Colonel Brigg surveyed the battlefield from his perch, the diminutive man sat atop a house's roof from behind the Order's frontline. From his newly acquired height he was thus able to survey the full chaos of war. Men and Women still fought tooth and nail against foes nearly twice their height, their numbers and use of massed weapons making up for their comparable lack of individual strength. Now, even with their inhuman strength and endurance those Mamono that had charged forth from the gates were dwindling down to nearly a fraction of their original number.
It was only a matter of time before the castle keep fell, and the capture of the city of Kharstien was complete. It would be a tremendous victory for the Order.
The man grunted as his look soured at that thought; personally he wouldn't even bother to piss in this city anymore than a back alley full of rabid stray dogs. The air was toxic to breathe, the surrounding fields were littered and untended, and there was no amount of detergent that would scrub out the sticky sexual fluids found in every single nook and cranny of this gods forsaken Demon Realm.
His superiors had wanted this to be the Order's own Lescastie, a strike against the forces of the Makai Kingdom with enough psychological impact to stunt their endless advance… What they got instead was a ghost town full of dead bodies and empty prospects of returning this city to a 'Normal' state… Maybe if that Mamono Hunter's plan worked they could just plant a flag in the rubble and call it even.
"Sir!" A lone Order soldier shouted from below, "I have an urgent message for you. Please come down at once!"
Brigg sighed, his duty was never done it seemed.
With a jump and deft landing that would normally seem impossible for someone of his build, the Colonel met the messenger mask to mask. "What's the situation?"
The Priestess was a senior ranked member by the silver insignia on her lapel; normally Priests and Priestesses didn't belong to any rigid military structure, except for their own Cardinals and Bishops, however when attached to an expedition and placed under a martial hierarchy they were given temporary commissions depending upon their employment. It was one of the more recent changes that took place after the siege upon the capitol and the reforms.
Brigg had to also admit It was a tad bit interesting to see someone so young being placed above her fellow god's men that were well beyond twice her own age. The girl, no older than twenty, snapped a brisk salute. "Sir! I've detected an anomaly in the Lay Lines! From surges in the mana flow I believe the Mamono may have tapped into them for a ritual, the purpose of which is unknown, but judging by the amount they're syphoning off… It could be catastrophic…"
That wasn't good, not that Mamono spells were anything close to beneficial to begin with, but the fact that they had started utilizing the underground magical reserves meant they were truly desperate. Using any amount of mana from within the natural reservoirs came at a cost; draining too much would risk turning the land into an even more barren wasteland as the life was quite literally sucked dry from the soil. Though concerning, as this would further impact the already precarious value placed on Kharstein, making any minimal gains from this whole venture absolutely hopeless, what really sent a shiver down the commander's spine was that wild mana often proved volatile… Explosively so if the right spark was lit.
…Speaking of, the fuse was more than likely lit, if that Hunter had made good on his plans to sabotage the Mamono's fortress from the inside… Right above where the ritual was taking place… Damnit all to Hel.
"What's you name again, Priestess?"
"It's Chaplain Adelle Ivermoth, Sir." The white robed caster replied.
"Alright, Ivermoth, I need you to send a message to each platoon leader, it is of the utmost importance that they know about this." The Order holy woman nodded briskly, she could feel the changing tides in the ambient mana… And she could already guess what was about to happen. "Tell them: 'we're in condition Blooming Violet'. They'll know what it means."
With a final salute the Priestess was gone, running back to her mount to deliver the message. With haste and a bit of luck Brigg hoped they would have moved their forces away from the immediate blast radius.
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The Hellhound was faster than Jacob first thought, her lupine features allowing her to spring back and forth as hammer blows came crashing down. She also kept up a decent amount of blocks when dodging wasn't an option, a feat that would have normally left most Mamono a puddle on the ground.
A metallic clang echoed through the courtyard as the Hellhound's claws parried another strike aimed at her head. The hammer's head instead being deflected mere hairs away from her scalp. The black wolf grit her teeth as she felt the shockwave of the displaced air wash over her head… It wasn't the first time this fight that she had nearly had her brains creamed.
"Oh! Nicely dodged!" The brute of a Human seemed to be enjoying this fight.
As the momentum of his last swing carried him spinning to the left Beilka saw her chance to counter; with the muscles in her legs already coiled she sprung forwards, claws aimed right back at the giant's head.
In a surprising display of martial strength the man rotated the hammer in his two handed grip, swung the dense hunk of metal around in a tight loop, and brought it around in a steep overhead strike. Bielka had only half a second before the gilded blunt weapon crushed her.
Realizing she'd never reach the Order Captain before her brains were smooshed, and due to her current trajectory leaving no room to escape the blow, a hard choice was made.
With a thunderous crash one of the Order's finest struck his opponent down.
A small dust cloud erupted from where kinetic force struck compacted dirt. The gathered Order soldiers were blown back a bit by the gust of wind that swept over them. A shrill cry, like that of a wounded animal could be heard through the dust.
When the cloud settled there was only one figure left standing, the other was writhing on the ground clutching her shattered left shoulder.
Dianna who had been watching the fight with unease had to clamp her hands over her ears to muffle the screams of the other Mamono. Milo just huffed, slightly amused at seeing his friend win yet another bout, yet he too felt the mood soured by the wailing of the incapacitated Hellhound.
Jacob calmly strode over to the stricken black wolf, "Good show, shame about the shoulder."
In between her seething huffs, Bielka fixed the man with a brimstone searing glare. "FUCK! YOU!"
"Hey now, that's all on you." Jacob shrugged, "We just wanted our little Princeling back, you were the one who thought he was worth fighting over."
The Prince in question, while still stuck upside down in the dirt from where Beilka had previously planted him, now had several Order soldiers tugging at his trousers in an effort to release him from the soil's grasp. With a combined heave a coughing and dirt spitting Prince Ainsworthy was released. Waves of dust and dry soil washed over the boy who began furiously brushing himself down. His once pristine looking wings now brow with garden soil. "Bleh! I shall never remove this fowl taste from my mouth!" Roderick snapped his gaze between each of the Order foot soldiers, "Well?! Does any of you morons have a bottle of water with you?"
Jacob turned his attention away from the newly winged annoyance to Bielka, fixing her with a raised eyebrow under his mask "I would say you could have kept him, but then I wouldn't be a very good solider if I did."
Bielka winced as pain jolted through her arm as she adjusted herself on the ground to sit up straight. "Trust me, it's not his glowing personality that we wanted him… It's what our mistress would want."
"Hoh? And what would a natty old Vampire cunt want with our Duke's Pride and Joy?"
The Hellhound bristled at the insult to her employer, but stopped herself from moving too much. The pain and several rifles aimed at her head dissuading the idea of retaliation. "That's a shame… Would have thought you'd have figured it out by now." The wolf girl chuckled, "I'm more of a fighter, and even I can piece that one together. Guess you Order virgins really are dumb as a box of rocks like they say."
With a tired sigh Jacob hoisted his hammer back up on his shoulder, "I had my guesses, but to be honest I can't really care too much about it at this point. Too many good men and women have died tonight for it to merely boil down to some feud between a couple of pompous pricks. We have our Prince, and we'll be leaving, that's all that matters."
For a moment it looked like Bielka was about to retort to that, but she stopped herself when she looked up into the Captain's eyes. Even through the glass of the mask, she could tell much of the fight had gone from the giant. He was probably in his twenties, but if she judged by the weight behind his sunken eyes she'd have said he had aged by a century this evening.
"Oh? Leaving so soon?"
In an instant the tension in the air changed, as if a string had been pulled tight until it creaked. Every single human present within the courtyard felt a chill run up their spine, as if some primal force within them was screaming that there was danger present. It felt as if a predator was eyeing each and every one of them, sizing them up like slabs of meat. Wordlessly every Order soldier formed themselves back up into a single square, pikes aimed outwards into the darkness that surrounded them. Milo and Dianna were shuffled into the center of the formation next to the Prince and the wolf.
"I had thought these guests of mine would do me the courtesy of greeting me upon their arrival… It's rather quite rude to make the Lady of the house run around her own home." The silky smooth voice echoed across the inner garden, "You've all been rather naughty, ruining my garden like a bunch of vermin. Do I need to weed you out? Cull a few for such disrespect?"
A black tendril launched itself from beyond the haze to wrap itself around the foot of a halberdier, who was then immediately dragged screaming into the darkness.
Jacob swore as he saw the man vanish, never to be seen again. Another tendril sprung out from beyond the torch light, but this time he was able to smite it with his hammer, the thing dissolving into blood red mana particles there after. "Show yourself you hag! Fight us or let us be, this night is over for us all, we merely wish to see the day once more!"
One of the troopers suddenly screamed out in pain as a black shadow rose up from beneath him to skewer him through the center. The men nearby showered with bits of gore. Several soldiers seeing their comrade being takin out from below began to panic.
"Hold firm men! It's merely shadow magic! If you can stay within the light there will not be more surprises from beneath!" Jacob bellowed, regaining his men's attention. "See to it that every torch is lit, I want no gaps between the light!"
Spare torches were lit, along with several nearby bushes. The orange glow soon filled the courtyard, where the edge of the firelight danced and writhed with malicious intent.
"YOU DARE DEFILE MY GARDEN FURTHER! CRETINS!"
Ever since she had first felt her presence, Dianna had been hopeful unlike the Human soldiers that surrounded her. Her master had come to save her and Bielka she had thought… Now she wasn't quite sure anymore. She had been near the soldier that had been impaled, his blood had blackened her apron and she had to yet wipe away the matter clinging to her cheek… She had been so close, if the spike had hit her instead…
Now after hearing the rage that had emanated from her voice, the quite promise of pain and suffering, to the enraged howling from the burning of her garden… She wasn't sure if her mistress would care if she was among those she butchered.
As the tears and sobs worked their way out Dianna felt a leather gloved hand rest upon her shoulder. Glancing over the Kikimora saw Milo giving her a reassuring nod, "You'll be fine, she'll not hurt the things she cares about. And if she tries, both me and Jacob will stop her."
He once again pulled out his handkerchief and began wiping away the blood splatter on her cheeks. Perhaps it was the mess or the firelight, but Milo couldn't seem to entirely wipe away the red marks on both her cheeks.
Due to the proximity of being boxed in with them, both Roderick and Bielka stared at the maid and Hunter with wide eyes. One was aghast at seeing one of the Order's finest treating the enemy with care, while the other was surprised to see the least likely Mamono in the castle to have a partner snag a man to dote on her.
"What are you doin-" Roderick was cut off by the black fur paw now covering his mouth. The death glare he received after he tried fighting off Beilka's good arm cowed the boy enough to merely grumble at the sight of heresy.
Above the fire lit courtyard the clouds began to roil and turn, as if a tempest had been summoned. Men and Mamono braced themselves for whatever may fall from the sky. However, no rain or thunder came from the dark masses above, instead they began to part up near the tallest spire of Castle Kharstien. The blood red moon beyond becoming visible as it illuminated the land beneath in a sickly red tinge.
One of the soldiers shouted as he aimed his rifle up into the sky, shakily pointing to the menacing silhouette hovering above her castle. There, the Vampire Lord finally decided to reveal herself in all her imposing glory.
To all that looked upon her in past and present it was said that any mortal that perceived her were always filled with both a sense of enrapture and a primal fear. A fear ingrained in them after a millennia of generations, of not only being hunted for prey, but for pleasure that would destroy any normal mortal soul.
Long silver white hair flowed around her voluptuous body like Medusa's snakes, talons as long as knives and sharp enough to flay a man alive were spread to either side in what may be perceived as if she were about to give a welcoming embrace, enchanting red eyes glared down at the assembled men of the Order with untold magnitudes of fury.
She was beautiful, she was terrifying, she was Camilla Von Kharstien.
"Be grateful you Vermin, for the Lady of this castle has come to see to your demise. Rejoice, for you shall all have the honor of dying by my final order to you all: Perish!"
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