bitched for the umpteenth time. I ran forward, my heels crunching into the snowy landscape just enough for it to be the only sound that I can definitively say I'm fucking sick of. Michael flew above and Dito followed me.
"Are you sure Four is fucking here?!" I yelled at the disciple trailing behind me.
"You think I just want to take strolls in this lovely weather?" His voice was laced with sarcasm and my eye slightly looked to glade at him from my peripheral.
"If you two are done arguing like wrenches. I believe I see a wall of stone up ahead." Michael cut in, flying low enough to hear us fuss, but high enough to get a good look at the road ahead. Well, the road is a long shot. More like just bland blanket of snow that stretches for the amazing length of too fucking far.
"Wrenches?" Dito questioned.
"He meant wenches." I deadpanned. Causing the dragon above me to scoff. But before he could retort.
"SHE HERE! IT'S ZERO! JUST LIKE LADY FOUR PREDICTED!"
I see soldiers lining up on the wooden barricades. An archer on a high vantage point yelled the warming that alerted more soldiers to come to the barricade. To which Dito and I looked at a certain large fucking dragon.
"Really Michael? You tell us about the stone wall a fucking mile away but not the barrage of soldiers right in front of us?"
"They are no threat. There's no need for a warni-"
And a catapult threw a large boulder, narrowly missing the white dragon. To which, he halted at the soldiers.
"You DARE attack ME!" as he charges a beam and shooting at the front soldier shrieking and falling easily from his magic.
"Fuck It! Keep moving!" I call out as I sprint fast, a line of pink coming behind me as I press my body forward.
Soldiers who survived Michael's attack attempt came at me. My foot stomped into the snow causing alot of it to puff at my weight as I sliced through. Spinning and getting a clear slash on the soldiers in my way. Blood coating the snow as I kept running forward.
"DON'T LET HER REACH THE FORTRESS!"
The soldiers cried out, but I didn't care. Four had to be there. Or at least information on her. Dito and I slashes through the soldiers who attempted to stop us. Michael flying above and shooting down any soldiers who are on high ground. Their screams and falling corpses going all around us.
"Y'know, Z. I have to admit this is way better than old flabbertits." Dito spoke up as we ran.
"Oh yeah? And why's that?" I asked, lithe in my voice as I kicked down a barricade. The wood splitting and falling into the snow.
"Not being by the sea. And killing as much as I want. Hard to beat really." He grinned with that.
"Yeah, yeah. Just don't slow me down. Cause I give no fucksabout leaving you beh-"
"Ahead!" Michael called out. As the road had became a much wider clearing. The fortress was right there. All we had to do was get inside. But, my eyes caught something.
"Oh you've got to be kidding me." I complained as I heard the rumbling slams of the ground. The centaur walked out turning to us with a loud roar and hooves scraping the snowy layer of the ground.
"So uh..is this a norm?" The disciple asked as he readied his spear.
"You'll be fucking surprised." I reply dryly as I simply turned and ran around the centaur in one direction. Michael flew up, the centaur charging and attempting to swing at him as he flew.
"You gotta plan, Z?" Dito called out as he ran behind me.
"Plan? Just cut the bastard until it fucking dies!" I charge forward now, the centaur unable to turn to face us. As I swing my arm up, flying in the air as I slashes the centaur's body. A few more air slashes before so soon and slice back down to the ground.
Dito had charged in as well, stabbing the centaur rapidly before running through his front and back legs with a large overhead swipe of his spear.
It roared and leaned back onto it's hind legs. As I ran forward and stabbed it's legs in the process. It was getting weaker now and made for easy attacks.
Before we knew it the centaur had fell. Covered in slices as a large puff of snow rose from the ground. "That was easy." I said with a hand on my hip.
"Yeah, a little too easy." Dito voices.
"You're just bitching because you couldn't mutilate it." I make my way to the fortress that the centaur was protecting.
"Uh, Z. Centaur's don't usually go down so quickly. Aren't you even a little worried?"
"Nope."
"Save your breath, boy. Whatever awaits us in the fortress will be no match." Michael cut in as he walked behind us.
"Boy?" Annoyance laced in the Disciples voice."Fine, fine. And when we get surrounded I will happily tell you both 'I told you so.'"
"I doubt that Four would be dumb enough to leave a whole fucking army for us." I kick open the door. Making my way into the fortress. Its stone walls were rough and it was quiet.
My rose eye turning to and fro, as we all made it to the center of the area. I groaned.
"Where in the fuck is she? I don't have time to play cat and mouse!"
Michael looked as well. "It is merrily quiet. I doubt that she is here. You, intoners have a habit of posturing."
"Gotta admit. Rich coming from you, Sparky." Dito says as he stabs his spear into the ground and leans on it. "And you mean eerily." He corrected Michael.
I turn to my disciple. "See? I told you that this place would be-"
As soon as I opened my fat mouth door slid open. A large scraping around echoing through the fortress' walls. And from the inside golems entered. Floating limbs not too far other. There was at least 5 as they slowly stride over to the three of us. And before we knew it we were surrounded.
"I told you so." Dito said dryly.
A loud groan left me, "ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?!"
I watched from a distance as the original intoner, angrily sliced and stabbed her way through the fortress of golems. Her stolen disciple and unwavering dragon at her side. This branch has enabled somewhat of a more...levied Zero to emerge.
Still crude, lazy, and bossy. But she seems to be...more grounded. Michael's presence seems to do wonders for her. But that very presence is what makes this branch so ominous.
A hand to my chin and a hum from my lips. Wherever the intoner Four is, she is bound not to be in her right mind.
And as curse words littered the air as I'm obviously just blurring out that very loud scene from the reader.
What? Don't be so surprised. Be thankful that I didn't make you sit here and read a page full of Zero cussing away about golems.
As the golems laid dead at our feet, My sword my hand as I take a deep breath.
"FOUR!"
"What? For the love of-" my disciple complains as he sat on the ground.
"What do you think that screaming is going to accomplish, Zero?" Michael inputted as he landed on the ground next to us.
"Shut the fuck up!"
She wasn't here, after clearing out the golems and a search around we all saw that. I turn on my heel and begin to march out. "Damn, Bitch! Gonna make me go on a wild goose chase, huh?!"
Dito and Michael follow me, leading back out into the winter mountains. My bitching continuing as I walked.
"Uh,Z?"
"Wha-" instantly my foot stomps on something and a moan rings out. For a second we were all quiet as my eye slowly looks down to see a spot of brown under my foot. then a poof of snow erupted beside it, revealing a head of short blonde hair.
"S-stepping on me. While I freeze in such...awful weather. Hnng."
I blink, as we all stared in silence once more. The tanned man turning to us and rising to his feet in a rush. "I-its you! Lady Zero!"
Dito steps forward. "Hey, wait a minute. aren't you Four's perverted disciple?"
"I-I am! or well I was."
I shake away the shock and lift my sword. "That's good enough for me. Tell me where she is, now."
He shivers, "S-Such an authority."
"Is he really this dense?" Michael comments.
"Wish I could say this was out of character the only thing weird is that he isn't with her."
At that he stiffens and lowers his hands. "Well that is, because-"
"Start talking and quick. You're pissing me off. " I stomp my foot in the snow with enough force to make snow erupt. He shivers.
"I have resigned from my services to Lady Four. I am here your cause."
A second passes, and another. Before Dito blurted out.
"Wait, we could've just quit?!"
Michael sighs, "Fool. One cannot simply just leave their master. Let alone just join her mortal enemy. So he cannot be-"
"Fuck it." I lower my sword. "You're coming with me and you better not slow us down. Name?"
"D-decadus. Lady Zero."
A nod as I walk around him to continue on.
"Zero, you cannot be this tense! Accepting him so easily!"
"Dense, Sparky." Dito cut in. "and why not. Z, took me?"
Decadus bows to the other two as we all moved forward.
"I'm coming for you, Four…"