by Jeremy Gordon (gordon8_26@yahoo.com)
Note: This will be the turning point of the story. It'll be long probably, and will develop the plot more than the last six chapters combined. Usual disclaimers apply. I'm going to start answering my reviews as well, at the end of each story. Read and review.
Hugo whipped up his head in fury, as he jumped from his fallen opponent to the next like a deadly predator. Snarling, he thrust his dagger into the Harmonian soldier's face, as the man beneath him screamed like a banshee, in the pain. Tossing the body aside, Hugo spun around while slashing his knife, killing three soldiers in the process.
Around him, the leaders of the battalions were having similar success. Pesmerga was a mighty demon in battle, towering over most of the enemy soldiers. Battering the Harmonian troops with his mighty sword, he looked as a god of war, tossing his opponents aside in fury and controlled strength. Chris and Salome were tremendous in battle as well, as the mighty Silver Maiden lived up to her name. Chris was a whirlwind of death, stabbing the many soldiers that came towards her with her iron blade of justice. Salome roughly beat his enemies with his mace, while stopping to cast a healing spell or two. Hugo smirked to himself, as he took out seven soldiers with a lightning spell. The Silver Maiden...she fights well. That was not the only surprise, as Hugo looked to his left.
Hugo saw Tir and Riou, the two former heroes, battling like possessed demons. Flowing with expertise grace and fitness, they backed each other up, weapons flying. Hugo was amazed at the two men before him. They are such amazing warriors...unbelievable. Tir stabbed three Harmonian soldiers in a row with his staff, as Riou slashed the throats of two others. The look on their faces was one of harsh intensity, but with a resolved manner. Hugo turned around to see how the regular soldiers were doing, and blanched.
The initial troops of four hundred looked to be down to roughly two hundred and fifty, as Hugo grimaced. They had taken out a couple hundred Harmonians, but six fighters alone couldn't face down sixteen hundred troops, with a pissed off mage leading them. Realizing this, Hugo's head jolted up in shock, as he spun around angrily. Shit...where's Luc? Hugo ran through the masses to the outside, until he saw his enemy.
Luc stood in front of Hugo, with an arrogant smirk on his face. "Finally, you realized where I was." Continuing to smirk, Luc drew a short sword out of his billowy robes, while maintaing his stare. "Let's end this now." Hugo nodded, and lept towards the Harmonian bishop.
Luc stepped back, and parried with his sword. Following up with a short stab, Hugo jumped back in suit, parrying the same. Hugo then rushed at Luc, slashing many times, connecting none. At the end of this tirade, Hugo managed to hit Luc once...in the face.
Luc stepped back in shock, as he gingerly touched the fresh blood from his newly made cut. Laughing, he threw his head up in pride. "It's been a long time since I've bled...I'll defeat you yet!" With that, Luc rushed at Hugo, stabbing multiple times. Hugo parried them all, knocked away Luc's sword, spun behind the mage, and slashed him in the arm, as Luc cried out in pain.
"You bastard! You'll pay for that!" Teleporting a short distance away, Luc blasted Hugo with concentrated wind, inflicting many shallow cuts on the Karayan's face and arms. Yelling in agony, Hugo raised a hand to fry the incoming air with electricity, and did so. Concentrating his electric blast, Hugo narrowed his eyes and put both hands together. Luc smiled, and only increasing the onslaught of wind, while keeping one hand free. With a tremendous yell, Hugo pushed through and sent Luc spawling onto the ground in pain with 10,000 volts of electricity flowing into his body. Luc lay there for a second, but stood up slowly. Looking behind him, Luc saw his soldiers overpowering the struggling Budehuc forces.
"Looks like your army's all gone, you stupid barbarian." Luc smiled, while holding his still bleeding arm. "I'm surprised you even had troops in defense...this was supposed to be a surprise attack." Hugo's eyes widened, as he began to questioned his weakened enemy.
"What? You mean...you didn't send a message to our fortuneteller about you attacking us?"
"How stupid do you think I am? I'd rather kill the lot of you in cold blood then fight you. But enough of that. I'll let my men finish the job on you and your stupid castle. Goodbye!" With that, Luc teleported out of sight, as Hugo got a sick feeling in his stomach. Running to the battle, Hugo found Chris and Pesmerga together, fighting the enemy.
"Chris, Pesmerga! We need to retreat!" Hugo cried in a frenzy, his eyes tilted in fright. "There's something wrong! Luc didn't send us that message! It was someone else!" With an equally worried look, Chris nodded in agreement.
"Retreat! Retreat! Fall back!" The remaining hundred troops started to run back to Budehuc, their light armor allowing them to run quickly. The Harmonian soldiers, still high at twelve hundred men, started to follow, but was corralled by a re-appeared Luc.
"Wait! Give them ten minutes. Let them get their pitiful forces together." Luc sneered, his eyes catching Hugo's. I'll kill you... "Golems, attack!" The stone monsters appeared, and stood silent, waiting for commands. As Hugo looked at his enemy, Riou and Tir ran over to Hugo, with an equally worried look on their faces.
"Hugo!" Tir yelled, catching his breath. "Tenkai...there's something wrong with him! I think he's your castle master! We have to hurry back, now!" Puzzled, Hugo gestured motion with his arm, as the six warriors ran back to Budehuc.
As Hugo arrived to the castle grounds, he found himself unable to speak, in shock.
Budehuc burned before him.
Entering the gates, he found Edge lying on the ground, his head propped up on his sword. Hugo ran over to his friend, as his companions looked for survivors. "Edge! What happened!"
"I..I don't know." Edge coughed up a bit of blood, as he continued to speak. "They...they attacked us. It wasn't Harmonia...oh god." As Edge struggled to speak, Hugo knew that death was neath. As tears came to the young boy's eyes, he held onto Edge's hand for support. "Do...do this for me Hugo. Take my sword...find Viktor, and give it back to him. He will know what to do. Tell him I'm sorry..." With that, the swordsman known as Edge perished. Stifling a cry, Hugo put his forehead to Edge's forehead in peace, and laid him down. Taking the sword from underneath Edge, Hugo strapped it to his back, as he stood up. Running over to Riou, he asked for a damage report.
"Riou! What did you find?" Riou shook his head, and answered.
"Nothing...the buildings were set on fire. We found a lot of people dead...I don't know who they are. We should press on, I have a very bad feeling." Nodding, Hugo went over to Chris, as the six continued walking. As they reached the front of the main house, Hugo gasped, unable to speak.
In front of him was his mother, holding the bloody body of Thomas.
"Mother...what is this!?" Hugo cried frantically, waving his arm to the side.
"Hugo...sorry you had to see this. I know who the winner will be, and Karaya always goes for victory." Lucia tossed the limp body of Thomas in front of her, as Chris caught him and checked his pulse.
"He's still alive...thank god." Chris sighed in relief, and then turned her glare to Lucia. "You...witch! Why would you betray us?"
"Did you really think I would stay on your side? Haha!" Lucia laughed harshly, while drawing her dagger. "I only serve my master...my master, and him alone!"
"Luc? You stupid bitch! What did he do to you!?" Chris yelled in anger, as she also drew her sword.
"Luc? Hah! He could never ever hurt my master...ever." Lucia said in contempt, her glare still fixated on Chris.
"Really? I'd don't think so." Luc suddenly appeared to the side of Hugo, apparently healed. Hugo jumped back in surprise, in fright of this Luc at full strength. "I am the greatest enemy of fate, of humans everywhere. Who could rival my power?"
"Me." As everyone turned, they saw the last person they'd expect to see standing there.
"Eike!?" Hugo shouted in surprise and confusement. "What the hell is this?"
"No...not Eike." Pesmerga's eyes narrowed, as he drew his blade also. "I can't believe I never noticed it. Damn it! I'm a fool!"
"That you are Pesmerga, that you are." Eike said monotonously.
"I should've recognized you...Neclord!" With a gasp of surprise, Tir and Riou staggered under the weight of Pesmerga's words.
"Aren't you the clever little demon?" Eike said, his eyes narrowing dangerously. With a mighty howl, Eike arched his back and continued to yell. Stretching, the librarian grew a foot in height, as his hair turned blue and fangs sprung from his teeth. A black cape grew out of his librarian's clothes, as the vampire Neclord stood up to his full seven feet, in terror.
"You...we killed you!" Riou yelled, pointing a finger. "How are you alive!?"
"A good vampire always returns." Neclord said, baring his claws. "I won't tell you now, little boy. You've grown up little Riou...I'm so proud of you! And Tir....good old Tir. I can still remember the screams of your family as I killed them so long ago." Tir gasped in anger, as he stared at the vampire in front of him. "Oh and Luc...I am stronger then you." With a slight movement, Neclord lept from his place on the main house steps to behind Luc. With one twist of his hand, Neclord spun the stunned mage around, and slit his throat with a claw. Luc slumped over in death, his body landing on the stone floor. "Stupid boy." Turning to Hugo, Chris, Salome, Pesmerga, Riou, and Tir, Neclord smirked. "And now, for you."
"Just a minute!" Salome brayed, drawing his mace. "I'll kill you first!" With a sight of exhaustion, Neclord ran to the Zexen leader and bit him in the neck. Before Salome could react, Neclord fed on him, sucking the man dry of blood before tossing his body to the ground.
"Who's next?" Neclord snarled, revealing his fangs. Suddenly, a burst of electricity hit Neclord in the side, sending the vampire into the ground, howling in pain. Hugo looked to the side, and stared at the man before him.
"No one." Geddoe retorted, lowering his still crackling hand to his waist. "I won't let you get any further." In front of him, Neclord snarled, getting up from the floor.
"You...you bastard! Prepare to die!" Neclord yelled, his eyes blazing red in fury. "But first, a little surprise for the boy. Lucia! Bring him in!" With a nod, Lucia stepped briefly into the house and re-emerged, holding a man by his neck. Riou realized who he was, and yelled.
"JOWY!!!" Riou yelled, his eyes widening. Running to his best friend, Riou lept over Salome's body, but was sent sprawling by Neclord's fist.
"No no no...not yet. You see, you never killed Jowy. He was still alive...and seeing how I was as well, I turned him into a vampire before he could be buried. He slept for a while, and then I pulled him up. I knew he would serve a purpose if I ever saw you again...and here we are." Neclord finishing, staring at the panting Riou, who's eyes were tilted in fright.
"Please...let him go! I'll do anything, just please!" Riou pleaded, looking at the dull eyes of his best friend.
"No, I'd rather watch you suffer in pain. Now, for the mercenary." Neclord turned to Geddoe, his eyes blazing in fury. "You will die." With a leap, Neclord rushed towards Geddoe with claws spread out, as Geddoe sidestepped the blow and slashed Neclord with his sword.
"Hugo! Go!" Geddoe yelled, as he hit the vampire with a blast of electricity while he jumped back.
"Geddoe, no!" Hugo cried in disbelief, while withdrawing back.
"Just go! I'll be fine!" Geddoe stabbed Neclord in the shoulder, as the vampire howled in agony. With a commanding look, he stared Hugo in the eyes, and Hugo understood.
"Okay...Chris! Pesmerga! Tir! Riou! Let's go!" Hugo and the first three ran away, as Riou stood there, staring at his friend. "RIOU! RUN!" Riou looked at Jowy one more time, and spoke.
"I swear to you...I will find you again Jowy." With that, Riou turned and ran, leaving his best friend behind him. Geddoe and Neclord were still fighting as Hugo turned around from a distance, and his mother was gone, with Jowy as well. Hugo turned back and continued running, with Chris, Pesmerga, Riou, and Tir next to him. Closing his eyes briefly, he shed a single tear for the events of the day.
Briar: Why, thank you. I try. =\
tidus2529: Too late. =\
FEEL-THE-MYSTIC: Indeed...who knows?
Well, that was long. Hope you enjoyed it. Updates by new week. Enjoy! Oh, and don't forget to review.