Reviews:
PrometheusDark: Thanks. I'm glad that you enjoyed the interactions between the characters, and that Silat's inclusion was a surprise. I hope you enjoy the next one.
Shikyo no Kyoufu: Yeah, Midland isn't the best when it comes to society, the apostles running amuck is just one problem for the country and even then people like the king are not the best to be in power.
Necrogod: Not a problem. Enjoy this one too.
Greer123: Thank you, I'm looking forward to writing it.
Gwen Zenier: I'm happy you enjoyed, as for your questions; Voldemort believes the prophecy still stands because he still chose Harry when he was a baby and tried to kill him then. Voldemort is immortal to the effects of time, but he can be killed physically, and he still believes the only one who can do that is Harry, so he would want him because of that, and for personal reasons as well. and Harry will be back in his own world at one point, and he won't be alone so you can look forward to more interactions between the characters.
Lightningblade49: Luca is one of my favorite side characters as well, and she and Silat have some interactions this chapter that I hope you'll enjoy.
Guest: Thank you, I'm happy you enjoyed it.
demonic hellfire: The origins of the Holy See will be revealed next chapter, I hope that I've built up the mystery until then.
Greyjedi449t: I'm glad it came as a twist, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.
Hairul The Nightrage Beast: Thanks. And a posting for the actual Berserk series is always a treat.
Energy-the-hedgehog: Silat is the wild card of the series for sure. I enjoy writing for him and have plans for his development.
Disclaimer- Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling and Berserk is owned by Kentaro Miura. I own nothing.
It was thanks to years of fighting and honing his instincts that Guts was able to keep track of Silat. The Kushan assassin was good, he moved as silently as a cat, careful to avoid attention from any in the camp, but keeping close to Guts as well. It was hard to say what the Kushan would do if he did not owe his life to Harry; Guts could at least be sure that Silat was eager to repay his debt by helping to rescue Casca. After that task was completed… Guts would deal with that when the time came. If Silat wanted a fight, Guts would accept, but he doubted it would play out in that fashion.
But thoughts of fighting were the farthest thing on Guts' mind right now. Casca was here, somewhere in this camp of refugees. How had she been surviving this long out of Godo's cave? She didn't have a rune drawn over her brand, so how?
Something Skull Knight once said resonated with Guts. "All children yearn for their parents. Even demons." His and Casca's corrupted infant had appeared to Guts before, always watching him. Could it have done the same for Casca? It was a radical thought, but when it appeared to Guts, it never acted in an aggressive way. The way that it would stare at him, it was almost like how he had once stared at Gambino. Guts found that he didn't want to think about the corrupted infant anymore. What mattered now was finding her, making sure that she was alright after all this time.
"Guuuuutsss!" a tiny blue blur flew right up to his face, stopping itself short of colliding with him. "Hey, Dro! I found him!" Puck yelled. Isidro came running.
The aspiring swordsman bent over clutching his knees. "H-hey. Harry and us… this attractive lady… she and Harry are…" he panted heavily, clearly exhausted from running to catch up to Puck.
Guts eyed him skeptically. "Harry is with an attractive woman? Well, go tell him not to go catching any diseases."
"No!" Puck shook his head. "Why'd you have to go and phrase it like that, Dro? Harry's found a woman who's with Casca."
Guts usually tried his best to ignore Puck whenever possible, but the blue elf had his full attention now. "What?"
"Well… technically she found us, but…"
He grabbed hold of Puck. "Which way?"
"Too… tight…" Puck began to pale. Guts loosened his grip. "Thanks. Anyway, follow us, we'll lead you right to 'em. C'mon!"
If there was someone in Guts' way, he pushed them aside as he followed after Isidro and Puck to where Harry and this mystery woman were. He ignored the pained shouts and curses that the people threw his way, he didn't care to hear them, and they were just like flies buzzing near his ears, something to be ignored. And then he saw them, standing outside of a tent was Harry and a brunette woman maybe a year or two older than Guts himself. Guts stopped short of the woman who seemed a bit startled by his sudden appearance.
"Er, hello," the woman began. "I'm Luca, and your friend here was telling me about Ela-er, I mean, Casca. You must be Guts, I assume?"
"Is she in there?" he pointed at the tent.
"Well, yes, she should be. Nina is watching her today, so-," Guts was already moving past her and into the tent.
When Guts did get inside, he was largely disappointed. Apart from a few blankets and cooking utensils, the tent was completely devoid of people, except for one.
Silat had snuck in through the back as the others trickled in by means of the front. "It would appear that the woman is not here. Perhaps it would be wise if-,"
"-Ahh!" Luca screamed at seeing the Silat in the tent. She reacted by grabbing the nearest thing – a frying pan and throwing it at his head.
"Yeow!" Silat yelped as the tool struck him.
Isidro chuckled. "An assassin who gets taken out by a frying pan? That's pretty lame."
"He never learned the second most important aspect of Elf Dimension Style; how to dodge," Puck shook his head sadly.
"Whoa, easy!" Harry calmed the panicked Luca. "He's with us."
Luca set down the second object she had been about throw – her shoe. "Is that so?"
"He took to sneaking around because he thought other people might have a similar reaction like yours," Harry explained. "He owes a debt and agreed to help us find Casca."
"You trust him?" Luca asked.
"I trust him to stick around and not cause trouble until his debt has been paid. After that is a mystery. You okay, Silat?"
The Kushan assassin rubbed his head where he had been struck. "Ugh. Western women. Their heads are filled with air, but they can hit."
"He's fine," Isidro translated in his own way.
Guts was not concerned if Silat was okay or not. "Where is she?"
Luca was looking anxious as well, but with a hint of disappointment as well. "Damn Nina!" she tried cursing quietly.
"Care to explain?" Guts asked of Luca.
"Nina is one of the girls working under me. We each take turns watching over Casca, making sure she doesn't wander off and keep her away from that, well, I don't even know what to call it, but it looks like some kind of child." Be glad that you don't know. "Nina tends to… slack off. I try to get her to put others first, but she's entitled. If she snuck off again, Casca might have followed."
Again. She's gone again. Why? Why when I'm so close…? I lost sight of what was precious.
"Is there anything you have of Nina's or Casca's?" Harry asked Luca. "I might have a way to track them if I have an idea about their od."
Luca was confused. "Their what?"
"It's a – well it's a way of tracking I can do. So do you have anything?"
Luca contemplated. "I might, but I think I have an idea of where Nina could have snuck off to."
"And where is that, pray tell?" Silat asked he took a condescending tone when talking to Luca. He was probably a bit bitter about being hit and humiliated. The pride of coming from a once reputable clan stood as a high point of vanity for the Kushan.
Luca eyed Silat seriously. "Not far from this camp, a stream leads to a cave of sorts. My girls and I see lots of people sneak off there a lot of times. Rumor has it that they practice pagan rituals. It's only a matter of time before those Holy Iron Chain Knights take notice and close in for the kill."
"They just seem to be all over this place, huh?" Harry rhetorically asked.
"Like a bad rash," Silat offered. "It will continue to spread until the body is overwhelmed."
"I'd be willing to show you the way," Luca offered.
Isidro jumped at the offer. "A beautiful woman with a sense of adventure? I think I might be in love."
Guts was less optimistic about Luca's good intention. "And what's in it for you, huh? What exactly do you get out of helping us out? Hell, why did you even take Casca in, to begin with? She had nothing to offer you in return."
His words seemed to have offended her a bit, but she shrugged off his negative tone. "What's in it for me? Nothing. I just did what I believed any decent person would have done. People are always praying to God to solve their problems that they forget that we all have to will to act ourselves. Mozgus and the Holy See can preach all they want about spreading the joy of God, but all they've done is torture those they think are heretics, they don't care about what happens to us. And I really don't want to be like the people up in that tower who are waiting for a miracle to make a difference." Luca looked him in his eye to further convey her point. "And by helping you I might get to give Nina a spank for acting like a spoiled child."
So, she does it partly to spite the name of God. Heh. Maybe our luck is starting to turn around. "How many people attend this pagan fest?"
Luca thought it over. "I don't know for certain, maybe a few hundred at least."
"Only a few hundred?" Silat asked.
"That's what I believe." Luca folded her arms. "But what would a western woman whose head is filled with air know?"
"Finally one with the decency to admit it," Silat shot back.
"Don't go pissing our guide off," Guts instructed Silat. "We wouldn't want her leading us to a dead end." I'm done with dead ends. If a few hundred need to die so Casca can live… so be it.
Silat eyed him thoughtfully. "As much as I can respect your fighting prowess, I currently only take orders from the young Harry."
"Listen to what he says, Silat," Harry sardonically instructed as well.
At the command, Silat gave a sardonic bow of his head. "Of course." He sounded anything but pleased.
Isidro and Puck were both growing impatient prompting the former to ask, "I thought we were in a hurry. We can save the banter for later, can't we?"
"That's the most intelligent thing you've said so far, kid." Guts looked to Luca. "You're up. Lead us to this pagan place. If Casca's there, she isn't safe."
"Of course," Luca lead the way out of the tent, sending Guts a knowing smile.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing much," Luca said. "I guess I'm just happy Casca has someone willing to move heaven and earth. There might just be hope for all of us ladies then."
Guts' desire to reunite with Casca overcame his willing response to say Luca's words were like a fairy tale. But still, one feeling was lingering along with his desire, an ominous presence that made him feel like they were all being watched. He scanned in every direction, looking to catch some glimpse of this presence. Nothing. Not a damn thing.
Serpico waited for Lady Farnese as they prepared to set out with Father Mozgus and his disciples. They and the Holy Iron Chain Knights would be conducting a raid on a supposed heretic gathering very shortly, and as an attendant, Serpico wanted to make sure his commander was ready to take charge. While it was a part of his duties, Serpico was concerned for the Lady Farnese. She had not quite acted… herself of late, not ever since the night that young wizard managed to escape from them.
Before Farnese had been sure of herself and her faith, so much so she had Serpico burn his own mother at the stake when she was accused of heresy and witchcraft. Farnese had him to that to prove his own innocence, but it showed the true limit she was willing to go to commit herself in the name of God.
Now, Farnese was clearly shaken. She was less sure of herself, always with a far-off look in her eyes like she was thinking about something she was afraid to say out loud to even herself. Serpico knocked on the door to her chambers Farnese was staying in within the Tower of Conviction. It was in the higher levels of the tower, not the lower where the torture pits were located and where Mozgus' disciples spent so much of their time.
"Lady Farnese?" Serpico asked.
Her response was a bit delayed. "…Come in, Serpico."
She was sitting on her bed, a Holy See idol on her nightstand, and a small leather bound book resting on her lap. "Is that from the library?" Serpico asked, not familiar with the cover of the text, it was clearly old.
"With Father Mozgus' permission, of course." Farnese put the book in her satchel and shouldered the accessory. "I haven't the chance to read it yet, though. I thought perhaps it could put my mind to ease, steel my faith to being what it used to be."
Serpico supposed that was what it boiled down to, faith. The Vandimion family was among the richest, if not actually the richest in all of the Holy See controlled territory. Being the youngest and only girl of the family, Farnese had been catered to her entire life, so long as the servants could handle her fits of outburst. For all of her pampering, Farnese never got what she really wanted from her family. Her three legitimate brothers were a fair bit older than her and already studying abroad to further the family interest, and both parents were busy managing family affairs to look after their daughter themselves. That left the servants to tend to a young Farnese, and the only one to stand by her even through her most violent of tantrums was Serpico, the bastard of the Vandimion family. After Farnese had been forced to join a convent, had Farnese used faith as a way to focus her tendencies.
Even if faith to Farnese was like a flickering fire, dangerous if you got close enough, it was what kept her sanity, believing that what she was doing had a meaning, that she was indeed useful. The Black Swordsman and that wizard were making her doubt herself, she was beginning to slip. If he had to…Serpico would have to deal with it, with the both of them. He hated the sight of blood, it really should be kept to the inside of the body, but he was talented with the sword, not the strongest, but he was clever.
"Perhaps God will look out for you if you carry that around," Serpico half-joked. "Priests of old used to carry other holy texts when on missionaries or calling upon God during battle."
"Perhaps he will. Come. Sir Azan is waiting by the main gate for us, if he waits for too long he will begin to bore the men with his talk of days in his prime."
Sure enough, once the pair of them were saddled up and ready to go, they found Sir Azan recounting a story from his youth to those ready to depart. Father Mozgus was there was well, wishing them a safe return and patiently listening to Sir Azan drag on as well.
"Take care, child," Mozgus said to Farnese. "Times might seem perilous, but remember that you are Commander of the Holy Iron Chain Knights, you, and all of us have the power of God on our side. And with, the faith that will shine brighter than any star in the night sky."
"You are very kind, Father Mozgus," Farnese humbled before the Holy See Inquisitor. "We will not fail in our mission."
"I know that you will not, child. For far too long have heretics and heathens infiltrated amongst the common folk, looking to defy our order. If the rumors are true, you will find the head conspirator leading this ritual. I ask that you bring them back here to face public judgment for their sins."
Farnese nodded. "Of course, Father Mozgus. Will they be burned at the stake once found guilty?"
Mozgus gave her a closed-eyed and wide smile. "Indeed they will. For all of your troubles, I will even let you cast the first torch onto that pyre. From what I understand, you are no stranger to burnings."
Serpico considered himself lucky that he had learned to mask certain emotions. Fire made him uneasy as well, it always had ever since he had to burn his mother. Fire and blood, the two things that Serpico was uneasy about, and he was part of a knight brigade that conducted heretic hunts. Truly sound logic to anyone who looks at it.
"I-erm, I look forward to it." Farnese tried to mask her questioning thoughts. It isn't getting easier for you, is it? Just what have you seen or heard to make you act like this? Farnese pushed her apprehension down, finding the will to carry on with the task at hand. "Prepare yourselves, men. This is another heretic hunt, but you all must be in your best state of performance. Sir Jerome reported earlier about having seen a young man dressed in strange garbs, and a scared man dressed all in black. Chances are they have some involvement with the heretics and both are dangerous."
It sounds enough like them to be sure. If our paths happen to cross, I must be ready. Lady Farnese has put too much of her reputation on the line to have it destroyed. If those two impede Farnese any further… I will have to take no chances with them. I really wish this does not have to end with blood, though. I can't stand the sight of it.
True to her word, Luca had led them all straight to where the supposed heretic hangout was supposed to be located. There's a strange od about this place. Harry noticed straight away. There are a lot of life forces inside of this cave, and… something else too. It almost feels like those pseudo-apostles from back at the Misty Valley.
'Perhaps there's an apostle lurking around somewhere?' Schierke guessed. 'With the tower being as old as it is, and all these people, it's no surprise that something might be out of the ordinary.'
And that just means that Casca is somewhere right in the middle of it all.
'Listen, Harry, whatever it is that's in there, just… remember to be careful. You have people with you right now, but don't forget to take of yourself too.'
Gee, Schierke, it sounds like you want to tell me something. It wasn't as teasing as he would have usually said it. The anticipation of finally getting Casca back had him feeling nervous, anxious even. He was really just saying whatever. Harry didn't even hear her respond, probably too confused if he had meant anything more than poking fun at her.
"Over there," Luca pointed to where two men stood outside the mouth of a cave as sentries. They were armed with clubs and were both stark naked.
"When you said they did pagan practices, I didn't think you meant nudism," Isidro admitted.
'Don't look at them!' Schierke shouted from inside his head. 'If you look… down there, I see it too, remember? I don't want to see that!'
It isn't a pretty sight from here either, believe me. "We have to take those two out."
Surprisingly, Silat offered his services. "Allow me. The sooner the woman is rescued, the sooner I can rejoin the rest of my clan." He pulled out a chakram, his blade-like disk, and tossed it with superb accuracy. It slit the throat of the first, and as the second went to examine the fallen body of his friend, Silat snuck up behind him and snapped his neck.
"Now that's an assassin," Puck noted.
"Pretty good, I guess," Isidro had to admit, much to his displeasure.
"Your query awaits inside, I believe," Silat allowed Guts to go first, seeing the determination in his eye. Harry followed next, then Isidro and Puck, then Silat and Luca. The cave narrowed down into a single file passage that was filled with a putrid aroma.
"Gah! What's that smell?" Isidro covered his nose.
"It was not me," Puck quickly said.
"It smells like… sex," Luca observed.
"You speak from experience, I take it?" Silat asked.
"When your profession calls for it, yes, you get a bit familiar with what it smells like." Her answer did not sooth Guts' growing anxiety.
He's getting impatient. Harry knew better than to tell Guts to try and relax. One, because he knew Guts wouldn't listen. And two, because Harry would be a hypocrite if he did. He was just as anxious as getting to Casca as Guts was, but he was trying a lot harder to suppress it. He had faith in Guts ability to save her, but faith alone wasn't going to do anything. "If wanting was enough to get what we wanted, we'd all be kings!" the words Corkus had spoken when Guts planned on leaving came back to him. Harry might not have been the biggest fan of Corkus at times, but he at least knew what he was talking about. Well, sometimes he did.
The pathway they traveled ended at a wraparound ledge to a sizeable den. A large bonfire was lit in the center, casting flickering lights of the dancers on the cave walls. All the dancers were nude, some danced around the fire, some danced together, and some even began to have open intercourse. Men got with women, women got with women, men got with men; it was a free for all down there. And overseeing the entire event was a man with a goat head, goat legs, and a snake for a phallus.
That familiar feeling passed over Harry and Guts both; they recognized the feeling as a pseudo-apostle. Harry felt a tug on his sleeve and he nearly cut the hand before realizing it belonged to Luca.
She was covering her mouth, pointing to something right by his and Guts' feet. They looked down to see a rather exhausted looking corrupted infant. Silat nearly panicked as well, drawing his katars, ready to skewer the infant, but Harry pushed his arms aside. He had never seen it like this; it looked entirely burned out, almost like it was dying. The demon infants toothless mouth began to move.
"Dan…ger…"
Down below two pagans pulled a clothed woman by her arms to stand before the pseudo-goat apostle. She had long black hair and smooth mocha skin. Her childish cries were a contrast to the ones of pleasure and ecstasy coming from all around the fire. The moment the snake phallus began to slither under her clothes was the moment Guts slide down the slope, raced past the orgy, and used Dragonslayer to cut the phallus from the rest of the body.
"Bleerrrghhh!" the pseudo-apostle cried as it fell off of the rock throne that had been constructed. Casca stared up at Guts with a myriad of expressions flashing across her eyes. Even though her memories and her personality were forgotten, she at least recognized that she was safe.
Upon hearing the goat's cries, the orgy stopped. Hundreds of sets of eyes turned to look at where Guts and Casca were. The faces of those who had been partaking in the orgy began to morph, twisting and elongating to resemble something akin to a demon. Even more pseudo-apostles.
"W-what the hell's wrong with them?!" Isidro exclaimed, not expecting the sudden change from the orgy goers.
"Something's granting them the power to turn into those things," Harry vaguely explained, he drew his sword and made ready to go down after Guts. "Isidro, you Puck and Luca stay here. Do what you can to pick some of them off."
"And how do we do that?" Isidro asked.
"There are plenty of rocks around," Harry told him. "I seem to remember you being a pretty good shot with stones."
At the mention, a devilish grin broke out on the younger boys face. "Hell yeah, I am!"
Harry turned to Silat next. "Silat, come down with me and – Silat!"
The Kushan actually seemed a loss for words as he watched the chaos and madness transpire before him. "It's just like that time," Silat recalled the encounter with Wyald. "This land is filled with these monsters."
He was sounding close to panic, and that wouldn't benefit anyone. "Silat!" Harry shouted, more forceful this time. "You want to get out of here? You can as soon as Casca is rescued, alright? But we're going to need your help. Just help to clear out some of these things, and it's basically over from there."
Silat was silent for a pregnant pause. "…I do hope that you are right about that. I would hate to have risked my neck for a lost cause." He slid down the slope, his urumi already out. The whip-like blades reflected the light from the fire like flaming waves over an ocean as they cut through a multitude of the pseudo-apostles.
Harry came down next, making use of his magic on the fire causing it to fan out in a wave-like motion, burning those closest to it. One pseudo-apostle was approaching from behind him, only to fall as a rock struck it in the back of the head. Isidro cheered from up on top of the ledge, happy that he was contributing. Any that tried to climb up the ledge had a rock dropped on top of their head, courtesy of Luca.
As Silat and Harry handled the pseudo-apostles, Guts directed his full attention towards the goat. The thing was a fast one, its legs gave it the advantage when it came to speed, it jumped from wall to wall, and then right back to him. Guts took to using Dragonslayer as a shield since the width of the blade was large enough to be considered one for a regular human. The hooves bounced off of the blade, and the process would begin again. The goat was moving too fast for Dragonslayer to hit, so Guts would have to resort to using his cannon if the damn thing would stay still long enough for him to get a shot off.
As he battled with the goat, shielding Casca as well, Harry and Silat were clearing space around the two combatants, making sure none of the orgy participants got close to Casca or Guts as he fended off the goat. "Aauu!" Casca cooed, unsure of what was going on around her, her basic instinct of fear was setting in.
Guts noticed this, only briefly taking his eye off of his opponent. "Isidro, you Luca and the elf, get down here. Get her somewhere safe."
Isidro threw a few more stones, hitting a few more pseudo-apostles, before sliding down with Luca and Puck in tow. "Yeah! Just leave it to us!"
Trusting her with someone else…
"This way, Casca," Luca tried to coerce her into moving. Casca was unresponsive. "Er, maybe, come on, Elaine?"
That one actually seemed to get some response from Casca, she looked up to Luca, who proceeded to help her to her feet, Isidro kept a handful of stones in case any more trouble were to arise. He would probably need them. Because filing into the cave were the banners of the Holy Iron Chain Knights. The startled face of Farnese de Vandimion was looking down at the scene of carnage and mayhem that was playing out beneath her.
"Not her," Harry heaved. "Why'd she have to show up now?"
"Company?" Silat sounded contemplative. "If we make an escape now, these monsters in human flesh will tear through those knights like water over rocks."
"Search for a side tunnel or something," Guts ordered, blocking another kick from the goat. "Just get her out of here. I'll buy you all the time you need."
Farnese was already giving out an order from above them. "Soldiers, slay the pagans!"
"All of you go now!" Guts yelled. "Split up if you have to, just lead them away! I've got this."
Luca, Isidro, and Puck took Casca and ran one way through the cave; Silat took one path for himself, clearly eager to get out of the mayhem. Harry stalled for a bit, but eventually took his own way as well, that left Guts to deal with the goat. He would take Silat's advice and let the pseudo-apostles clash with the Chain Knights. That was one less set of distractions for him to worry about.
"Looks like that leaves you and me," Guts said to the goat person.
"Bleeeeeghh!"
"You took the words right out of my mouth."
The goat charged at him once again, but Guts changed his stance. Trying to hit this thing by conventional methods was getting him nowhere, and waiting for it to just stand still wasn't going to happen either. So, he would put his luck on both cannon and sword. as the goat closed in on him, Guts fired a shot off straight at the incoming goat, but he put no resistance behind his shot effectively allowing the momentum of the force to spin his body and Dragonslayer in a fast spinning whirlwind.
The result was the separation of the goat's legs from the rest of its body, not even its speed was enough to stop it from getting caught from Guts swing of the sword. "Bleeeghhhhhhh!"
"Yeah," Guts rolled his shoulder, feeling where part of it had popped from the joint. "I'd figured that you would say that." Dragonslayer cut down through horn and neck, shutting the goat up before it could offer up another sound.
The rest of the pseudo-apostles were clashing with the newly arrived Holy Iron Chain Knights. The foolish knights were getting slaughtered, being the sons of nobles and other significant individuals, they were inexperienced enough as it was. Rounding up heretics who probably have never been in a fight before, but against something like a pack of pseudo-apostles, they either had to retreat or die. Guts looked up to see that girl – Farnese something or other, looking down, her face a conflicted mix of emotions. She saw him staring at her, and a desire to have him either killed or captured was visible, but she also saw her knights being torn and ripped to pieces by the strong jaws of the pseudo-apostles. She clutched at her satchel as if to recite a silent prayer, hoping some divine being would intervene.
It didn't.
"A-all forces!" Farnese called out. "Prepare to retreat! We'll seal the cave from the outside!" the knights were more than happy to comply with Farnese's order, pulling back before the pseudo-apostles could gain any more footing or claim any more of their lives. Seeing a window of opportunity, Guts took off the way Luca and Isidro had taken with Casca. Is it really almost over?
The cave had a multitude of tunnels leading in different directions if they were all natural or carved out so the pagan worshipers could make a quick getaway in case their hideout was ever discovered, was a bit of a mystery. It wasn't a mystery Harry had time to dwell on either. There were essentially four sets of people he had to reunite with, and the sooner he was able to do that the better.
Have we really done it? Harry wondered to himself and to Schierke as well.
'I don't want to sound optimistic and then have you be disappointed,' she sounded faintly happy, though.
That's the last thing any of us wants. Guts is probably already done dealing with that goat thing and Luca and Isidro should have found a way out by now. That meant that Casca was out of the place for good.
'I certainly hope that they have. Luca reminds me a bit of Mistress Flora in a way, and Isidro…' Schierke seemed to be racking her vocabulary to find a word to complement the aspiring swordsman. 'Well, he can throw rocks at any would-be attacker long enough to let the others get away. What about Silat?'
Hard to say with him.
'Do you think he took off?'
Actually, no. He's pretty prideful, he'll probably want to hear me say that he's released from his debt just to gain the satisfaction.
'Hm. You're probably right on that.'
The darkness of the tunnel gave way to the fading light of a low setting sun, he had made it out of the cave, but he wasn't quite out of the woods yet. He was now standing on a very narrow rock edge, so narrow that he had to practically hug the wall with his back, leaving him with barely enough space to walk forward like he normally would. A quick look down told him that he would need to be awfully quick with his magic if he were to suddenly fall. And that wasn't even the worst of it, Harry wasn't alone.
A slim figure stood a fair distance away, the setting sun casting his shadow on the side of the rock wall. At first, Harry thought it to be Silat, he stood perfectly balanced like a cat, but the sword in his hand was completely different from the sets of blades the Kushan carried. And he looked nothing like Silat either, this man was blonde and wore the insignia of the Holy Iron Chain Knights.
"Hello," the man, who was probably the same age as Farnese, said. "It would seem I benefitted from scouting the outside of this cave. I haven't really wanted to come across you or the Black Swordsman, but I suppose this is the ideal spot to have a confrontation."
"Look, I'm not really looking for a fight."
"Neither am I. But here we stand." The sunset a little farther, the light cast of their drawn blades slowly diminished as well. "Your name is Harry, correct?"
"What of it?"
"Mine is Serpico, the personal attendant of Lady Farnese."
"Is that a job you volunteered for? She seemed pretty forceful when she wanted to talk to me."
Serpico gave a half shrug of his shoulders. "While I was conscripted at a young age, the choice to stay was my own. Despite her flaws, Lady Farnese is the one I owe my life to. And you made her quite distressed."
"I told her a few hard truths, yeah," Harry admitted as much. "She needed to hear them. If you care about her wellbeing, I'd assume you'd want her to think for herself instead of walking around like a mindless drone."
"That is the furthest thing from what I want for Lady Farnese. But she has become distracted herself from what she truly wants to do. I quite dislike the sight of blood, but if ending you will help bring her peace of mind… I will just have to stomach the sight, I suppose." Serpico sank a little deeper into his fencing-like stance.
Harry's sword arm was aimed at Serpico, but his back was against the wall, swinging would be a hindrance. And with his staff in his other hand; Harry would have to pivot his body to perform the proper movements, something that was severely restricted in this setting. Serpico really picked a good spot for an ambush.
Serpico made the first move, lightly gliding forward with a jab aimed right for Harry's eyes. He had to act fast to bring his sword up to knock Serpico's attack aside. Harry felt his shoulder get cut on the rock behind him because of it. Gah! He mentally hissed.
Stepping back, Serpico waited before gliding forward again, this time aiming his strike at Harry's leg. Instead of blocking this one, Harry let the strike follow through. Before the blade made contact, Harry bent his leg at the knee, stopping Serpico's blade. "I would have at least tried to evade it." Serpico pulled his blade back, expecting to see Harry buckle, or even bleed, but he stood his ground. "Huh?"
"I guess having a brace covering my leg can be useful in fights too." Harry would have to thank Rickert and Godo the next time he saw them. Harry was quick to jab forward while Serpico's guard was down. The attendant stepped back, evading the attack.
"Clever trick," Serpico praised. "It would seem you're capable even without using your magic."
"Guess so," Harry kept an icy tone. I don't have time for this! This guy isn't budging an inch!
'It's about evenly matched,' Schierke noted as well. 'If you could get around to his back, that would give you the advantage.'
Yeah, but I don't really see how-, actually… Harry did a move which had Serpico look at him oddly; he rested his staff against the wall and dug into his satchel. Harry pulled out one of the talismans and tossed it at Serpico's head. As expected, he ducked under it.
"That was a rather… unique strategy," Serpico kept his closed gaze on Harry.
"I guess. But if you got to choose the battleground, I might as well give myself an advantage."
"I don't quite see what you-,!" Serpico's senses picked up that the thing Harry had tossed at him was starting to change. The talisman was growing, taking up the space available to it until it became a four-foot tall, rocky golem. Serpico was trapped between Harry and the golem now. "Oh."
Harry retrieved his staff. "Not really a fair fight, but I don't really care at this point. I'm in a hurry, and you're keeping me from getting there."
Serpico knew that he was beaten, Harry expected him to curse out or something, but instead, "Well it would appear that I've lost. Oh well."
"You're not going to go on about how you're going to uphold Farnese's honor or something?"
"That would fall on deaf ears, wouldn't it? No, I know when I'm beaten and I commend you on your resourcefulness. But I must be going now." Serpico sheathed his blade, jumped from the ledge, but quickly reached out to grab it before he fell to his death. He was crawling along the side, pulling himself up behind Harry and disappearing into the tunnel where Harry had exited.
'He moved… almost like the wind,' Schierke noticed. Harry couldn't agree more, but there were more pressing matters to attend to. He continued along the narrow ledge, following it until it eventually slopped down to even ground.
What he found at the end was Isidro, and to a lesser extent, Puck locked in battle with a Holy Iron Chain Knight. Isidro was doing a good job of ducking at dodging the incoming attacks, but his flimsy sword was doing a piss-poor job of actually landing an effective hit against his opponent.
Harry was about to intervene, but a fast-moving shape had beat him to the punch. Silat drove one of his blades through the back of the knight's head; he pulled his blade out and used the knight's surcoat to wipe the blood off.
"Uh…" Isidro was stunned at having been saved by Silat. "Thanks, I guess."
Silat regarded him. "Perhaps if you were competent with a sword, you wouldn't have to extend your gratitude."
"Geez. You can just take the compliment, you know. Greasy bastard."
"Getting along, I see." Harry made his presence known to the both of them.
"Of course," Silat said. "We're practically old friends."
"I can do without the sarcasm," Harry said. "Isidro, where's Luca and Casca?"
"Guts isn't back yet, is he?" Isidro asked almost nervously.
"Where are they?" Harry asked again.
"Well when we ran off into that one tunnel, Casca wandered off, Luca went to bring her back, but when we got out we saw Casca being nabbed by some of those knights. They're taking her back to the tower!"
No. It's happening again, just like that time.
"Uughh…" her eyes flickered open as a faint source of light came into her line of vision. What is this place? I remember going after Casca when she had wandered off. Then… I must have fallen down some side tunnel. But what is this light? "Urgh!"
Luca rubbed at the back of her head feeling where a bruise was starting to form. She rubbed at her eyes next; the faint light was still there. Good to see that I'm not going blind. Thinking that it might be the setting sun, Luca walked toward the faint light. It wasn't the sun like she had thought, it was a candle. Don't tell me there are more of those pagan worshipers around. She had no means of defending herself on hand if there were any more of those hooligans running around.
She heard something shuffle across the ground, felt a pair of eyes on her. "So long since something living came here. But I've never minded the quiet, the isolation has been with me for my entire life." Something scurried around in the dark. "How long have you been at the tower out there? I've been my entire life, always watching, keeping an eye out on the comings and goings. But I had to be careful not to be seen. When people saw me, they got frightened, they would throw things at me, call me names. I took refuge at the base of the tower; the world above me provided me with food as dead bodies would roll down to where I was."
Luca was aware of a rounded shape lurking in the dark, just behind the candle, before it scurrying away again. "And the corpses started to pile up higher and higher. I was trapped, suffocated beneath the weight of the world above me. But that all changed when I met the angels. A sacrifice was needed, but I had none to give. I was just a boy with nothing to give except for my life and the world that I knew. My sacrifice does not have to be bound by another's flesh, but my life for a new world."
A spider-like leg poked out of the darkness followed by another one, and another one. Ten legs in total, all attached to the body of an orange egg-shaped thing with various facial features scattered all over its body. "The Egg of the Perfect World, they called me." She stood there, stock still watching the egg crawl along; in one of its legs, it held a totem of the Holy See. "You listen well." That was probably due to the fact she had no idea what to say even if she could find her voice. "It was nice having someone listen, and-,"
"A fitting shape for you to have taken."
A new voice from behind Luca. She tilted her head to see a tall, imposing figure with his blade drawn. His armor was skeletal and his glowing eyes seemed to regard both her and the egg. Her voice started to come back. "D-death?"
"Stand behind me, woman."
She was probably going crazy, taking an order from Death. "A-alright."
"So, they have promised you apostlehood in exchange for your own life? How convenient that they would grant it to you who once dwelled beneath that tower. A fitting response given its history."
Luca saw the egg start to panic, it lashed out toward Death, but the blade he wielded was faster. Two of its ten legs came flying off, dark blood-stained Death's blade. It whimpered as it scurried past, moving past them both and further down the tunnel.
"A fast one." Death scooped her up, carrying Luca back to his steed which was just as bony and skeletal as he was. "I shall continue my pursuit." He spurred his horse on, and the underground labyrinth of tunnels seemed to fly at an almost impossible speed. Luca's eyes fought to adjust to all of what was being rushed past her, and she became distinctly aware that they were now outside of the sprawling cave.
She gripped the back of Death's cape. Despite the speed, Death's horse is surprisingly gentle. I guess that's a good thing. Maybe it means I've been good during my time alive. It makes me wonder what the other side will be like. "Um, excuse me, Death, where exactly are we going?"
Death slowed his horse to a near stop. "You are not dead."
"Oh." Well, that's good news. "Well… thank you for saving me then, Death. Or do you prefer to be called by another name?" if I'm not dead, I might be losing my mind. Here I am having a conversation with Death about his name.
"That is irrelevant." Death told her. "My mission is similar to that of the Struggler and the Wizard."
Does he mean Guts and Harry? "Then you aim to rescue Casca as well?" Death must be feeling generous today.
"The path of that woman will lead them right back to the tower. Look for yourself." Death pointed to where the Tower of Conviction was pitched against the backdrop of the now set sun. a great amount of commotion seemed to be going down outside and even from the tower itself. Great masses of red blobs like blood were swarming inside and out. The tower must be overflowing from the inside as the top of it caved inward.
"That look like…" from her position on Death's horse, the tower looked like an open palm of a hand. Four distinct shapes began to manifest in the "palm" of the tower. "What are those?"
"Imitations of the real things," Death informed. "And there are but four of them present."
"And Casca is there now?"
"The ones you traveled with are making their way to her as we speak, towards an imitation that seeks to change the world you reside in."
"Will you bring me to them at least?" Luca asked. "I wish to see Casca safe and secure."
Death's glowing eyes regarded her. "A kind heart beats within you. Treasure your own life as you do others." Death set his gaze on something behind Luca. He dismounted and pulled her down as well. "Go if you will, but do not linger here."
"Er… what do you mean by…?" from up above a pair of great black wings propelled an even greater mass towards the ground to stand opposite of Death. It was a towering black behemoth with large goat legs, a tail, a lion-like face, and a single large horn on the right side of its head. The left one was just a bony stump. The slit eyes of the beast landed on her before regarding Death.
"How am I not surprised to find you here, Old Rival."
"Zodd, your presence is expected. You guarded the gate during the Eclipse, it seems only fitting that you appear for this imitation."
Zodd? Nosferatu Zodd, the legendary mercenary? Luca looked between the two. Zodd's gaze landed on her once again. He's looking at me. "H-hello…" she gave a haphazard wave.
"You find a voice to speak? Impressive. You are not a warrior, and yet address me plain as day. Heed my rival's advice and be gone."
No need to tell me twice. A quick look at Death told her that she should heed Zodd's words, and she was quick to take off, leaving the two of them to themselves.
"Feeling nostalgic? It isn't like you to show mercy when on a battlefield."
Zodd huffed and snarled, exposing his fangs. "If I came here for a battle perhaps it would have ended differently."
"Oh? Are you not here to live up to your reputation?"
"You only need to take a look at the top of that tower. There are only four imitations present."
A/N: That's it for this chapter. Next one things will come to a head to finally save Casca. Thank you for reading.