Chapter 5: The Scourge
Castle of Ken - noon
Claudia clutched her head tightly. Another headache would be coming soon. Ever since the Black Dogs' betrayal has been known, the people have been restless. Maia, after the briefing, had denied the truth, and withdrawn her Company back to Ansur. The girl had been stubborn, and said that she would find out the truth for herself. Alicia has withdrawn her Knights of Iris, saying that she needed to reinforce Feoh. The other Shields as well, all have their reasons to pull back their army. It would not be a big thing if the kingdom was peaceful, but at the verge of a new war, this was detrimental. By no mean did was the army of Ken small. 20 thousand elite troops were their whole army. It was still in its infant state, since they had been relying on their mercenaries for too long. That was the dire part. Though medium sized, the army was nowhere near ready.
"Claudia, you should rest."
Turning around, Claudia came face to face with the source of the voice. The Goddess Reborn herself. Her face was plastered with worried and anxiety, most evidently were the bags under her eyes and her disleveled hair. It seemed that Her Holiness has not been sleeping well as well.
"I'm alright your Highness. Why don't you go and rest first?"
"I… can't, not when we are on the verge of another war. I must be ready."
"Milady, you have enough to worry about, let me handle the army."
"I-."
Her retort was cut short when the alarms sounded.
"Alarms? Orcs?"
"I-I don't know, but you should go to your chamber. Guards, take her Highness back. And guard the door."
The two guards at the door immediately complied, rushing in and take Celestine into their hands. With her Highness in relative safety, Claudia rushed to the armory. Passing by a few of her knights, she stopped.
"What's happening out there?"
"I-I don't know, Captain. Something big is coming from the southern forest." The knight answered, shakily, before dashing away to her battalion.
"Something?"
With that, Claudia ran with all of her speed. Within a few minutes, she reached her destination. All around her, soldiers were scrambling to take arms. Swords, spears, shields, all types of weapons were dwindling fast. She bit her lower lip. This was too early for her. Grabbing a spare sword, she weaved through the crowd that was hurriedly gathering at the wall. Arriving at the first tower overlooking the forest, she narrowed her eyes. Trees were falling. Rumbling upon the earth could be heard. Whatever this was, it must be humongous.
"Everyone, to your station." From her vantage point, she barked the orders.
"I want archers stationed across the walls. Shields and spears, form up behind the gates. Mages, on the watchtowers now."
The army, upon hearing her words, orderly followed her orders. Soon, a troops of 500 gathered at the yard, shields faced forward, spears raised. Up on the wall, archers lined, arrows in the ready. Now, they patiently wait, for whatever to come out from the forest.
BREAK
Celestine's quarter
The guards stood guard in front of her door, readied and alerted. Celestine leaned down the door, her heart drumming in her chest. What was happening out there? Was this her naivety coming to bite her in the face? Was this what she has to pay because of her beliefs? Breathed out a breath she did not know she was holding, Celestine stood up, and made her way towards her bed. Whatever this was, she hoped that Claudia could settle quickly. A cold shiver made it way down her spine. What… was that? She gasped, visions filled her eyes. She saw Ken, on fire and bloodied. She saw its people laid dead by the thousands on the streets. She saw soldiers running around, weapons armed, battered and tired. She saw… Claudia, broken, bloodied, dead on the steps to the church. She saw… it, standing triumphantly over the army, shrieking a piercing roar into the sky. It turned, and it looked at her. Its placenta planted firmly into the ground.
"Where… is… she?"
The thing asked in a shrill and disconnected voice. Its eyes bore straight into her soul.
"Where… is… Maria?"
And then, it cried. Celestine gasped for air when her vision returned. Without a moment noticed, she rushed out of the room, knocking a guard onto his feet.
"You…Your Highness. Wait…" Clicking his tongue, the remaining guard chased after her. The fallen guard soon got up, and followed as well. Rushing through the castle halls with all of the speed she could mustered, Celestine desperately hope that Claudia has not sound the attack yet. Maids, servants and guards alike were confused and alarmed as to why she was running, and soon a small platoon of guards was following, calling out her name and asking her to stop. She heard nothing. the only thing in her head right now was to find Claudia. Bolting out of the castle's gates, unbefitting for a lady, she made a mad dash towards the lookout towers.
"CLAUDIA, WHERE ARE YOU?" Using all her strength, she screamed out her Captain's name. From the middle tower, Claudia leaned down to look at her.
"Your Highness, what are you doing here? I can handle it. Guards, take her back, and make sure she stayed-"
"Claudia, you… must not… attack." Through ragged breaths she managed to utter the words out. Claudia disappeared inside, and came down a moment later. She held up the trembling hands of her Goddess.
"Your Highness, I know you're afraid but please, let this be my burden."
A rumbling sound interrupted her talk. Claudia hurriedly ran up the tower, only for the Goddess to hold her back.
"Claudia, I forbid you to attack." There was steel in her voice. "This is an order from your Goddess."
"I- Yes."
The horns blared, and Claudia rushed up the tower to relay order, with Celestine followed suit. What she saw, however, left her paled and horrified. There, looking up at her at the edge of the forest, was a creature worse than orcs. It resembled a man, yet there was nothing human about the thing. Its innards wrapped around its torso, and on its left hand, a massive placenta was seen. Its skin was pale and grey, and from its shoulders, two pinions fluttered in the wind. It gazed up at her, then promptly sat down on its two knees, and it wept. Wailing, crying, howling, these sounds would haunt the City of Ken until the day Lady Maria returned.
"G-Goddess, w-what is that?"
"The Orphan." Celestine mumbled. She too, was trembling.
"What kind of thing gave birth to that?"
She received silence. They stared at it, and it wept.
"Claudia, under no circumstances are you to attack, am I clear?"
"Bu-But…"
"AM. I. CLEAR?" There was more than steel in that command. Claudia felt something in her throat died.
"We will wait for Lady Maria."
BREAK
Rad – same time
The elevator was seen moving up the shaft. Inside, two individuals were seen standing in silence. One wore a tattered outfit, with an equally tattered tricone hat. His face was haggard, and his black hair was unkempt. A scar could be seen on his left eye. On his right arm was a large cannon, more like a gatling gun, on his left was an old shotgun. He sighed.
"Oh come on, Djura, look alive. You're gonna make this look bad." A youthful, strong but playful voice sounded next to him.
"Like you to say that."
On his left, a man was wearing a white church robe. His blonde and blue eyes were hard to not notice. Pair that with his chiseled face and you've got a handsome fellow to bring home to your mother. On his back was a large sword wrapped in bandage, though a blue hue could be seen from its blade.
"We are busting a slave market, and here you look like you were about to have a panic attack."
*Sigh* "I'm too old for this, Ludwig."
"Nah, you're still in your prime. Just a little…eh."
"Really? That's your best answer?"
And on with the silence.
…
…
"Let's do "Get help"." Ludwig asked, not looking at his friend.
"What?"
"Get help."
"No."
"You liked it, it's fun"
"No, it's embarrassing."
"You got any other ideas?"
"No."
"Then we're doing "Get help"."
Taking a long suffering sigh, Djura breathed out.
"We are NOT doing "Get help"."
Slave Market – entrance
The guards were bored. They have been patrolling this section for the sixth times today. Nothing seem to be out of the ordi-
"GET HELP, MY FRIEND IS DYING."
At the entrance of the elevator, a man was seen holding another man by the arm. Said man looked injured and ill. The guards were confused, to say the least. How the hell did they find this place? The two man inched closer every seconds, all the while shouting.
"HELP, PLEASE. HELP YOURSELF!" And the man in the arm was hurled unceremoniously across the room towards the group of soldiers, knocking them on their feet and knocking them out. Djura quickly stood up and dust his clothes.
"I hate it. It's embarrassing."
"Eh… I'm fine with it."
"You're not the one getting thrown." Djura mumbled, shaking his head. Looking up ahead, he saw a new patch of guards, likely drawn by all the ruckus. Drawing his canon, along with Ludwig drawing his Moonlight blade, the two set into battle stances. Today, the third market in Rad would be burned.
BREAK
Black Fortress – a week later.
"That's certainly imposing."
Father Gascoigne looked up at the wall of the massive, literally black fortress. A scoff was heard from beside him.
"You're the one to talk, Father."
"Oh hush you. Let this old man have a bit of fun."
The two simultaneously looked up at the wall. It was certainly tall, dangerous, considering all the ballistae and cannons lining the top, and foreboding. For some reason, Lady Maria had a hunch about what was happening inside these walls. Father Gascoigne's nose twitched, and he grimaced.
"Something's wrong' ere. I can't hear any voices or sounds inside."
Indeed, the place was quiet, too quiet to say the least. It was life was devoided from the place itself. Getting off the horse and tied it to a poll outside the massive wall, she unfurled her blades and held them steadily in her hands. Father Gascoigne did the same, hoisting his axe over his shoulder. Taking a few steps, they stood in front of the large wooden gate.
"Let me."
He went, and with a mighty push, slowly opening the gate. Immediately, she felt something was wrong. Fire, corpses, and…
"Beasts." She snarled.
There, on the cross in the middle of the yard, was a strung up man. His body was deformed, with skin peeling off and fur sprouting out. His face was contorted, forever in pain. Where his mouth should have been was a snout, unlike that of a wolf. His fingers were extended into claws, and his ears were transformed. All and all, he was a Beast. Though from the skin tone and face shape, she guessed this was a dark elf. Her eyes peeled away from the man, and onto the note on the floor. She went to pick it up.
"Day 1 of testing:
The elf took it easily enough. The promise of freedom was too much of a prize to pass away. The potion was drunk instantly, and any wounds was healed, whether it'd be from whips or blades. Locked away for further observation."
Day 2 of testing:
Well this idiot just took a potion when he was drunk. Oh well, let's see the reaction on a human then. The elf displayed aggression and ferocity of an animal, and a thirst for fresh blood. Interesting.
Day 3 of testing:
The elf bit another elf. Luckily, I've locked Olga away. She is needed for another test. The crazed elf was locked away, though it took nine guards to subdue the bastard. One of the men have been bitten as well. Vault was not happy.
Day 4 of testing:
Vault moved away from the fortress back to Rad to meet with Maia along with his company. I've got matters to attend to, so I'll be away for a few days. A patch of soldiers was tasked to guard the prisoners."
Lady Maria crunched up the paper, and gritted her teeth.
"Father, kill everything, I'll see if there are any survivors. You take the left side, I'll take the basement."
"Aye, Milady, ain't no cure for the Scourge of Beast. Though I do wonder, who did this?"
"I don't know, but I am not letting another Healing Church running rampart on my watch."
With that said, they went their separate ways, with Father Gascoigne took to the garden to the left, and Lady Maria took to the middle gate. Opened it, she was met with an empty Throne room. No signs of life were seen anywhere. The floor creaked with each of her step, as if foretelling an even bigger threat to come. She reached the Throne, and went behind it. A trapdoor. Cranky it opened, she stepped down, but not without noticing a blue slug in the corner of her eyes.
"Great Ones." She mumbled. No time for dawdling now that she knew a Great One was involved, she needed to find them fast. Stepping down the dark dungeon below, her eyes squinted as they adjusted to the darkness. The first thing she noticed was the silence. There was no rattling of chains, no weeping or wailing, and no humanoid sounds were heard. The second thing was the smell. It reeked of blood and bile. Seems like she was too late, or so she thought. A clanking sound drew her attention. Weaving between the walls, she arrived at a cell.
"Come to take my life, human?"
A sad, desperate, feminine voice sounded from behind the bars, and with her enhanced night vision, she could see the women. One was a voluptuous, dark-skinned beauty. Her long black hair cascaded down her shoulder, and her attire left almost nothing to the imagination. She was also holding a smaller one, with blonde hair but less curvy body. Both were elves, and the one lying on the black hair's laps was sick, looking like a fever.
"I will not fight back, I've lost everyone to this cursed illness, so just do it fast."
"La…Lady Olga, do…don't do tha… that." The blonde one rasped out, though her voice was too weak to form any cohesive words.
"Shhhh, Chloe, sleep. It'll be alright."
The black hair one gazed up from her position, eyes filled with steel.
"Well? What are you waiting for?"
"I will not kill you. My "acquaintance" demanded you alive."
Lady Maria grabbed hold of the lock, and with a twist, broke it in two.
"What's the point? He will never let us escape anyway."
'He?"
A roar was all the warning she received before a massive claw slammed down at her former position. A distance away, she saw the full beast. A towering monstrosity with an equal monstrous right arm. Fur covered its body, and its ribcage could be seen beneath. Two antlers located atop its head, and the wolf-like face was all her confirmation. A Cleric Beast.
"Erik was the captain of my army. When he was bitten, he turned into that." A bitter laugh sounded from the cell.
"He was supposed to be my guard, now, he's my end. He will not let me leave unless I kill him, and I can't, not my people."
'But not me." A melodic voice and the sparking of blades was all Olga's warning when she saw the woman brandished two blades. A glint of yellow was seen before she dashed in, intended to finish her own mission.
Hey, it's me, Manatread here. Sorry for the long waited chapter. With all the university's tests, my house being repaired and my job, I took more time than anticipated. Thanks for waiting, and expect the next chapter in one or two months.