"War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend." Prof. Tolkien
Still tying up loose ends with some of my other works but didn't want to begin this year without another update of this fic after being absent for so long as The Sins of the Father arc goes on. So, for the 24th chapter of this outing, Miria provides the narration of Garan's history beginning in a time before Origa was born and detailing Delva's knowledge of her late parents Jerrik and Erina with Naruto and the gang taking a backseat for this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any hentai you see.
Notes: While the character Erindi is an OC, please refer to my now 3 year old DeviantArt named Guard of the Dark Queens and Kings for the Dark Elf characters in this chapter.
Vocal Cast
.Jerrik: Dan Woren
.Erina: Genevieve Simmons
.Shardio: Roger L. Jackson
.Sirene: Krishna Smitha
.Rakia Bronia (also spelled as Bologna in some translations): Julie Maddalena
.Narrus: Anastasia Muñoz
.Erindi: Keith Silverstein
A SKETCHRAPTOR PRODUCTION
"Miria, what is this?" Naruto asked as the sphere had expanded to the point of engulfing the Chivalry to the point of it seeming as though they were in the center of the battlefield.
Miria narrating to the Chivalry: Many Eons Ago, every species from humans, dark elves, and beyond are vied for control of the lands with our stronghold known as Malekith holding the line.
"Fan out!" Narrus Linhen, a Dark Elf with white hair and red eyes, commanded her platoon as the Dark Elf warriors spread out as they trailed in the badlands of Garan and she stared ahead with her ears twitching. She raised her fist before signaling in opposite directions and her forces spread out just as a massive dragon shot overhead.
The beast breathed a stream of fire with Narrus firing an arrow into it's snout with the dragon now swooping down at her and it was then she spotted a human soldier on it's back. She took off into a valley as the dragon rider steered it downward with it opening it's jaws and yet again preparing to breath another set.
Narrus glanced back with a smile just as someone ran into the dragon's head with enough impact for it to look at the being and roar viciously while continuing to stay airborne. It looked to see Jerrik effortlessly bounding alongside it with the rider swinging his sword at the Dark King's head, only for him to duck and leap ahead of the beast.
The moment his feet touched the ground, he spun back around to throw himself onto the dragon's snout and twist to the right with enough precision that the beast turned the same angle. The dragon slammed onto the ground with Jerrik springing into the air as the rider was crushed in the midst of it roughly tumbling on the earth and the Dark King came back down to grasp the horns.
He managed to stay on before turning it onto its front with it rearing back bellowing and Jerrik moved the head to the side while pulling the horns in said direction. After some bucking and fighting, Jerrik reared the dragon's head back once again before it flew into the air and twisted in the sky with the Dark Elf staying in place.
Once he steered it to the left, he cast a glance to Narrus returning to her troops before guiding the beast downward while magic spread from his grasp onto its temple and he drove it to a lush forest with his ears twitching. The magic gathered on the dragon's forehead just before it unleashed a stream of fire onto some ogres battling it out with human soldiers and his ears picked a whooshing noise before angling his head to the opposite direction.
He then spotted a bow and arrow in the hands of a goblin the tall grass before a chain was snared around the shooter's neck and garroted the fiend before being dragged onto its knees. Jerrik merely smiled as he steered the brutish being to the side and flew elsewhere with more beings trailing through the tall grass.
It was then the chain periodically rose from the grass to swing about before the being carried it scurried up the nearest tree a moment later with a pair of shadows following until a pair of ogres thundered through the area and looking around. The first one snarled before suddenly stopping in place with a female Dark Elf sporting long pink hair and mint green eyes dashing into view with her arms fanned out before the pair bellowed.
Now smiling, the Dark Elf, Rakia Bronia, sprang to them before raising a fist as they froze in place and struggled to move with Narrus stabbing the second in the jawline before ripping the sword out to next impale it through the skull multiple times. Its companion roared as it fell to its knees while Rakia slammed her fist into the air and the beast completely toppled over.
Rakia sprang onto the back of its head before rising her fists with the ogre's neck snapping along the way until it reached a full 180 and the pink-haired Dark Elf took off alongside Narrus until they spotted a nearby swordsman wandering close by with their ears subsequently twitching. They took off with the swordsman moving about as quiet as could be and noticed the dead ogres while then hearing a faint jingling sound.
Before he could react, he found a chain around his neck just as he was slammed into the wall behind him and slowly dragged up it as he struggled to get loose with another chain wrapping around his shoulder. He was turned around just in time to see a Dark Elf featuring the jagged crown atop her long white hair and honey-colored hues wrapping a dark face veil wielding both the chains around her arms akin to Muay Thai ropes.
As she held the swordsman in place, she pierced his throat with a dagger as steam burst from the blade on impact and muffled screams were immediately ended upon thrusting the blade into his mouth. Blood seeped from his jaws as the Midnight Scorpion kept the dagger in place even after his eyes had gone pure white and she lowered him back to ground level through the chain segments.
Erina then cleaned the blade with a white cloth before a shadow arose behind her and she looked back to see the shadow form into Shardio throwing a human warrior to the ground. The warrior, defiantly scowling, immediately broke into a cold sweat upon seeing Erina and Shardio kept him in place.
"Erina-sama, I bear this strategist." Shardio said with said person wearing a petrified look as Erina approached while twirling her daggers a single time. Stopping before him, steam generated on the blades just as she placed both at his throat scissor-like and he trembled with the scent of urine appeared at which point she stabbed his ribs with one thrust
"Speak, human. The Midnight Scorpion has little patience for the likes of you, much less your silence." The hoarse-voiced Shardio said while holding the man in place as Erina cut into him again and he shierked at the fiery steel piercing his insides.
"Our forces have bases around the southeast region and set up just around the nearest valley; that's all I know, I tell you!" He said with Erina then stabbing him in the chest as steam burst from the puncture and it was then that he began to wither to the point where the streams of blood spilling from his wounds thinned by the minute until what was left until what could barely pass for a red puddle remained beneath his shriveled remains.
"Relay his words to your King immediately." Erina said.
"Yes, milady." Shardio said before Erina stepped past the remained only to be joined by Miria and an identical Dark Elf with a smaller but plentiful bust of her own.
"Milady." Miria and her mother Sirene both addressed Erina before she glanced to them.
"Report." Erina said.
Elsewhere
Jerrik eyed the moving shadow on the ground before nudging his dragon behind the ear at which the beast snorted as it descended and Shardio materialized.
"Jerrik-sama, I pass on the information from one of our now-deceased foes in the location of their bases being located southeast and close by the nearest valley."
"The valley, is it? There may yet be a chance of us craving a way out of their numbers; send word to all you can to store all the victims they're able to and await my command." Jerrik said.
"As you wish, Jerrik-sama." Shardio said with him turning back into his shadow form and Jerrik looking ahead while nudging the beast's head. It took off before Jerrik spotted more of its kind in the distance with his attention then moving to a swarm of ogres and he directed the dragon to the other beasts.
Having it fly past the winged reptiles, he enveloped his arm in magic with the dragons flying after him and bellowing by the minute at which he had his dragon descend. He had it capture the nearest ogre before mauling the roaring brute to death with its blood spattering his him in return and the Dark King then clasped both hands together with his magic taking on a maroon color.
Jerrik then spread his palms about with his pursuers then beginning to dive before he fell from the beast and landed on his feet on a tree branch. Glancing at his commandeered dragon still being followed by the horde of its kind, he noticed more of his forces and spotted a gargoyle flying down to the group only for two archers to shoot it down just as another appeared.
It was then one of Erina's chains launched at it and cracked it across its head with a hiss rattling from it before another arrow sped into it's eye. Roaring, it flew at the Dark Queen with her taking a stance and wielding her daggers before landing a series of punches on the stony creature.
Taking a swipe at her, she ducked as Jerrik latched onto the beast and flipped it over his head before the chain unraveled with her tossing the other end to her King. He gripped the chain with Erina ducking from yet another attack from the gargoyle's claws and it was then the royal pair looped the chain around the monster's neck.
The two wrangled the beast to the ground as they throttled it while Erina twirled one of her daggers only to land an overhead stabbing right into its heart with it beginning to sink. Now on the ground with its chest bleeding out by the minute, Jerrik stood with his foot keeping its head down as Erina dragged it along the torso and twisted the blade with the monstrosity wheezing its final breath.
Jerrik released the chain as it wrapped around Erina's arm with her hand opening and she looked in the distance to see of their archers before nodding. The pair tossed the corpse to the side with Shardio's shadow enveloping it and the Dark King and Queen sharing brief glances until addressing their gathered forces.
Nightfall
"What is that wretched smell?!" said one troop stationed at the valley as aforementioned stench shrouded them and they fanned out of their respective tent to see the streams were crimson in color. It was then that an overhead series of bellows caught their attention to see dragons perched high and remaining still as death with corpses of slain foes, both human and beasts alike, were spread about upstream.
As the decaying flesh continued to pollute the air with rotting scents, hordes of orcs, ogres, and gargoyles amassed on the scene before spotting the human troops. As fights broke out, the dragons then flew about the area before breathing fire throughout the valley with any hope of retreat cut off and a series of archers appear where the dragons had perched.
The first archer, Erindi, was the first to open fire on any gargoyle not tempted to go for the corpses or troops below with Jerrik and Erina being the first to take their leave.
"That settles the fighters for this area but alas, they're like cockroaches." Erina said.
"Flatten one flock of them; there's Anatolia-knows how many hiding under as many rocks as can be." Jerrik said as they moved back to their base of operations. As Erina tempered her daggers, she looked back to see Erindi appear and bow the moment he came upon her.
"Welcome back, my brother." Erina said with Erindi giving a bow.
"I believe you and Jerrik will be pleased those fools in the valley won't be free anytime soon."
"With all the decay and bloodied rivers, I doubt that region will have any good water to go around. By the look of things, you'll be able to see the young ones sooner than you think." Erina said and Erindi warmly smiling with Jerrik appearing.
"You more than deserve to see them in the midst of all this chaos." Jerrik said.
"I look forward to nothing more!" Erindi beamed while bowing and going off with Jerrik glancing to the sky as the dragon he took control of earlier appeared. Landing before him, the beast bellowed with Jerrik placing his hand on its snout and it merely snorted with the Dark King giving a serene expression.
"The age-old question still on your mind?" Erina asked with Jerrik's steel eyes looking back.
"Yes, as redundant as it is to have such a thought, I do." Jerrik said and Erina glanced at their subordinates around them while nodding.
Miria narrating: Having been the strongest Knight for the previous three lineages of Discordia, Erina was no stranger to wartime; alas, though she and Jerrik never outright said anything on the matter, I could only imagine their true thoughts."
"Shardio, Sirene." Narrus addressed the pair arising from the ground.
"The nearest camp is beyond those mountains and thus far, they have mere cannons." Sirene said.
"Cannons you say; And what of their ammunition?" Narrus said.
"Nothing say, dismantling and timed stealth, can't fix." Shardio said with Narrus looking back to her forces.
"You heard them; gather all the supplies you can and be ready in within an hour."
"Jawohl, Allgemein! (Yes, General!)" The Dark Elves responded with Miria regarding her parents.
"Another night, another time for the Garan Army to shine." Miria said.
"For the glory of our King and Queen, there's no better time to shine, Miria." Sirene proudly said with Shardio cracking his knuckles and Sirene looking to him.
"Yes, indeedy." Shardio smiled with Narrus glancing out to the mountains and holding onto her broadsword before looking to the nearby Rakia.
"Is something on your mind, General?" Rakia asked.
"Nothing that hasn't been discussed plenty of times before if it's all the same to you." Narrus said.
Witching Hour
Narrus directed her forces into the camp while seeing Shardio's shadow devour the closest sentries before taking on his normal appearance and opened his palms as his entire shadow vanished. Chanting, the runes on his body glowed before clapping his hands just before Rakia appeared wielding a scythe and cutting down all the soldiers in her path.
"For the glory of Rosenberg!" One soldier said with Erina swinging her dual set of chains about and it was then the soldiers all became a mixture of ashes and bones to the bewilderment of the Dark Elves. A gagging sound was then heard with all looking to see a towering male Maou with short grey hair and reddish yellow eyes holding Erindi off the ground with one hand. Decked out in a caped outfit, he looked about with Shardio's shadow around him and the brute twisting Erindi's neck a complete 180 before tossing his corpse aside.
"Fire!" Narrus commanded before all launched all projectiles with the Maou springing into the air and grabbing the shadow before Erina appeared alongside Jerrik. The King and Queen grabbed onto him before slamming him into the earth and the fiend arose.
"I, Barzard, claim these lands as my own and your corpses alike." Said Maou spoke with Jerrik's head whipping around to the Dark Elves.
"Retreat!" said the Dark King just before Barzard knocked them aside and motioned his hand to the forces until Erina's chains freely dangled about to conjoin as she wrapped them around his throat. Balancing her feet on his shoulder blades, she strangled him as he emitted heat with Jerrik's hands becoming shrouded in a dark magic and he began chanting.
"Gib die Luft, die er atmet, auf, befreie sein Urteilsvermögen und verklumpe seine Seele im sengenden Stachel! (Surrender the air he breathes, set free his judgement and clot his soul in the searing sting!)" Jerrik said before directing the magic at Erina's daggers as she stabbed into his throat first and followed suit by stabbing into his eye at which she dragged the blade into the other one. It was then a blend of magic and steam erupted from the punctures before Erina's ears twitched and jumped into the air for a burst of energy to collide into Barzard's body just before an intense heat came from his body.
Erina's chains and daggers flung into the air before she coated her arms in magic and Barzard looked to see Jerrik strike the earth with enough force for it to completely cave beneath where he stood. A loud sizzling noises sounded from around them with the pair looking to see the ash on the bones becoming embers that flew at them and Erina held out both hands as her weapons flew to her.
Standing back to back with Jerrik, the chain unlinked before she whirled them around to crack the embers while the Dark King's eyes glowed with white energy and he cast his attention to his soldiers far off in the distance. He tilted his head back with magic bursting from his whole being in the form of a ball of energy that engulfed both him and Erina to the point a crater formed.
The embers dissolved as Barzard burst from the dirt only for Erina to land a triple kick that started from his first puncture wound and ended with a blow to his head with Jerrik grabbing onto him.
"Hals des Raben, Auge der Krähe, lass das Licht der Welt niemals mehr werden! (Neck of the raven, eye of crow, let the light of the world become Nevermore!)" Jerrik said with Barzard forming grabbing onto the Dark King's legs as Erina landed round after round of strikes into his backside until he looked to her. Before he could summon his heat again, his vision became a sequence of exploding lights that only became faster with Jerrik and Erina sending him careening across the destroyed ground and he then felt his wounds becoming wracked with his temperature raising alongside an unbearable stinging.
"What have you done?!" Barzard bellowed just before all he saw was darkness and nothing more with numbness spreading through his lungs. Madly screaming at the top of his lungs as Jerrik and Erina came at him, he then bit down onto his tongue with enough force to sever it and he used the brief adrenaline to channel his magic.
"Bastard!" Erina roared as the magic turned him into energy that flew away and left only his tongue behind with the pair pursuing him until he was nowhere to be found. Hustling back to Erindi's corpse, she lifted his head in her arms before bowing her own with Jerrik closing his brother-in-law's eyes and grasping Barzard's tongue.
Not long afterwards
Erina crouched before Erindi's grave as she and Jerrik embraced two young Dark Elves weeping before the grave with the first of the two-sporting white hair and the other sporting blue hair. Eventually standing, she eyed another grave right beside Erindi's and began to lead the two away after enough time.
"Where will we go, Aunt Erina?" The blue-haired girl asked.
"To prepare you and your sister for any life that comes your way." Erina said with her other niece in tow while Jerrik strode behind the three.
Miria narrating: While Barzard escaped that time, a set of events would soon follow starting with the older of Erina's now orphaned nieces on a path to becoming heir to the throne of Queen.
Present time
"Those girls…" Claudia said with the white-haired girl wiping her teary eyes looking back and all recognizing her as Evelyn and silence following with Miria solemnly looking on while continuing her narration as Delva's face came into view.
A tricky chapter to write but I pulled it off in the end and only a couple more flashback chapters to go with the 25th chapter coming soon. Picking Shardio's voice was tricky until I heard about the new Scream movie and realized that as Miria's father, the voice of Ghostface was a perfect choice for him.
