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Chapter 23: River Crossing, Part 1
Lupine eyes gaze upon the darkened forests; his breath hitched as he readied for the coming battle. It was dawn; the daylight was pouring down, and yet none seemed to be able to pierce the thick forest ahead. A nervous sweat drips down his face, and the ramblings of his fellow soldiers clog his mind.
The last time he went into a forest alone had frightened him. Of course he wasn't alone anymore, but it didn't change the feelings he had deep inside. While he talks of how he was ready to stand and face whatever stood before him, he found that his body felt different once he stood here face-to-face.
And yet, despite that, he still stood. He was going to find Mikhail; he was going to find his brother no matter what.
But…
He grits his teeth, and images of the amazon and the vampire flash through his mind. Both attacks had left him with mental scars, one he pushed back through sheer will. But when presented with the darkened forest, he was forced to confront them.
A gentle hand moved on his shoulder, golden eyes looking over in concern. "Isaac, are you okay?"
Isaac released a small gasp, shaking his head as he calmed himself. He gave his companion a small reassuring smile, but one Luciana found to be strained. "Y-Yeah… don't worry about it, Lucian. I-I'll be fine…" He trailed off, his tone bearing a hint of doubt.
Luciana caught on, her eyes hardening before she spoke. "I don't think that you should be here, Isaac."
"I know, but it's my choice to come here," Isaac responded; Luciana's face tensed slightly.
She wanted to say something more but was prevented by a hand on her shoulder. Turning her head, she saw the form of a particular blue-haired heroine. Her eyes gave a small warm look, but one that hid the fear that was buried deep within.
"It's his choice, Luciana. We've already told him of the danger, and he understands that well." Wilmarina stated,
Luciana wanted to argue, to retort, but in the end, she could only look sadly. She took a deep breath, resolving to just keep him safe. Isaac gave a grateful nod, one that Wilmarina returned with her own.
She then turned to the forest, her eyes narrowing before she commanded her Order with a voice that fit Lescatie's greatest heroine.
"Ready yourselves!" Wilmarina yelled to the group, "We march in a few minutes!"
Genuine or not, she needed to keep an air of power and prestige. This extended to everything from her posture to her tone.
The group returned with a war cry of their own. A simple hoorah to get their moods up before the coming battle.
Wilmarina smiled slightly; she wasn't alone here, at least. She looked at her left and right flanks, checking how the other two units were doing.
…
Olivie Amaltia's own unit was much like the other two. The mood was tense, and each soldier prepared themselves for the coming fight. Olivie herself stood with her musketeers, their forms looking out onto the forest with varied expressions.
Paula looked optimistic, cautious, but not too hesitant. Alameria looked eager; her usual smile and friendly demeanor were replaced with rage and determination. Olivie's own looked cautious, hiding her own fears at the situation before her.
This would not be the first time she's slain monsters, but that didn't mean she was comfortable with what she and the rest of the Order were tasked with doing. For all intents and purposes, Lescatie has gotten stranger and more volatile.
Her father and the rest of the Noscrim faction have been acting suspiciously. Covering up the assassination of a Cardinal, allowing them to use this many resources for a situation like this, not to mention her father's recent fight with the Inquisition.
It made things suffocating for her, even more so than usual.
Something was going on here, something she intended to find out.
And the first step in doing so would be through this mission here.
"Alameria," Olivie called out, her eyes turning to the other blonde heroine. Alameria's eyes turned to Olivie's own. "Are all the supplies in order?"
Alameria's only response was a nod, which Olivie returned with her own. She wasn't in the mood to talk, it looks like. Even still…
"Alameria, I need you to calm yourself for this mission." Olivie started,
Alameria grumbled slightly, "I am calm…."
Her tone was unsure, for lack of a better term. "The training dummy from yesterday begged to differ," Olivie responded,
Alameria sputtered slightly, "T-That was yesterday… things are different now." She muttered, once again unsure of himself.
"Please, Alameria. Even Corin's worried about you." Paula decided to say, her eyes turning to her fellow musketeer, who looked down.
"I know… it's just… I'll try my best to keep calm." She finalized.
Olivie wasn't satisfied with that answer but nodded anyway. There was no time to get a concrete one anyways, the mission was to begin soon, and she'd instead they finish this as quickly as possible.
…
"Lady Eristia," a voice called out.
It came from a blue-haired young man, a soldier but not one from the Order of the Ice-Flower. His eyes portrayed concern and a little bit of fear. He wore the standard uniform of the Holy Order of Knights, the largest knight Order in Lescatie and the acting 'Army' of the nation.
Blue eyes turned to the young man, slightly narrowed but holding a firm yet gentle look. "Is something the matter, Yuriy?"
Yuriy stopped, his eyes turning to the heroine before he spoke. "I-I just want to know if you're doing alright; this mission's a little intense."
Eristia gave a small reassuring smile at that, "Worry not, Yuriy. I'm perfectly capable here if that's what you are worried about."
"I know, but…." He began, only to shake his head afterward. "...No, you're… you're right; I'm sorry for questioning you, Lady Eristia."
Eristia gave a small smile in response, one that had a hint of bitterness in them. She looked over to her squad, and her face fell slightly. She was given a good line-up of soldiers and heroes to command. Each was renowned, and some she'd seen were as skilled as they came.
The only problem was…
"What did you just call me!? Perhaps I should've expected something like that for a lowly noble like you!"
"Huh? What are you getting so angry about? All I said was that you should get rid of that damned stick up your arse."
"This is the squad we're placed in? We're screwed."
Eristia's eyes twitched slightly; perhaps it was a test from the Chief God that she'd receive possibly one of the most defunct combinations she'd seen from this Order. Looking around, she saw multiple heroes and soldiers all gathered together, some of whom she recognized.
A black-haired orange-eyed man was currently arguing with another soldier, one who just lazily sat on the rock. If she remembered correctly, they were named Ars Frostiere and Nel Goldstein, respectively. One from a hero of great influence and another from a lower viscount.
She also found that she was also put in charge of Parshe Lufarshe, another infamous hero from a lower noble family. She also spotted two more people of interest, a large man that looked to be in his 30s and another girl around her age, if not a little older, with black hair and eastern features.
Eristia tilted her head; they were mercenaries. But to be placed in an assault team of all places, they must be of great strength. She'll go and meet with them and assess them both. That way, she'd find the best way to use them.
That being said, reeling in all of these people together was a task. What was Eva thinking placing them all here? There had to be a reason why. The boy was a genius, so lumping all these people together seemed unwise.
At least to her,
She shook her head and sighed; right now, they had a mission to complete. Taking a deep breath, she turned her eyes to the forest before she narrowed her eyes. 'Our task is arguably one of the more difficult ones… we'd be deep within the forest.'
Their task was to secure the east end of the river. Doing so would obviously mean that Eristia would be faced with a great number of monsters. And while she was confident in her strength, she worried for the squire that stood next to her.
Nevertheless, she'll fulfill this task like any other, with faith in her heart and steel in her mind.
…
After a few minutes, Wilmarina's eyes narrowed at the forest. Her hand reached for Orofuyo before pulling it out; with a stern look, she pointed it towards the forest.
"My Brothers and Sisters in Arms, leaders and protectors of the Order!" She began yelling loud enough to get the attention of all those around her.
"Monsters have made a home within this forest, defiling and destroying any who enter it! Shall we show them the power the Order holds!" She yelled out; the soldiers, heroes, and mercenaries all let out a small cry.
She bit her lip, trying to hide the nervousness in her heart. 'I hope you're proud of me, El….' She thought before she continued on.
"Then we march!"
And so the assault began.
Another set of lupine eyes watched from afar, irises narrowing at sight. "So it's begun,"
He picked up the wolf mask from the ground below, securing it to his face before he placed his blade on his shoulder. Crouching down, he slightly scratched the stone below.
As he did, a bat fluttered its way to his side. In a flash, it transformed into the figure of a woman with blonde hair and blood-red eyes. Gone was her usual amused expression, replaced with a more serious look.
"Everything's in place, ready on your command," Wynne said, her eyes turning to the army entering the forest.
"They spared no expense, huh? I've never seen a force this big in centuries, and all of it dedicated to you." Wynne commented, her eyes turning to Blaidd.
"Should I be honored?" He asked; the vampire grinned.
"Of course, though… If I could remember this correctly, they're hunting you by using me as a cover-up. So we're split 50/50." Wynne started with a shrug before she got up and turned to the monsters behind her.
The entire situation was pretty absurd to her. This was most likely the first and possibly last real battle in which she and the other monsters would participate. There was no holding back on either side; attempting to use the usual method of seduction wouldn't work.
Or, more accurately, it wouldn't be efficient. They will kill; they had to. This wasn't a matter of just escaping; it was one of survival.
"You can leave, you know?" Blaidd stated, his form standing up and turning to her. "No one's stopping you or any of the other monsters from just leaving me be."
The Golden Order wasn't interested in them; they only wanted him dead. Everyone here could escape with their lives but chose not to. It was brave; he had to admit that much. But also…
"It's idiotic, but that's just how monsters are. They're a tenacious bunch, capable of so much: both good and bad." Wynne added with a shrug.
"I see…" Blaidd trailed off, his hand clutching the blade. His cloak flew in the wind, his form crouching down once more before he readied himself.
Well, regardless… this was their choice; if they wanted to fight and die, he'd let them. From the looks on their eyes, he could tell that some of them were perfectly willing. "...I will remember them,"
"As will I," Wynne stated, crossing her arms.
With a small nod, Blaidd got ready to move. "Wynne, if I die… escape with the rest of the monsters."
Wynne made a slightly complicated expression, her eyes turning down before she spoke. "Y-Yeah… but it would be unpleasant if you died here, so don't."
Blaidd laughed, "Good luck, Wynne."
With that, he leaped onto a tree and headed south. Wynne looked at him with a sigh; she looked to the western side of the forest before she readied herself. "You too, Mikhail."
Before long, she, too, zipped through the forest. Her eyes wandered to the side, watching her fellow monsters get into position.
'I hope this works,'
Olivie's eyes watched the treetops, her hands firmly on the handle of her rapier. Each step was as calculated as it was cautious; with the rough terrain, it was perfect for monsters to lay an ambush. With their natural speed, strength, and agility surpassing that of a normal human, asymmetrical warfare was their forte.
Her eyes glanced at the unit behind her; Alameria and Paula were spread out to cover more ground. That being said, she also sent Corin over with Alameria to keep an eye on the hero, considering her mental state. She commanded over 100 men and women, some soldiers of the Order of the Ice-Flower, others mercenaries, and men from other knight orders.
All of them were spread out but positioned so that at least two others had them in their line of sight. Two more would be alerted and reported if any of them went missing.
Soon enough, they managed to reach their target: the western end of the river. Olivie carefully moved in, stepping on the lower stream before her eyes turned around. She tried to see if there were any monsters; luckily, it seemed as though they were free for now.
Their position closest to camp should be the easiest to supply. Looking on at the roaring currents, she discerned that this was the only end in which the monsters could reasonably cross. The flying ones would be able to move to and from this site without problem, but the landlocked monsters would have trouble crossing through anywhere but here or the other two ends of the river.
"We're here; set up defenses on both sides of the river." She ordered, turning to the group.
"Don't let any monster pass," She added,
With a quick 'Yes, Ma'am!' The group moved into position.
Olivie sighed; no monster yet, but that was to be expected. They were in a spot closest to the camp, so it was likely that they were deeper within the forest.
So far, things were running smoothly on their end; she hoped the same could be said for the others.
…
After a few minutes, a few quick defenses had been set up around the river. Wooden stakes were stabbed onto the ground to discourage any attacking force. Trees nearby were logged, mostly by the heroes who could do so with a single swing of their blades. That way, the enemy couldn't move through them. They set up on an incline, giving them a good view of the place and a defensive position.
Olivie's eyes scanned the surroundings on both ends of the river. She stood at the highest point on the southern side, close enough to the river to allow her the ability to cross without issue.
"This is… troubling…" She muttered to herself.
So far, no monsters. That was to be expected on their end, but they at least expected one or two to be sighted. Or at least signs of any monster within the place, but so far, nothing.
Her eyes turned to Alameria, a sigh escaping her lungs.
As usual, Corin was with her. She let out a small bitter smile, the two of them had reminded her of some memories… painful memories…
She wondered what it was they were talking about?
"Any monsters yet?" A certain blonde heroine asked, her form sitting on a nearby tree branch that overlooked the unit. She sat next to a white-haired red-eyed individual, his eyes looking around with a telescope to try and see if there were any monsters.
"...You know… maybe bringing a telescope into a thick forest wasn't such a good investment." Corin started with a sigh, moving his telescope down before he turned to Alameria.
"But from what I saw, none so far." He stated, scratching his head as Alameria sighed and leaned back.
"I see; thank you for the help, though… Corin, it's much appreciated." She started with a small strained smile.
"No problem, I'll be here if you need anything." He started with his own smile before he let out a small sigh. "I'm… kind of worried about you, Alameria."
Alameria paused, her eyes turning to her partner before she spoke. "You don't have to be; I'm fine."
"Are you, though?" Corin asked, leaning forward.
"Ever since you learned that there was a vampire here, you've been a little… uh… into this mission," Corin added, trying to find the right euphemism.
Alameria sighed, "I know- I'm sorry, Corin, If I worried you. It's just that… you know?"
Corin nodded, he knew Alameria's story. She told him that losing his entire family to monsters was a tragedy that he could only ever imagine. His own story wasn't really tragic; he was just a regular son of a merchant who managed to find his way into the Order of the Ice-Flower.
He managed to get partnered with Alameria, and after a few missions together, they became close friends.
Seeing her in pain like this hurts to see.
"Listen, Alameria… if you need an ear, we're here for you," Corin stated with a small smile; Alameria mirrored this action. Her cheeks flushed, eyes moving away to hide her flustered face.
"T-Thank you, Corin." She stuttered out, and Corin merely smiled in return.
"You're welcome, Alameria…?" He trailed off.
Alameria's expression had shifted; her once kind and reassuring look had given way to a look of shock. She was staring at something from a distance, her eyes locked on a figure standing across from them.
Corin's eyes turned to where Alameria was staring; his eyes suddenly widened.
Out in the distance, blood-red eyes were staring straight at him. She stood tall and proud, her hair flowing under the wind. Her cape danced with her hair, the wind guiding its every move.
It was difficult to see from a distance, but it was clear as to what creature this was. Immediately, he turned to Alameria. "Alameria, wait!"
She didn't listen; with the target of her fury right in front of her, she couldn't hold it anymore. "Corin, tell Olivie that I found our target."
Before she could move, a hand held her arms tight. Corin looked on in fear and worry, one that slightly struck the heroine. "Alameria, you can't! We need to stay here and guard the river, please!"
He pleaded and begged. Their purpose was to keep the river secure; they couldn't do that if their strength was divided. Alameria blinked, her eyes shifting to the figure before she gritted her teeth. "... I'm sorry, Corin."
She said nothing else; she jumped up onto another branch before she chased after the figure. The figure tilted her head, and a grin formed on her face revealing a set of fangs.
She opened her mouth, saying something in turn, but neither Corin nor Alameria could understand.
With that, the vampire fled deep into the forest, with Alameria following suit. Corin's eyes quickly turned to Olivie, who was there watching the whole exchange.
He quickly made a gesture with his hand, a coded message that they followed to signal a monster sighting. The look of horror on his face was enough to convey the sheer gravity of their situation. With a swift nod, Olivie got up and moved.
Corin grit his teeth, looking down as he slides onto the ground. Readying his arms, he tried to follow Alameria and Olivie. He wasn't sure if it was such a good idea to leave Paula to her lonesome, but they both knew that if Alameria continued on this course, then it could spell her doom.
A werewolf stood with her comrades, her form shaking and breathing heavily. Being at the northernmost line, they knew that they were the first line of defense against the Golden Order's forces. The moment they all heard the thundering sounds of battle, they knew that they wouldn't escape this alive.
She glanced over to her fellow werewolf; much like her, she stood firm, but from her shaking paws, it was evident that she was scared.
"I-I'm scared, Thea…." The werewolf stuttered out,
Thea gave a small reassuring smile, one that was strained under her own fear. "Don't worry… Ione… I'm here with you."
That calmed Ione a little, but it didn't change the inevitability of what they were tasked to do. This was their choice, their decision. They shouldn't be afraid, but when faced with their decision they couldn't hold that fear in.
Thea looked around, her eyes scanning each monster around her. Much like she was, they, too, were afraid. But still, they stood, knowing the inevitable.
She was kind of proud, but that pride won't change the outcome.
"Thea…" Ione began, her eyes turning towards her comrade before she continued. Her tone was heightened, and her irises shrunk. "Up there, in the trees-"
She didn't finish the sentence. A loud thundering sound and a flash of red cracked right next to Thea's form. Sparks of red lightning scorched the form surrounding the werewolf as she moved back in response.
She shielded her eyes from the light, only daring to look as soon as the light had calmed. What she saw made her red with rage.
Standing where Ione stood was a man in armor, carrying a blood-tipped spear in his hands. He was currently holding it up, lifting the tip upwards as his gaze turned upon the monsters. That alone would have caused many around her to pause, but what caught their attention was the werewolf skewered on the spear.
Ione's eyes were widened, pupils shrunk. Her paws were gripping the spear shakily as if trying to cling to life. Her blood trickled down its shaft, her eyes turning to Thea before she spoke up. "Thea… please…"
She reached out, but no one could save her. Vyke stood silent, his form turning to the monsters before he spoke.
"A sorrowful sight this is, and an avoidable one at that," Vyke muttered sadly; he sighed as he looked on at the werewolf on his spear.
"You are not my target; none of you are. But I have reason to believe that you know where the shadow hides. Surrender his position, and on my honor, as a knight, I shall spare the rest of you." He continued on.
He let the werewolf drop on the floor, finishing her off with a quick stab so as to not prolong her torment. "Refuse, and I shall get my answers the harder way."
Their response was to draw their blades and get into stances. Vyke looked upon their forms with both sorrow and a sense of acknowledgment. "Very well, from this moment forth, I shall treat you all as warriors."
He lifted his spear up, lightning cackling around before his draconic eyes turned to them.
"And you shall fall, as many others have before me."
Thunder sounded through the forest as dark clouds formed above. Nel Goldstein's eyes turned upward, narrowing as they looked on at the darkened clouds. "From the looks and sounds of it, it might rain soon."
"That's odd? Was it not clear earlier?" A voice called out, and another voice called out. It belonged to another man with black hair and brown eyes. His form looked on at the sky; the sun was blocked out by the clouds. It was the familiar form of Gerald Kalisto, the soldier who called upon Wilmarina earlier.
"Might be the monster's work, but that won't stop us." Ars Frostiere stated, moving towards the two as he looked down at the other soldiers.
"In any case, would you two cease your lollygagging? We're deep in monster territory, and it appears as though you're more interested in goofing off than hunting them down." He added with a stern glare.
"Wow, didja learn a new word just for us? I'm flattered, but there doesn't seem to be any monsters nearby." Nel retorted, his eyes looking around as he watched the forest.
"You simply aren't looking hard enough; monsters are tricky… they might be hiding within every corner of this forest and we don't even know it," Ars added, his eyes turning to the group before he continued on.
"It's possible that they already left," Gerald suggested,
"And it's possible that they're still here. Regardless, our task is simply to hold this river's end until Wilmarina's unit clears the forest." Ars stated, turning to the rest of the unit. All were set up on their end, laying defenses and chopping down trees.
His eyes turned to the familiar form of Eristia Vitral and her squire; they seemed to be conversing with two different mercenaries: a black-haired girl with Zipangese features and a large man.
He furrowed his brows at the former; he remembered how she humiliated him in front of that damned wolf. He remembered the further humiliation he suffered from Lady Wilmarina.
He sighed; nothing could be done about it now.
He knew that he wasn't well-liked in his unit, but as a hero, he knew that he had a duty to fulfill.
Still, he pondered on what those four were talking about.
…
"Excuse me," Eristia Vitral began, trying to get the attention of two mercenaries sitting near a fire they had prepared.
"Hmm? Oh, Lady Eristia, Is there something we can do for you?" One of the mercenaries voiced out it belonged to a man around his thirties. He wore thick armor that didn't hide his muscles. He had a sword on his side, one that Eristia saw had seen battle scars. Eristia's eyes twit
"Not at the moment, no, I'm simply coming here to understand the capabilities of my unit better. While I am familiar with the heroes, the mercenaries are strangers to me." She replied, turning to the other girl.
His companion took a look at the two, her eyes inspecting them before she nodded in acknowledgment. She couldn't look any more different, black flowing her, a lean frame, and Zipangese features.
"Oh, is that so?" Doon asked with his signature friendly smile. "If that's the case, my name's Doon, and this is Koyoi. We're mercenaries from the local guild here in Lescatie."
"Yes… I can infer that much," Eristia stated, trying her hardest not to sound impolite.
"So, what do you want to know about us?" Doon asked, leaning back before Eristia continued on.
"Your combat abilities and the like," Eristia stated, crossing her arms before leaning on one foot.
"Ah, well…" Doon began, scratching the back of his head before he shrugged. "I'm a decent fighter, I've fought against a few monsters here and there. Adventured across the country, but I wouldn't say that my abilities are anything special."
"I see…" Eristia stated with a nod, his verbal admission alone wasn't enough to assess his true combat ability. In hindsight, she should've assessed them beforehand. Nevertheless, there is another way she can infer.
"How long have you two been working together?" She asked, causing Doon and Koyoi to turn to her with a look of confusion.
"Around a year or so now; why?" Doon asked,
"Would you consider your relationship to be purely professional?" Eristia asked, causing Yuriy, who stood silently beside her, to sputter somewhat at the question.
It seems that the two also mistook her question, "Uh… yeah, we're kind of like family, I guess. But at the end of the day, our relationship is purely professional."
Eristia smiled at that; she couldn't find any hint of lies in his statement. Perhaps they were close in a more familial type of way, but with this, she can go and have a somewhat accurate assessment of their capabilities.
"In that case, how would you rate each other in combat?" She asked,
Internal biases are one thing, but if their relationship is purely professional, then they should be able to somewhat accurately assess the other's capabilities. Of course, there are still flaws to this logic, but it should be more accurate than the original way of asking directly.
Koyoi decided to speak up first, "He's decent, he taught me a few things. Not on the level of a hero, of course, but enough that he should be able to hold his own against most monsters."
"D-Decent?" Doon sputtered out, somewhat offended by the assessment.
"Am I wrong, Mr. Doon?" Koyoi asked; Doon was about to protest but sighed. She wasn't wrong with that assessment.
"Koyoi is…" He trailed off, turning to Koyoi, who made a complicated expression. "She's also decent, fought a good number of monsters but nothing on the level of heroes."
Eristia paused at that, her eyes narrowing before she turned to Koyoi. Koyoi gave a soft nod at that, confirming what Doon said.
"I… see…" She began,
There was something more about this girl than what Doon said, that much she could tell. That being said, she won't pry too much. Her command over her was temporary, after all.
"In that case, I should be on my way…." Eristia stated as she began to move, only to be stopped by Koyoi.
"Hold on, I have a question," Koyoi stated,
Eristia turned to Koyoi once more; she was about to ask what she needed, only to stop after she watched her eyes. Her eyes were firmly on the forest top, at one spot in particular. It was as if she was watching something; curious, she turned her eyes over only to find empty space.
"What is it?" She asked, her eyes still on the trees as she tried to find what exactly Koyoi could've seen.
"...Is there someone who uses daggers, wearing a full set of armor with a hood over their head with us?" She asked,
Eristia blinked; she tried to recall if she had seen anyone like that in her unit. She went over every single one but found not a single person who fits that description.
"No… I'm afraid not; why?" Eristia asked,
Koyoi narrowed her eyes, "...I see, we might have a stalker in our midst."
Wolven eyes stared cautiously at their surroundings, each step marred by nervousness that rooted itself back when he was still young. So far, no monsters yet… odd, really odd.
With him being in Wilmarina's unit, it was a guarantee that they'd face a few monsters here and there. His blade was placed firmly on his back, a hand holding it tightly in case he needed to use it.
His eyes turned to Wilmarina, her form moving at the front. She had her blade out, Orofuyo if he could remember it correctly. An odd name for a sword, but it was better than anything he could come up with.
"Isaac," a voice called out from beside him, "Are you okay?"
He gave a small smile, but one that was noticeably hitched. He was as well as he could be, considering that he'd most likely face the monsters sooner or later. That being said, his main priority is the rumored wolfman. If any of the groups would encounter him, it was them.
"I'm alright, Luciana… just a little nervous," he admitted,
Luciana bit her lip, her eyes turning to the surrounding forest before she spoke. "It's not too late to turn back; I'll send a detachment to escort you."
"Thanks for the offer, but… I need to do this." He stated with a sigh; he was already all the way out here. There was simply no way he could turn back now.
Luciana made a difficult face, her eyes turning sad slightly before she nodded. She couldn't convince him otherwise at this point in time, but she'd at least try. Before long, however, Wilmarina paused in her advance.
Her eyes narrowed as she scanned her surroundings. "...Ready yourselves." She began,
As soon as those words left her mouth, the unit armed themselves. Luciana pulled out her blade, and Vermut did the same nearby. Isaac pulled his blade on his shoulder and crouched, a stance familiar to both he and Luciana.
There was a tense silence; only the ambiance of the forest could be heard. The heavy breathing of the soldiers around him reached his ears as the faint rustling of the woods echoed around.
Before long…
Crack
Thunder could be heard from nearby, the cackling of lightning humming around the group. "...What… what is that?" One of the soldiers asked.
Wilmarina's eyes scanned the forest in thought, her eyes looking for the source as her enhanced hearing guided her. 'A monster? Perhaps, but what kind of monster could this be?'
Should they retreat? No, not yet. They had yet to face a single monster, so they could afford to push forward. She looked over at her comrades before she nodded,
As one, they moved once more.
Soon enough, they reached the center of the river. Wilmarina's eyes looked around, her form checking to see if there were any signs of monsters before she turned to her group. 'None yet… this is getting strange,'
She thought to herself before she looked up. 'The sky has also darkened considerably… the forecast before had told us that it'd be clear.'
Their forecast could've been wrong, but any impending storm on Lescatie would've been detected immediately. This wasn't anything really strange. However, it was nearing the fall season, so rain should be expected to come soon. That being said, for it to darken right now of all places was… coincidental, if she had to be asked.
Right now, this only truly served as a bad omen than anything truly concrete. Perhaps they should retreat… but…
She turned to her unit, her eyes scanning them each before she thought once more. 'With this, we've effectively cut the forest in two. But, to suffer no resistance at all is suspicious…' she trailed off in thought.
"Something's wrong…" she muttered out, causing her bodyguard to turn to her curiously.
"Is something the matter, Lady Wilmarina?" Vermut asked, her eyes giving a worried glance at her captain.
"Don't you find it strange? we've yet to encounter a single monster." Wilmarina asked, causing Vermut to pause and think.
"I see… yes, that is suspicious. Should we retreat?" Vermut asked, her eyes turning to her superior. Wilmarina pondered that choice; it was possible that they had already left through the mountain. If they fled through the river's ends, then they'd be spotted.
She sighed; they had yet to suffer any casualties or even get to combat. With a force that was as large as theirs, anyone would be hard-pressed. Besides, if she retreated now, then it could have consequences for those around her.
"No, we've yet to suffer any casualties. We continue on, but tell everyone to be alert." She added, turning to the river before she sighed.
"If that's what you desire, Lady Wilmarina," Vermut stated before she went to relay their orders.
Wilmarina took one last glance at the other side of the river, thunder cracking through the skies as she did.
…
Isaac was getting a little agitated. Now, he didn't know a lot about missions like these, but he could've sworn that they would've at least found a monster right now. They'd been marching for a good while now, and so far, there wasn't even a single hint of a monster. What the hell was going on?
"Luciana…" he began, causing the girl next to him to turn to the lupine boy with a small 'Hmm?'
"How long does it usually take before monsters appear in these situations?" Isaac asked,
Luciana cupped her chin, her eyes turning upwards as she thought. "Usually, a few monsters would be sighted by now… it's possible that they've set up at this end of the forest."
"I see…" Isaac muttered, still somewhat agitated. Luciana saw this, and a sad smile came to her face. Her hand reached out, only to stop just a few inches away from his own.
'No… not yet… not now….' She thought to herself. While she was content with being cordial with him, she wasn't sure if she was allowed to be intimate. She wasn't even sure if he saw her in that light, despite the many instances that alluded to that fact.
Before anything else could happen, the forest around them rustled. The unit stopped, each readying themselves.
Isaac's yellow eyes gazed around, frantically searching for any sort of monster before suddenly.
"Gakh!" A pained grunt sounded nearby; turning around, he was met with the form of a soldier pinned on the ground by a furred female creature. Her eyes had none of the lecherous allure. Instead, it held a sense of desperation and fear. Her form was scarred and beaten, and from the looks of it, those claws didn't grant any pleasure to the man at her mercy.
With a swift strike, blood gushed out of the man's neck as his life left him shortly after. Soon enough, more monsters jumped into the fray.
"An Ambush! Defensive positions!" Wilmarina yelled out from a distance.
With that one command, everyone moved. A few more unlucky ones were unfortunately struck down, while a few monsters were slain by some of the soldiers and Wilmarina herself. Soon enough, they formed a circular formation, one that covered the backs of everyone within.
Isaac stood near Luciana's side, their eyes moving around as more and more monsters surrounded them. He grits his teeth; this was far more than he had imagined, far more than the amazons or even that vampire.
Looking around, there was a collection of monsters surrounding them. Beastial eyes stared down at them through the darkened forest.
Wilmarina's eyes scanned each monster around her. Orcs, Harpies, Werewolves, Amazons… a wide variety, too much to list down here. But there was one constant in all of them, they held no love in their eyes.
This wasn't a battle between man and monster, where the latter would try to minimize the former's casualties to take them in as their husbands. No, this was a real battle, where both sides held animosity towards one another.
This wasn't the first time Wilmarina's been in a real battle, but this was certainly the first time she'd done it with monsters.
A tense silence filled the air, each soldier looking on at the horde with a cold sweat.
This was it, now or never.
But just as the battle was about to resume…
Crack
The thunder cracking could be heard nearby, startling the monsters around them. Isaac's eyes looked at them in confusion. From the looks of it, they were scared of the noise. Every time thunder cracked, they froze up and tensed. Their irises shrunk, and their paranoid eyes looked around in fear.
What could make these monsters so paranoid? What turned the usually lustful creatures into these desperate and scarred survivors? Isaac was about to get his answer.
As he pondered it, a red flash of light suddenly appeared in front of him. Time seemed to slow. Seconds turned to hours, and the entire area around him turned silent as his eyes turned to the spear that was just inches away from his face.
He widened his eyes, and in that one moment, he saw the cracking red lightning of the spear inch closer and closer. He could faintly hear the yells from Luciana; alas, he could not move.
'...What… is that….' He thought,
Death stared at him right in the face, and he found that he could not move. Before the spear made contact, a hand grabbed him from the collar and tossed him away. A blade struck the spear at speeds faster, comparable to lightning.
There was an explosion of light, lightning cackling around the impact as Isaac was thrown just out of its area. Hissing in pain, Isaac sat up from the ground as he looked on at the scene.
His eyes widened,
Wilmarina had moved in to save him, tossing him and the surrounding soldiers away as she bore the brunt of the attack. Red lightning coursed through her body, her form twitching in pain but standing still.
She had Orofuyo held upwards, blue crystalline ice emerging around her. She held her sword outwards as the attacker made himself known.
Landing near the Dragonspear with a thud, Vyke's eyes turned to Isaac before they turned to Wilmarina. The warrior stood still, form stiff, but Wilmarina could tell he was confused.
He looked around at the soldiers, his draconic eyes scanning every single one before he sighed. Vyke wanted to do this with as minimal casualties as possible, but now that he's been spotted…
"Forgive me for this," He stated, crouching down before he charged forward towards Isaac once more.
As he did, Wilmarina once more came in to block his advance. He thrust his speed forth, red lightning coursing through as Wilmarina dodged and swung her own blade towards the knight. Widening his eyes, he sidestepped and launched himself backward with his spear.
He fixed his bearings, his eyes turning to the hero before he gripped his spear tightly. He was not told that he had to go through Wilmarina to get to the shadow unless… His eyes scanned Isaac's form.
Isaac was stiff, holding his blade out but he could tell that he was a mere novice. At his level, there was no way that he could've done the same damage that the shadow was said to have accomplished. Mistaken identity then, unfortunate but orders were still orders. It was also possible that The Shadow was also skilled at hiding his abilities, as unlikely as that was.
"Move aside," He began, turning to Wilmarina. "You are not my target,"
"And let you harm one of my comrades? Don't be a fool," Wilmarina retorted,
He furrowed his brows. Alright, a fight then… He wasn't sure if Isaac was or wasn't the wolf he was searching for, but he had to slay him just in case.
He slammed his spear onto the ground, and red-lightning coursed around as Wilmarina stood firm. "I see, then I shall treat you as a warrior."
Vyke got into a stance, swinging his spear before stepping forward. Wilmarina did the same, getting into a form before she locked eyes with Vyke. A cold wind blew around her, her surroundings freezing as she readied her ice magic.
The monsters surrounding them had remained, they had nowhere else to go, but they still targeted the soldiers around them. A three-way fight, then.
No more words were said; the battle had begun.
A red-haired young man sat in a tavern with a tankard. He leaned back on his wooden seat as his eyes scanned his surroundings as sipped a bit of ale. His blue eyes turned to the woman sitting opposite himself, his face deadpanned after looking at the number of empty tankards around her.
Merse Dascaros and Elt currently sat within a tavern in Lescatie's slums. There was no real occasion here; he was just fulfilling his side of the bargain. He bought her first drink, but the rest were all on her.
Right now, they were just sitting down and having a somewhat drunken conversation. "No fucking way, you telling me that there are actually talking pots?"
"Yep, I even personally know a few," Elt answered as he leaned forward. A small sorrowful smile crossed his face, memories of a certain warrior jar crossing his face.
"Damn, and here I thought our world was bizarre," Merse answered as she took another drink.
"I'm pretty sure that a world where monsters would rather lay with men than slay them is a lot more bizarre than a few talking pots." Elt retorted,
As bizarre as the Lands Between was, it was still nowhere near the strange reality that he and the other soldiers were forced to live in. Honestly speaking, he was pretty sure that any resident of the Lands Between would be more dumbfounded by his world than vice versa.
"Yeah, you're right about that," Merse answered as she looked on at Elt.
"So, how strong are you now?" She asked,
"Not sure; I haven't really tested it yet. But I should be around Godrick's level, if not a little higher." Elt answered, casting a small flame to test before snuffing it out.
"Don't know who that is, Elt," Merse stated with a dry look on her face, causing Elt to laugh slightly.
"No one important, just another face I had to deal with back then." Elt shrugged off. He was going to omit the fact that Godrick was a demigod, albeit the weakest one. He felt as if he was stronger than that now, but he had no real way to assess that without fighting a stronger opponent.
Merse just nodded at that before she continued drinking, "Hey, you know what you should do?"
Elt just tilted his head, "What? What should I do?"
"You should write a book. With a story as crazy as yours, it could make you rich." Merse suggested, only for Elt to wave it off.
As tempting as that sounded, he'd rather not have his life story be known around the land. He thought it best that the Lands Between be forgotten; after all, he didn't want the unnecessary attention.
That and the fact that it would clue the Golden Order in that he finally had his memories unlocked.
"As tempting as that sounds, I'd rather not have my life story available to the public," Elt answered.
Merse just shrugged, "Fair enough,"
The two continued on with their conversation, discussing things like missions, training, and how he'd be treated in the unit now that he's technically at the level of a high-tier hero. The last one was tricky, Merse knew that the normal training regimen would be a cakewalk for him now, but she still needed to make it look like he was struggling a bit.
Before any of that was resolved, however, another voice cut in. "Woah, Red. Didn't expect to see you here."
Shifting their gaze upwards, they were met with the familiar form of a brown-haired red-eyed inquisitor with his signature shit-eating grin. He wasn't wearing his uniform, instead opting for a soft tunic and a haori over it. He still had his blade strapped to his waist, but now that he wasn't in uniform, he could comfortably move around without getting as many stares.
Of course, some still did. But other than the few glances he received, there wasn't much in the way of him just doing whatever business he pleased. Right now, he just wanted a drink…
"Akito, it's nice to see you here," Elt stated with a small smile,
"Damn, that's probably the first time that someone said that it's nice for me to be here. Usually, it's either a cry of terror or an angry dismissal. You some kind of masochist, Elt?" Akito asked, his usual shit-eating grin before Merse cut in.
"Hey, Elt might've forgiven you for what you did. But I still haven't," Merse stated with a cold tone, her lone eye glaring at the man who just blankly looked at her in turn.
"Look, cyclops, I know that you and I have gotten on the wrong foot here, but whatever beef I had with you is over, alright?" He stated,
Merse just widened her eyes at that; even for an inquisitor, to insult her so brazenly like that took some balls. After all, as far as she knew, he was just a normal human under those clothes. She was actually kind of impressed but also ticked off.
"So, can I sit here now? I just want to have a little chat with you," Akito stated,
Elt looked around, "...There are no gang members here, right?"
Akito just waved it off, "Relax, I'm not here to interrogate you. Just need to talk to you about something."
Elt just nodded at that before he gestured to a seat nearby. With his usual grin, Akito sat on it and leaned back, his eyes scanning the two before he spoke. "So, how have you been after that Baphomet fiasco?"
"Doing alright, everything's gone back to normal… or at least as normal as it should be…." Elt trailed off.
"Yeah, but there's still one thing that's off here." Merse began, turning her lone eye at Akito before she narrowed them. Akito paused, his eyes turning to merse before she spoke.
"And… what would that be?" Akito asked,
Merse paused, looking at the inquisitor with a deadpan before she spoke up. "You haven't replaced the wine you drank, jackass."
Akito tilted his head, "The fuck do you mean? I could've sworn I bought you the exact same brand and bottle?"
"Exact same brand, yeah. But I've been fermenting that fucking drink for years. If you want to compensate, then you have to throw that weight in gold." Merse stated with crossed arms.
"Are you shitting me? I emptied my pockets buying that, and you're still not satisfied? Needy ass bitch," Akito dryly muttered before Merse continued on,
"Needy ass? You're the one who's being cheap here, and this wouldn't have happened if you didn't drink the fucking thing."
"And how are you so sure that I'm the one who drank it, jackass? It could've been any other Inquisitor."
"You said you replaced it, which means that you should've been the one who drank it."
"Flawless logic there, one-eye. If I remember this correctly, I loaned red here two of my swords, and he broke both. That should've been enough to pay for that shitty drink of yours."
Elt just silently drank his tankard with a deadpan in his eyes. Blocking out the conversation, he turned his eyes around as he tried to look for something else to pass the time. He looked at the bards playing, the drunken men arm-wrestling, and a man sleeping near the bar.
Before long, however, his eyes caught a woman in a cloak silently sitting in the corner. As soon as his eyes moved over, she moved her gaze away, he immediately understood who it was under that cloak. 'Are you serious? She just won't leave this alone, huh?'
He looked back at the two, their bickering dying down, before he pulled out his journal and ripped out a piece of paper. He cast a small flame, burning a small message on the paper before he silently tossed it to Akito and Merse. The two's attentions turned to the paper before they looked on at Elt.
With a silent nod, the two continued on.
"Listen, just pay for my fucking wine, and I'll be happy."
"Tough shit, Cyclops, I ain't paying for shit."
"Call me cyclops again, and I'll-"
"And you'll what? You don't have the balls to hit an inquisitor, Cyclops."
Her lone eye twitched, and she slowly got up, her form glaring at Akito, who gulped in return. With one swift move, she pushed Akito back far enough that he spilled his drink on another tenant. Drunk, annoyed, and a little ticked off, the tenant then struck back, only for Akito to dodge and kick the man into another tenant.
One thing leads to another, and soon… bar fight.
Elt sat there quietly and sipped more of his ale, his eyes scanning the chaos around him. People slammed each other on the table, and men were throwing one another across the room; at the center, Merse and Akito both were fighting off a bunch of men with little to no effort on their part.
Considering the grins on their faces, it looked like they were enjoying this. His eyes turned to the cloaked girl, finding that she had fled the chaos. Good, he didn't want her to be caught up in all of this.
Before long, however, he, too, was pulled into the fight. A drunkard came rushing towards him from behind, a bottle held aloft before he swung it down at Elt's head. Elt merely moved his head to the side, letting the man swing before he grabbed the drunkard's arm and threw him onto the table, smashing it.
'I think it's time we leave,' He thought before he turned to Akito and Merse. With a small nod, the two got the message and fought their way out of the bar.
…
Elt, Akito, and Merse escaped the chaos in the bar relatively unscathed. The drunkards within weren't much of a challenge on their end, considering that one of them was a hero and the other two fought a Baphomet together.
They currently stood in an alleyway, dusting themselves before Akito spoke up,
"Did you really have to throw me that hard, asshole?" Akito muttered as he moved his shoulder around.
"Sorry, Akito, I had to sell the whole fighting part here for the both of us." She stated with a small grin which Akito returned with a grumble.
"Elt, you are insane… telling us to go and fight like that just to get rid of Aria," Akito commented; Elt just stood by the alley watching in case Aria was nearby before he sighed and turned to the group.
With his own smile, he turned to Akito before he spoke. "Sorry about that; it was the only thing I could think of to get her off my back without confronting her."
Confronting her in an abandoned and empty church was one thing; doing it in public in front of multiple drunken tenants was another. As much as he wanted her off his trail, he didn't want another repeat of the bar incident from earlier.
"You didn't tell me that another Inquisitor was stalking you," Merse stated, turning to Elt before she crossed her arms.
Elt just shrugged, "I didn't want to trouble you."
"That wasn't troubling?" Akito asked with crossed arms; Elt just shrugged once more in response.
"You two seemed to enjoy it," He stated with crossed arms before Elt turned to Akito.
Merse bit her lip slightly; Elt was acting way different than she remembered. The old Elt wouldn't have taken such a brazen move and would've relied on her for help. She supposed that being forced to face off against Gods and powerful monsters would cause him to develop a more self-reliant personality.
She was both scared and intrigued; that much was for certain.
"When'd you become such a jackass?" Akito asked,
"I don't know, maybe you rubbed off me," Elt answered with his own shrug.
"I worry for my unit's life if that's the case," Merse joked, causing Elt to laugh slightly.
"Don't worry, captain, I'm still the goofy idiotic soldier, you know," He stated with a small smile, causing Merse to do the same and let out a sigh.
"Alright then, that being said, I'll be taking a cut out of your pay as compensation," Merse stated with a small grin, causing Elt to pause and turn to her.
"Hey now, let's not get hasty…."
Merse just laughed at that before she walked out of the alley. "Anyways, it's getting late. I'll be off back in the barracks to finish some paperwork I'm working on."
With a nod, Merse turned and left the alleyway. With her gone, it was only Elt and Akito left in there. Akito looked on at the street before he sighed and turned to Elt. "Alright, Red… there's something I need to talk to you about."
Elt's eyes turned to Akito, his arms crossing before he asked. "What?"
"It's about Aria; she… might know about your powers…." Akito answered,
Elt paused, his head tilting before he sighed. His hand came over and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I suspected as much…."
Akito's eyes widened in response, "You knew?"
Elt nodded, "I confronted her earlier, she was snooping around the slums, and there was only one reason I could think of."
"I told her to leave; looks like she didn't listen," Elt stated with a sigh,
Akito did much the same, "She's as tenacious and hard-headed as her brother; keep an eye out on her."
Elt merely nodded in response. Satisfied, Akito turned to leave only to pause when a thought hit his head. He hadn't asked this before, but it was something that had been festering in the back of his mind ever since the end of the raid.
Akito's eyes then turned to Elt, his eyes narrowing before he spoke once more. "...Say, you never actually told me what happened to the witch."
"You're right; I didn't," Elt stated, his tone getting a little tense as he turned to Akito.
"So… what happened to her?" Akito asked; Elt paused before he looked on at him.
"Lucas… thought that she had run out of uses, so he… got rid of her." He stated,
Akito raised his brow, "So… she's dead?"
Elt didn't answer, only looking at the distance. If he were anyone else, Akito would've pried but knowing him; there was little he could do to truly threaten him. But he didn't need to,
"I see," Akito muttered as he sighed and began to walk off onto the street.
"You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, Elt. Albain is nothing like me, and I mean that in the worst way possible." Akito continued on, turning to Elt before he stepped out onto the streets.
"I just hope that you're ready to face the consequences of this choice." Akito finalized before he walked off.
Elt just stood there in silence, his mind wandering off before he shook his head. It was supposed to be a pleasant and relaxing day today, but he supposed he was asking for too much. He sighed; he still had a few more promises to keep.
Particularly with Mimil, Primera and Sasha. He'd do the former first, seeing as how that's the easiest to accomplish.
His mind then moved to Aria and Albain, yhe latter was most likely still looking for Merridith. He shuddered slightly, out of everyone it was Albain who he was cautious of the most. He saw what the man was capable of during the raid, and he shuddered to think of what he'd do just to get to Merridith.
Elt just hoped that he wouldn't be forced to do anything he'd regret, alas... he found that hoping for such things often lead to disaster.
But a part of him still clung to his old self, a delusional attempt to try and reclaim what he had lost in the Lands Between.
He was just wearing a mask in this case, it would slip sooner or later.
With that, he walked off.
Kill… Die… Fade Away… Demise….
Over and over, those thoughts rang through the black goat's head, and over and over, she tried her best to ignore them. Kuroferuru had been bedridden for most of the day; her condition continues to be a pain to deal with in more ways than one.
Druella had set out to manage her own troops and prepare for the invasion. However, with the current situation in Lescatie, it was clear that things wouldn't run as smoothly as once intended. Honestly speaking, she had no idea what was going on in Lescatie.
Everything had gone to shit in more ways than one, from the red-haired thing and his anomalous subordinate to the abduction of monsters going on around the place. Rumors of a wolfman running amok across the country had also reached her ears, and the news was coming in that a cardinal had been assassinated within the capital itself.
The situation had become tenuous, and at this point, Druella usually would've invaded by now to spare them all the trouble. But she hadn't; she couldn't. This was no mere case of a corrupt society destroying the lives of those within, but rather something deeper…
Perhaps something more sinister…
Druella knew that invading now with little to no information would spell disaster. She needed to be smart about this; she needed to know the situation first before deciding whether to retreat or not.
Kuroferuru sighed; this was not her dilemma to deal with, but it was still one that took a toll on her mind.
Soon enough, a white magic circle appeared in her room. Her eyes narrowed as she shielded her eyes from the bright light. Soon enough, another goat appeared right in front of her. Much like her, she was childlike in appearance. Unlike her, however, she was at least more modest in how she dressed.
With white bloomers and a dark green-furred coat, along with that, she also wore a pointed hat and had white flowing hair, rather than the blackened hair of her fellow Baphomet.
Looking on at her form, the other Baphomet tilted her head before she spoke. "By Lilith, Kuroferuru… what on earth has happened to you?"
Kuroferuru dryly looked at her sister, her eyes turning to her form before she spoke. "Isn't that why you're here, Shiro? Perhaps your time spent in that library finally dusted your brain."
Shirokuto's brow fell, "Even now, you continue to be such a migraine to me. Honestly, would it kill you to stop goofing around every so often?"
Kuroferuru laughed at that, "And be a no-nonsense killjoy like you? As if,"
Shirokuto sighed, turning to Kuroferuru before she moved toward her. She placed a paw over her forehead, checking to see if she had a fever. "Even with your condition, you still find the energy to make fun of me…."
Kuroferuru sighed in response, "It's the only thing keeping me sane, Shiro."
Shirokuto made a difficult face in response, her paws moving downwards before she sighed. "I'm worried, Kuro… Your condition might be worse than what I've been told."
As a Baphomet and one dedicated to research and learning, she was knowledgeable enough to know a person's condition with but a mere glance. It was nowhere near Greilia's level, but it should be enough for her to understand that her sister was in pain.
Case in point, she was not as lively as she used to be. She was often the more… radical… of the two of them, the troublemaker and the attention seeker. While Shirokuto was content in just staying in the library to learn, Kuroferuru often did so by going out and learning on her own.
To see this girl brought low was a saddening sight, even more so when Shiro knew that she was her flesh and blood.
"Greilia and Runya are on their way; the latter might take a little while," Shirokuto added, turning to Kuroferuru before she sighed and sat down.
"That's fine…" She felt a little sorry for Runya; she was the only Baphomet who didn't have the talent for magic. She was still physically strong, don't get her wrong, but her strength was considerably weakened by her inability to cast.
That being said, she makes up for her strength with her ability to compile and give out information. If there was anyone who could know what her condition was about, it was her and her sister.
"But before that, I'd like to ask how you managed to get into this situation in the first place," Shirokuto stated,
"...Alright…" Kuroferuru weakly muttered, getting up slightly before she turned to her sister. Seeing this, Shirokuto paused and sighed.
"Or… perhaps I could simply sift through your memories to find out instead; that way, you wouldn't have to expend energy trying to speak," Shirokuto suggested, only for Kuroferuru to shake her head.
"No… don't worry, I'll be able to recall it in full detail." She answered.
Seeing what happened to Druella when she tried to inspect her body, she'd rather not let her sister go through the exact same thing. It was better if she just told her upfront; that way, it would spare her from catching whatever it was that plagued her.
"...If you say so," Shiro uttered in slight confusion. She summoned a small stool to sit on, crossing her legs as she then summoned a book and quill for her to write.
"...It all began with a witch, a red-haired boy, and an anomaly…"
Author's Notes:
Alright, that ends another chapter. It took a little longer than usual, but here it is.
I don't have much to say here, so I'll just go ahead and say that it took a few rewrites here and there to get this out. I was initially gonna have all of the assault in one chapter, but then I realized that with all the different sides and all their differing fights, I knew that I had to split the chapter here and there. I wasn't really in the mood to write combat when I did this chapter, which is why most of it will be relegated to the next. That being said, I did try my best to set up their situations, and I think I did a good job.
Anyways, I don't have much else to say here. Merse and Elt's conversation was originally going to happen later, but I decided to do it now since I realized he might not have the opportunity soon.
As to what I mean by that, you'll have to guess.
As always, feel free leave a review, comment, reaction, etc.
Whamo Out!
