Darkness Rising
Fencer Squire remembered that it was a particularly cool day in the month of First Seed.
The hearth was roaring as a feast was prepared for her. Her father had ensured that they'd never know hunger, and her mother ensured that they'd never live in squalor.
Her favorite meal of spiced beef and pork was served alongside vegetables cooked alongside them. She dug in, eating what was considered an unladylike amount of food, but it mattered not, as this was a day she'd knew she'd be given leniency.
It was her tenth birthday.
While her mother lectured her brother on etiquette and of other things, her father whisked her away from the main dining chambers to his study.
She remembered how excited she was, for she was not often allowed here.
Once there, he handed her a box.
"Happy birthday my little Fencer." He told her with a smile as he handed her said box.
She opened it and she was immediately filled with joy with the gift.
It was a rapier, exquisitely crafted, and perfectly balanced. Its sweeping hilt was intricately designed with a little rosettes pattern, and its handle was made of pristine poplar and a large gem as its pommel.
He then regaled of times past whilst she marveled at his collection of trophies and awards given to him by the King himself, for his service as one of the most effective fighting forces during the war against the Demon Lords armies, even having slain one of their generals in single combat.
When he showed to her the blade he used to defeat said general, she swore she could feel but a fraction of the radiance of the divine from it. It was ornate, made of the finest metals in the land, gold and silver inlays along with a gem-encrusted pommel.
She had noticed a number of holy seals and litanies on its sheathe, blessed by clerics and other holy men and women, however, the texts on them were written in a language she was unfamiliar in.
Then he took it out of its container and held it out for her.
"Go ahead, you can hold it." He told her with such a soft and caring tone. "It is a piece of history that will be passed down to one of you two."
She remembered how elated she was to even be afforded the opportunity to hold such a weapon.
However, when she gripped the handle of the weapon, a blinding white light engulfed her vision.
Seconds later, she found herself in a completely different environment, a metallic stench in the air and the smells of something horrid while flames surround her.
She stood face to face with a stranger that was at least twice her size and with an unholy aura to them.
A surge of emotions soon bombarded her youthful mind. Some she knew, such as to resolve and fear, others that she could not comprehend. It was almost like her mind was splitting before everything faded to black.
When she came to, she woke up in a bed with a priestess looking over her, and her family members surrounding her bed.
She had been unconscious for a few days, whatever caused it was unknown to everyone.
However, she felt as if her mother already knew what was happening, so when she asked for a moment with her, it was surprising.
When she told her what she had seen, her mother seemed rapt with an interest in this development.
What happened next was not too surprising, her mother handed her a pair of gloves made of fine and sturdy leather. The woman would instruct her that she was to only take them off while she ate or bathed to avoid what had happened previously.
It was for her own safety apparently, although when asked again, the subject was almost always met with deflection or a change of the subject entirely.
Months later, she began to see the threads between herself and objects, and sometimes, if she focused hard enough, she would be able to bring them to herself.
…
(First Week of First Seed)
The sun that was once high above them was now setting off in the distance. The trees of the forest they walked through were low, and the path they have been traveling on made it easier to see the sun get closer to the horizon below.
It wasn't cold anymore, for winter was now in the past, and spring was arriving. Soon, the new crop of adventurers would be joining and walking the path she began nearly a year and a half ago.
As she walked on the trodden path, her palm rested upon the pommel of her rapier. To her left and right were the lush green undergrowth of the forest, and behind her was the constantly increasing distance from the Frontier Town.
In front of her, was the knight who had saved her six months ago.
To her, this man was unlike any she had met prior.
First, he willingly worked with Goblin Slayer, who the locals often referred to as a nutjob. Although she had no firsthand experience working with the local specialist, accounts from her on-and-off party member seemed to disprove many of the rumors and ill will that followed the strange man around. If anything, it seemed that Cataphract Errant and Goblin Slayer shared a lot of similar qualities.
She also found it difficult and even frustrating at times to talk to him, for he said little outside of their jobs, and expressed even less. To top it all off, she had no idea what he looked like, for he had not once had he taken his helmet off at all, the most she had ever seen was the vague silhouette of his chin.
She sometimes felt that she was traveling with a stranger.
To his credit, however, he did not treat her like she was made of glass, which was promptly proven when he had, for a lack of better words, tossed her around like a sack of rocks during their spar months prior. He was cordial and professional in their dealings with each other and would inform her whenever they would not be questing with each other, and when they did, he was also guaranteed to pay her half of whatever they earned, regardless of if she had or hadn't been pulling her weight during said quests.
It seemed that this ethic and mindset had earned him that promotion to Steel last month.
True, she was rather envious that he made Steel within six months where it took her nearly a full year, but she supposed that his armor and spell caster made it much easier for him to take quests on his own.
And she couldn't complain, he is partially the reason why she is currently Sapphire Rank.
Aside from the chirping of the birds in their nests high above and those traveling this road, whether they be civilian or adventurer, the day had been uneventful.
A quiet trip is always a good one. She silently thought to herself, her eyes wandering back to the path in front of her.
Sometime later when the reddish hue grew even darker, her attention was brought to the sudden movements of the man in armor she had been trailing behind.
He put his hand up as he came to a halt, his fist balled. He had a variety of strange gestures which she was slightly getting the hang of.
"You spot something?" She whispered, her grip on the handle her rapier, ready to draw at a moment's notice.
"No." He simply stated, his helmet slightly turned back to her. "We will rest here for the night."
"You sure?" She tilted her head. "I'm still fresh for a fight."
"We've been walking almost all day now." He simply stated, his body now turned to her.
That was true, they had left the guild relatively late the night prior, and most of today was spent traveling.
"It'll be a few more hours before we reach our destination." He added. "You sure you'd be up for a fight in the middle of the night?"
She pursed her lips as she thought.
"Suppose you do make a fair point, Sir Knight." She waltzed up to him as she called him by her preferred nickname. She soon tilted her head up to be what she could best perceive as eye level. "I'll pick out the campsite while you get the logs?"
With a simple nod, the misty blue visor of the man walked into the shrubbery of the woods, off to find whatever he thought was good firewood.
Scanning the area, she noticed that he picked out a nice spot for a night's rest. There seemed to be the foundation of what was most likely home at one point, with crumbled walls no higher than her chest.
Picking up a number of stones, she formed a circle to where the campfire would be and then pilled up a substantial amount of kindling which would start the fire.
While she struck the flint against the steel from her kit, she thought back to her first spar against Cataphract Errant.
…
The two of them stood no more than thirty feet across from each other.
The two of them were right outside the hall, on the court that currently serves as the guilds defacto training center, where many adventurers had trained before her, and many more would certainly pick up a thing or two after her.
There they took their positions no more than thirty feet apart from each other.
With the exception of armor, all of the gear she used on a daily mission had been put off to the side, so that it would not hinder her movements at all, an ideal fight for her. She quickly steeled herself for combat, remembering the motions of what her father had taught her throughout the years.
Her opponent however did no such thing, opting to wear what she could assume to be his full adventuring gear. He also seemed to carry his saber lazily, its tip pointed to the ground, however, his posture was stalwart, and his visor clearly focused on her.
The rules were simple: Fight goes until one of them yields or is unable to continue fighting.
Steeling herself for the spar they would have, she exhaled as she let a smile form on her face.
"Are you ready?" She had called out to her opponent, an idea of a plan formulating in her mind.
She had remembered him primarily as a spellcaster, all she needed was to rush and overwhelm him with a flurry of strikes.
After he had tossed down one piece of his knuckle plate to the ground, a silent nod from the foreign warrior soon marked the beginning of the match.
She closed the distance quickly, and she went on the offensive.
First strike. Deftly parried.
The second attack was swiftly avoided.
The third strike was countered as his elbow impacted into her chest, pushing her back.
She soon noticed that his stance with the saber had changed completely. Slowly, he moved towards her, his guard raised.
Deciding not to waste any time, she decided to go in on the offensive again, her strikes constantly clashing with the metal of his sabre.
For every strike she attempted, he seemingly had a mirror to it. She quickly noticed that they were nowhere near as refined as her movements, but they held to the efficiency and effectiveness that he had shown with his spells.
His fighting style matched the brutish physique his armor portrayed. Whenever their blades would meet, he often followed up with an attempt to trip her or even a physical attack with his fist.
To her, this duel was a strange albeit intricate dance.
As the battle progressed, she felt more focused and more able to predict when his next strike would be arriving. Although she preferred to focus on offensive techniques, she knew that now she needed to be on the defense as his focus switched to offense.
A few more minutes passed as this seemingly endless impasse continued, their roles now swapped. She now found herself unable to swing, constantly focused on the onslaught that he was raging. Then she saw the perfect opening to get a hit off on her opponent, an opportunity she could not afford to pass up.
Only once she went in for the strike that she realized that he had intended for her to take it. With a feint, he managed to counterattack, swiping her off her feet and landing, soon resulting with her lying on her back on the ground.
She tried to reach for her rapier, but he had promptly kicked it away. His saber pointed down to her as he waited for her to surrender.
"Yield." Those words sounded foreign to his mouth, but she supposed it didn't matter since his blade was within a foot of her face.
Considering all her options, she decided that she would attempt to use her last trick up her sleeve.
When one often works alone, one needs to have a variety of tools at their arsenal. Magic was not her strong suit, perhaps her most underdeveloped skills, but in situations like this, it could prove an invaluable skill.
With her already extended hand she found the thread that was between herself and the rapier. It wasn't taut, but it was enough for it to move towards her, rattling along the ground.
As it drew closer, Cataphract Errant's helmet slightly turned, and then his foot landed onto her forearm, the pain breaking the thread and her concentration.
With the pain in her arm slowly subsiding, she let out a frustrated huff, resting her head against the ground. "I yield."
"Ten minutes." He simply stated whilst sheathing the blade. "Not impressive, but better than most."
She slowly began to hoist herself up when his hand reached down. Accepting the gesture, she grabbed on as she was brought up from the ground. "For a spell caster, you were quite skilled with a blade."
"I've grown rusty." What she believed to be dissatisfaction came from him. Turning to her he looked her up and down. "Although it was a refreshing change of pace."
"Indeed it was." Fencer Squire soon sheathed her rapier, wiping the sweat that had developed on her brow. "So, up for a quest?"
"Maybe later." Without much more to say, he moved past her. "I have things to attend to. Take care."
…
With the strike of the flint and steel, the kindling caught fire, and a small fire began to rise from it. Putting some additional kindling before the sticks, she chuckled, and it grew in size at the memory.
The next day he was back at the guild asking for goblins. Only after she asked if he would be willing to form a temporary party did he tag along.
Occasionally they would quest together, and on other days he would be helping Goblin Slayer with his preferred prey. She opted out of tagging along with Goblin Slayer when he went, although she could tell that the two seemed to get along quite well.
She soon took a seat by the growing flame, her eyes wandered from it, for her mind elsewhere. A short distance away laid a brick from the decrepit building that once was here. Extending her hand out and reciting the proper incantation, she attempted to bring it closer to herself.
Slowly, the brick lifted, wobbling the closer she brought it. At the point halfway between its starting point and her, she lost concentration and it tumbled to the ground. I still need to work on my spells. She grumbled to herself, her thoughts on the slow progress she had made in the past few months. She had been unable to properly make things come her way, which was considered the simplest of tasks in her mind, and her inability to do just that frustrated her to no end.
The rustling of foliage got her attention, and she turned to the source, her hand on the pommel of her rapier. Once the familiar light from Cataphract Errants helmet was visible, she relaxed once again.
He promptly deposited some of the logs into the fire and put rest a short distance from the fire.
"There you are! Thought you decided to go complete the quest without me!" She half-joked.
"That only happened once." He replied, serious as ever. "Those bandits would've killed the prisoners. Time was of the essence."
"Yeah, yeah I know." She waved her hand dismissively, looking up at the now dark sky, the first stars beginning to appear high above. "Do you have any idea what we might be up against? Werewolves? Maybe an ogre" She pulled out a bottle marked 'Honeyed Ale', a favored drink of hers.
After a few sips, she offered the bottle to her teammate.
"No idea," He lifted his hand to show that he didn't want to drink, "but it could be goblins."
"Over two dozen quests with our local goblin hunter and you got goblins on the mind?" She chuckled while taking another sip. One of the many reasons they managed to get this quest was because goblins weren't explicitly mentioned.
"It aligns with their M.O from my experience with them." He told her, fiddling with one of his spellcasting focuses. He didn't use them as often as he did in the beginning, but he still brought them along, perhaps as a force of habit. "The report mentioned a decently sized hamlet was burned and captives were taken, but something doesn't add up."
Putting the cork back on her bottle, she tried to think of anything that seemed off, but nothing came to mind. "If you say so, but we'll find out won't we?"
"Indeed."
A steady silence soon enveloped them as the night developed further.
To break the silence, she spoke, partially in hopes to start a conversation with the ever so mysterious knight. "I wonder how things are back at home."
From the corner of her eye, she saw his helmet turn towards her slightly, a sign that she had come to identify as him listening in.
"I've thought about home more and more these past few months, how I haven't even sent a letter to my father or mother." Leaning forward towards the warmth of the fire, she continued, "The meals cooked, the heat from the roaring flame from the fireplace." Her hand moved to the pommel of her weapon. "It has been what, nearing three years now since I left the safety of the towering walls that sheltered me from the outside world?" She now turned to him. "You ever think of home?"
For a moment, it seemed like he would not respond per usual, however, this proved untrue.
"Home?" He repeated.
"Where you grew up." She gestured with her hand. "Do you think of it often?"
A terse silence developed between the two of them, and she assumed that he was simply going to ignore the question, but instead, he surprised her.
"All the time." He began with a simple shrug.
"Really?" She tilted her head as she looked at him. "How was it like?"
"Every day was planned, non-stop training from dawn to midnight, I don't remember a waking moment where I wasn't training."
She sat there; her attention rapt at his voice as he described his place of origin.
"The oceans were vast, and the rain never seemed to end. I was born there but could it really be considered home?" His head tilted towards the sky. He looked back down to the fire. "No mothers to care for us, no fathers to encourage us, only our brothers beside us…"
He cut himself off as he let out a frustrated exhale, soon standing up from his spot.
"Get some rest, I'll stand watch."
Clearly noticing how this conversation of home had soured the mood, got up and pitched a small tent.
No mothers or fathers? She thought to herself as she continued to set up the tent, her eyes wandering to the knight who stood a short distance away, stalwart as always. His hand on his pommel, if it were not for the glow of his helmet he could easily be mistaken for a statue.
Once the tent had been set up, she crawled into it, her bedroll laid properly. As she lay, only fleeting thoughts of what the knight's birthplace could've been like to prompt such a response before falling to sleep.
…
When the first light arrived, she was awoken by her party member, who shook her from her slumber.
"It's time." He simply stated, his head peaked into the tent.
"Did you even sleep this night?" She let out a yawn as she rubbed her eyes.
"I got enough rest." He quickly replied, soon exiting the tent.
Quickly putting on her armor, and rolling up her bedroll, she
Bringing her bag to her side, she rummaged for her rations. "If you need to sleep, we can take the opportunity to continue resting." She suggested, but he simply shook his head.
"No need." He stated as she began to take a bite from the dried beef. He looked in the direction they had been headed the day prior. "If we leave soon, we will arrive at our destination and hopefully we can wrap up this quest quickly."
"In a rush to get back to the Frontier Town?" She asked between bites of her preserved meal.
"Not exactly." He put on his bag and seemed to double (perhaps triple) check his spell casting weapons. "But the sooner we return the better."
"I suppose so." She could not see anything wrong with the sentiment, after all, the sooner they returned, the sooner they got their payment. Opening her mouth and tossing the rest of her breakfast into her mouth, she dusted her hands off and hopped up.
Soon approaching his side, eagerly speaking. "Lead the way then, Sir Knight."
With a quick nod, he began to walk in the direction.
…
True to his statement last evening, it was about an hour's walk from their overnight camp when they reached where the hamlet used to be. As they walked through, it seemed like it had occurred no more than three days ago.
With his spellcaster at the ready and her rapier drawn, the two split up to search the once lively town.
Lifting up a balled fist, the two of them immediately halted. He then pointed to himself and pointed to the right, and then to her, directing her to the left. Finally, he pointed at the church and did a circling movement with his index finger extended out.
With a nod, she followed his silent directions, heading towards the left side of the town whereas the recently made Steel-Ranked moved towards the right side of town. It seemed that they agreed to meet up at what they believed to be a church, the massive structural damage making it difficult to discern the building from the distance.
As she walked through, the sights that were within this town horrified her to her core.
Dead bodies were lying here and there. Some face down in the trodden mud, and others still wearing their final face, twisted with fear and terror. A few corpses burned beyond the point of recognition, some nestled between the homes burned down and others tied to pyres.
The crows had already begun to circle high above, and the rats swarmed over the dead to feast. Not to mention the stench of charred flesh and the pungent smell of rotting flesh.
It took all of her willpower not to expel this morning's meal and continue, trying her best to push out the scents that surround her in this now ghost town.
Is this really the work of goblins?
From what Cataphract Errant had described in his quests prior against the hordes, it was beginning to look like there was validity to his statements.
Hasting her pace, she soon reached the church, seeing that her partner had already reached it.
Like always, his posture seemed that of calm and collected, and she could only wonder how he could keep his wits despite the death and destruction around him.
Beckoning his head towards her, she quickly took her position on the opposite side of the door frame. Soon he kicked it in, entering first as if this hadn't been the first time he'd done this.
Her head on a swivel, immediately she noticed the state of the church. She could feel her heart fill with grief as this holy building was in no better shape than the rest of the town.
Many of the support beams had failed and much of the roof collapsed on itself. Some rooms were made inaccessible by the rubble which had fallen from high above. She could only hope that no one had been in those rooms when they were aflame. She even swore that she had spotted cots smaller than the average size, however, there would be no way to surely tell.
"This room is clear." The raven-haired adventurer heard her partner say in a hushed tone. "We need to clear the next one."
With a nod, she quickly made her way to the door and took her position. Cataphract Errant once more, killed in the door and quickly entered.
Her eyes widened at the sight she was met with.
Immediately, they could tell that this was the shrine room, for the said room had a large shrine of the Supreme God, along with smaller alters meant for the other deities. This room was rather spacious, a few holes in the walls and in the roof allowed light to shine in. There was one body in this room, judging from the vestments, they could assume it to be the abbess of the convent was laying on the ground, the skin on her back practically flayed off. Next to her was the body of one goblin, already beginning to rot.
Dropping her weapon, she cupped her hands to her face as turned away, quickly bending over towards the ground, now unable to keep herself from puking.
Silence permeated the room before she heard her partner move towards the body, probably to inspect it.
"You were right about it being goblins." The raven-haired woman wiped the bile from her lips as her cracked voice tried to regain its former composure. "How could such creatures be so cruel?"
"It wasn't just goblins." The voice of the silvery armored knight almost echoed in the dead silent building. "At least, not entirely."
"How could you tell?" She did not turn to the larger of the two.
"It would seem like it to someone who wouldn't know the tendencies of goblins, but they don't murder women on the spot if they can't help it, and here this goblin is at least two weeks decayed, despite the town having been razed no more than three days ago." His footsteps drew near, and as he got to her side; he presented the box which had been next to the abbess. "The wretched greenskins wouldn't also leave such an ornately decorated box here either."
"A box bearing the Sigil of the Supreme God?" She raised a brow. It wasn't uncommon for items in a church of the Supreme God to bear the sigil of the Supreme God. Sure, it was ornately decorated, probably worth more than half the town, but it nevertheless was just a box. "I don't understand what your point is?"
"This isn't just a box, there's too much engraving on it to be just that."
She looked at the box more closely, and over the crusted blood, he was right. Balanced scales and the defeat of one of the many of the previous Demon Lords were highlighted. "It's a reliquary." Her eyes opened a tad bit wider, keeping it with her. "Are you suggesting whatever did this purposely targeted this town for this?"
"Hard to tell… but probably." His attention focused back on the two bodies. With care, he stepped around the dead, and finally stopped at one of the holes in the walls. "They most likely exited here."
She followed him, her eyes avoiding the bodies, she looked through the hole. Standing right beside the exit, she crouched down to the ground. In the mud, were footprints of varying shapes and sizes, a few of which were indeed recognizable as goblinoid. "A trail."
"It'll most likely lead us to whatever caused this." Raising his spellcaster, he looked towards the direction the trail went. "It is likely that we will need to act fast."
With a nod, the two began to follow the trail, their pace quickened by the unknown factors at work here.
…
After an hour of moving through the wilderness to follow the tracks, they reached what was most likely their destination. Two figures were guarding the entrance of the cave, standing in the shade of the cave rather than the open.
Fencer Squire and Cataphract Errant found themselves hidden amongst shrubbery, around fifty feet away from the cave entrance.
"Take a look." Cataphract Errant passed to her his enchanted spyglass.
Taking it from his hands, she took a peek enhanced by said spyglass. Although they were in the dark, it became clear that the shape of the creatures were indeed goblinoid.
"Goblins guarding the cave entrance?" She raised a brow as her head turned to the knight.
"Press the second button to the left." The armored one told her, his visor still looking forward.
She did as he asked, and then the enchantment of the spyglass took effect. Much of the surrounding area turned blue, some areas varying shades of green all the way to yellow. The cave guards however, stayed a steady shade of dark blue.
"Oh." She remembered what he had told her about this enchantment. It detects heat, and that the brighter the color something is, the hotter it is. "Those goblins aren't giving off heat."
"They aren't living." He stated concern in his voice. "This is a first for me."
"Well." She handed the enchanted spyglass back to her partner. "Slicing them up is a move in the right direction."
"Agreed." He unsheathed the saber.
Under the cover of the foliage, they got as close as they could to the cave entrance, and within striking distance, they deftly disposed of the two undead guards. For good measure, they were sure to crush in the heads of these undead, in hopes they would not rise back up.
A few skeletons came from the depths and charged them. However, them being made of bones made them easy pickings for the two of them, a good slice collapsing them into nothing more than a pile.
As they continue down into the depths of this cavern, the smell of rotting flesh only continued to get stronger.
"How can you tolerate the smell?" Fencer Squire asked the knight, a rag up to her face. "I feel like I'm dying here."
"My helmet filters out much of the smell." He replied, his voice slightly strained.
"Must be nice." She stifled a cough, trying to prevent herself from puking again.
"There have been times where my helmet could not filter the smell." He continued forward before putting his fist up to a halt.
"What is it?" She questioned her focus now on something else other than the overwhelming scent.
"Listen."
Now silent, she listened to the best of her ability. She could hear what she could only describe as frustrated musings.
"… break already." The voice sounded dry and raspy, exhausted as if it had not known rest at all. "The lords of unorder and disarray have commanded me to break you, and they will flay alive me if I do not."
Seconds passed before the voice spoke again
"Iactus… Corruptus… Saxum!"
Soon after was the violent sound of crackling.
A guttural screech of pain followed.
Although she was not as attuned to the magical forces of the world, the pure unadulterated hate and fear poured into that spell made a shiver run down her spine, almost stopping her in her tracks.
A tap to her shoulder snapped her out of her momentary lapse of concentration, the knight brought up a balled fist and began to pump the air, indicating to her that they needed to move fast. With that prompt, they followed close behind as the two made haste.
As they neared a corner, the crackling that sounded like lightning could be heard as the flash of light overtook the room which contained its source.
Of course, another pained and anguished scream followed before the light emitted from said spell faded and allowed for darkness to return.
"Why… won't… you… BREAK!" The voice, now livid and almost deranged screamed, its voice bouncing back and forth around them.
The sounds of things being overturned and tossed violently as the source of sound yelled with frustration and anger.
Turning the corner, they could see a large chamber, perhaps seventy feet in length at most. There stood a hooded figure, clearly panting with rage as his immediate area seemed charred and overturned.
On a stone altar to the Supreme God was an individual, chained up to the even scales.
This captive hung limply as low mumbling could be heard from said individual.
However, it seemed that their entrance did not go unnoticed, as the figure slowly turned to them, staff in hand.
"Ah… excuse me, distinguished clergyman." The figure slowly lifted its head, the eyes red as blood could be seen glistening in the dark. Unhooding itself, it soon became clear that his skin was the color of the night, his long ears now visible to them. "I have guests."
"A dark elf." Fencer Squire narrowed her eyes, her rapier at the ready. "You are the Necromancer that destroyed that town, now aren't you?"
"Adventurers I presume?" The 'Necromancer' paused for a moment as one of her partner's spells flew towards him. The staff shimmered for but a moment, the silhouette of several adventurer tags dangling from it before it redirected the blue bolt mid-air, it striking off in the distance. "It matters not, you will soon become an ally of our true lords."
"You'll pay for what you did." The woman stated before the dark elf chuckled.
"I think not." He slammed his staff on the ground, the glow shinning with a disgusting green hue, before reciting words "Iactus… corpus… immortuos!"
Soon, energy flowed from the staff and entered a nearby sarcophagus before the stone lid was shattered completely.
Rising from the rubble of the tomb, rose a monstrosity made of flesh, its 'skin' stitched together like patchwork fabric. With a guttural roar, it looked to the two potential targets.
"Kill them." The dark elf commanded as his red eyes looked eager to see the end of this battle.
"I will handle the big one." Cataphract Errant simply stated, seeing his armors enchantment activate and encase his body in the protective field.
"I'll see what I can do about him." Fencer Squire centered her weapon before pointing it at the necromancer, charging shortly after.
The flesh monstrosity charged straight for her but was promptly halted as its attention redirected onto Cataphract Errant, as many bolts of blue pounded directly into his torso.
With a roar that sounded like more like a moan for help, the burn wounds quickly patched themselves together as it moved in, closing in on him. It attempted to strike the knight, but its towering figure was not as coordinated as the seasoned warrior.
Fencer Squire continued her charge. The 'Necromancer' stood there, a smile plastered onto his face. As she lunged to him with her rapier, he swiftly avoided her.
"Such an amateur move." The 'Necromancer' scoffed as he dodged yet another strike. "And here I was hoping you'd pose more of a threat than the last party I faced."
With a kick, he pushed her back slightly. Laughter erupted from the dark elf as he looked at her. "Maybe I won't have to use spells to beat you."
Frustration growing, she continued the offensive, her attacks either being avoided or blocked by the staff.
Back to Cataphract Errant, he quickly found himself in a bind, as he wasn't making enough distance to fire into the monster.
With a second to decide, he tossed his spell caster directly at the monster, which indeed caught the monster off guard as the spell caster smacked it with enough force to stun it for a moment before it landed in its arms.
"I will have to get in close then." He said aloud as he unsheathed his blade. With the press of a button, the blade began to hum, as if its enchantment was now active.
With a guttural roar, it split his spell caster into two and tossed both pieces to the sides., his strikes hit easily, the blade rending the flesh open with even strike, but almost every other wound mended itself back with relative ease.
One of its attacks eventually connected with the warrior's chest, and with a grunt, he was thrown back a short distance. The barrier enchantment on his armor breaking as he rolled for a bit before hitting a wall.
"Figured this would not be easy." He rolled out of the way of another upcoming attack from the monstrosity that approached him. Slicing directly through its leg, he could see it collapse for a moment as he got back onto his own feet.
Looking at the creature, he could see it put its severed limb directly up to the wound. Unnatural stitches mended the limb back to its owner, and it seemingly grunted in aggravation as it looked to him.
Cataphract Errant once more charged at the individual, continuing the fury of blows from his vibrosaber, his attacks chiseling large amounts of flesh off the monster.
"Enough childs play." The 'Necromancer's voice now grew impatient as his staff had a light glow, and then pushed her at least halfway across the room, landing hard on her back. As she got back to her feet, she heard the 'Necromancer' begin yet another incantation.
"Iactus… Magicae… Telum!" Three green bolts flew from his staff and went straight towards her.
She managed to narrowly avoid the first hit. Realizing that she needed to prevent him from casting again, she began her charge once again. Her movements threw off the aim of the 'Necromancer' and the next bolt that flew towards her did not hit her, but the third one hit her weapon, the rapier sliding away into the darkness.
Cataphract Errant needed to finish this fight quickly. He was already struggling with the monster, and his less experienced companion has so far been unsuccessful in landing a hit on the spellcaster.
From what he could gather about this monster, it didn't seem too smart, having needed a command from its creator, and that the flesh always seemed to stitch itself up after a strike. So he would have to use that to his advantage. Reaching down to his belt, the warrior pulled out a silver sphere.
Running towards the monster, he could see it mirroring his move. As they got closer, he pressed the button on the sphere, it began to ring as he moved. At the last possible second, he dodged to the side, his blade slicing open its side.
While its flesh was parted open, he threw said sphere into the opening. Fortune was on his side as the orb landed right into the wound, its constant ringing becoming muffled as the wound closed up. He continued to run away from it as he headed towards Fencer Squire.
As it growled in rage one more time, it took one step forward as the sphere detonated inside it, blood and limbs splattering all over the room, the once horrid creature now an equally horrid pile of paste and mush.
Seeing the green bolt strike her rapier out of her hand, he pressed the button on the blade, the hum stopping.
"Heads up!" He called out throwing the blade her way.
From her peripherals, she could see his blade in the air headed straight for her, she knew that one bad move could either allow her to end the fight or would put her out of commission.
I don't need to bring it straight towards me. Not stopping her stride, her hand reached out for it, and for a moment, she felt at ease. I just need to catch it! With a flick of her index and middle finger, the path of the blade changed ever so slightly so that she could catch it by the handle.
"So you do have a few tricks up your sleeve." The 'Necromancer' seemed impressed at least. "Well, they won't save you now!" He proceeded to recite the incantation for yet another one of those green projectiles.
As the projectile came her way, she let her instincts take over, and with a swift motion, the saber sliced right through the bolt of energy, dissipating along the blade.
Eyes widening, he shot another bolt, only to witness the same effect.
She closed the gap, and she swung, he tried one last spell.
"Iactus magicae clypeus!" A barrier appeared between him and her, in an attempt to shield himself.
To his dismay, the blade sliced cleanly through the spell, as if it was a pair of shears to the fabric. With a clean slice, the 'Necromancer was unable to stand, falling to his knees, his staff falling to his side.
"Forgive me, my masters." The dark elf coughed up blood as his hands tried to keep his guts from falling out. Lifting one hand, he could see the blood flooding out of him, and then he fell forward, and what looked like the last attempt at retaliation, green energy focused at the palm of his bloodied hand.
However it would seem that he no longer had the strength, as a final gasp escaped his lungs as he soon collapsed forward, and soon after, the life from his body was extinguished.
"Well… it looks like we aren't getting much more out of him." She poked the body with the tip of the saber. "But at least a plague on our world is now gone."
Walking up to the now-dead 'Necromancer', Cataphract Errant pulled out his second smaller spellcaster and put a few more bolts into him for good measure.
"We need to get this priest down." He stated as he rushed over to the altar, holstering his spellcaster as he moved.
"Agreed." She followed suit, deciding it would be better to focus first on the individual hurt.
Together, they lowered the chains which were restraining the priest.
As he was lowered, they were surprised to see the individual proper now in the torchlight.
He looked like one of the rarely seen lizardmen from one of the corners of the world, however, his scales were not that of swamp green or hues that were to be expected in a swamp.
Instead, his scales were the color of subdued bronze, his scales most likely dulled from the days of torture he must have endured.
As her partner walked up to her side, she could see that his head cocked back for a second, and although she'd seen many of his movements, she was certain he was flinching back. Was it because of how harmed this individual looked... or was it because of something else?
Regardless, it seemed that the knight managed to return to his normal actions when it came to wounded peoples.
"Are you conscious?" Cataphract Errant asked, tapping the side of the wounded individual's face.
"…and then said the great priest… walk forth in the light of knowledge… and the answers shall be revealed to you…" The strained voice of this stranger could be heard. It was quite clear that he was conscious, but delirious, reciting passages and excerpts from some holy book.
"That's a good sign." Cataphract Errant looked up to her. "I think I see a tag."
"You're right." She reached for it after noticing that it was underneath a necklace in the shape of an eye. "Dragonborn Paladin, Age: 39, Rank: Bronze"
"Well, looks like he might live to forty." Cataphract Errant opened his bag as he began to administer aid. "I'll give him a once over, and I'll finish up when we get out of here."
"You want me to search the place?"
He simply nodded, returning to his tasks.
As she moved around the place, she found a worn bag which she believed to be the Dragonborn Paladins.
In it, was a few days worth of food, along with a holy book. Pieces of his armor were scattered about, damaged and in poor condition, and his weapon lay on the table, two sticks which looked like a type of baton.
"So, that was a good throw." She called out from across the room, picking up her rapier and sheathing in.
"I think the catch was better." He called back, his tone hinting that he might've been impressed. "I wasn't sure if you'd catch it."
"Aww." She softened her tone. "And here I thought you had more faith in me."
"You take any hits?" He asked from across the room.
"None whatsoever." She proudly stated as she walked around the room. "Are you ok? I saw that monster got a good hit into you."
"I've suffered worse, and I'm still standing."
"I'll take your word for it." She jokingly replied before coming across the two pieces that was his staff. "Uh, your spellcasters broken."
"Figures." He called back, his voice trying to make it seem like it was not a big deal. "Collect it, I'll see what I can salvage."
His voice betrayed him as it clearly annoyed him.
Deciding not to question it further, she picked up what she could, and did one final sweep. Finding nothing in the open area, she decided to pat down the bloody mess that was the Dark Elf Necromancer.
She soon found a pouch, and upon emptying it, was a medallion of sorts.
"Think I found the holy object." She stated as she observed it.
It was ornate and bore the sigil of the Supreme God. It had many small and intricate engravings on it, and where the arms that held the weighing pans met the beam of the scale was a clear crystal the size of her thumb.
When she passed her finger over it, she was pleasantly surprised to feel a small pulse of energy which felt strangely good. As she continued to observe it, she noticed that it slightly pulsated with an orange light, as if it was alive itself.
What is this? She thought for she had never once encountered a gem like this.
"From what I can tell, the priest here is half-starved and half-dead," Footsteps from behind her broke her out of her musings. "Wounds indicate torture, and many fractures indicate attempts to break bones, but… the physiology of said individual indicates extreme resilience."
"Will he live?" She turned to him, putting the medallion in her pocket.
"He's stabilized and anesthetics have him out cold." He plainly stated. "I'll need help moving him out if I wish to not further aggravate his wounds. Are you done here?"
"Almost but…" She gestured to the staff of the necromancer with a number of tags on it. "We should take those tags too, lest the adventurers fell by him be forgotten."
Cataphract Errant picked up the staff and swiftly snapped it in two.
"Hey! We could've sold the staff itself." She chastised the man. "Magical items can make a pretty penny these days."
"Oh." He looked at the two pieces in his hands before tossing the lower half and handing the upper to her. "Too late."
"No duh." She tosses it into the bag before lightly punching him in the side. "Well let's not keep the poor priest waiting."
The two of them got beside him, and with some effort, they carried him out of the cave.
"I think I saw a cart we could use in the ruins, I'll retrieve it." Cataphract Errant quickly began to run in the direction of the town, somehow not fatigued from the entirety of their encounter.
Or perhaps he's running on fumes? She wondered as she saw him get further and further away.
She soon decided to sit down, the first time this day that she had been allowed to do so.
I've never seen a Dragonborn with my own eyes, always thought they were things of legends. Her hazel eyes soon landed on the injured stranger. I wonder how he got captured.
She yawned as she looked back up at the moons, hoping that Cataphract Errant would return soon so that they could get a move on back to the town.
…
Cataphract Errant wasted no time getting them to the town, only having stopped once for a bit of rest, and even then, it was a few hours at most, and once more continued at a light's jog pace.
He had checked to see if the wounded Paladins' condition had changed, which it seemed that he was improving, thank the Gods.
At some point, she had offered to help him out, but he was sure that he could manage, politely declining her aid.
Sometimes, Fencer Squire wondered if the man she traveled with was even mortal.
And now they were back in Frontier Town, cart moving through the thinning streets, people returning to their homes after their days of work. Adventurers heading to the taverns to celebrate their victories, or to forget the troubles they've lived through.
Speaking of troubles, her mind wandered back to the sight of the town, how the lives in it were extinguished for reasons she'd never understand.
I wonder why he wanted it. She eyed the pocket which held the item in question. Did the necromancer want to desecrate it? Was it a piece in a vile plan of Gods of Chaos? She would never know fully.
As they neared the local temple, a number of clerics noticed their approach. A few of them went inside whereas the eldest of their number approached him.
"Good evening Cataphract Errant." The cleric gave a quick bow as the two of them disembarked.
"Sister Superior." A tilt of the head acknowledged her as he stepped on the ground.
"Another hurt individual in need of aid?"
"Yes." His head beckoned to the cart. "I've stabilized him, he just needs to be watched over."
"We will watch over him until he awakes." The cleric gave a smile as a few other clerics approached with a stretcher. "I see you did not hunt goblins this time?"
"Nope." Fencer Squire piped in. "Got him to do something else for a change."
"Ah, I was unaware you had a partner." The cleric bowed to her.
"We partake in jobs together sometimes." He stated.
"Yep! I'm Fencer Squire." She gave a smile as she introduced herself. "We investigated a recent attack on a nearby town."
"I remember hearing some chatter about the town, a lot of rumor and speculation." The cleric nodded as she recalled the information. "Such a shame it turned out to be true."
"While looking around, we found this in a Necromancers den." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a medallion and showed it to her.
Taking it, she examined it before her eyes widened.
"By the Earth Mother… this is a relic of the Supreme God." Looking at it further, she pursed her lips. "However… I am unsure from what saint it was from."
"So… we can leave it here with you?" Cataphract Errant tilted his head.
"Did anything strange happen when you handled it?" The cleric's attention was rapt on the woman now.
"Well, I felt a presence, when I rubbed my finger over it, it felt warm and welcoming… like it was alive." Fencer Squire tried to explain.
"Strange… I don't feel anything…" Brows raising, she looked to her now. "Well, perhaps the archives in Water Town might have information about this artifact. Just wait a few moments."
Soon the cleric walked inside, and after a solid ten minutes, she returned with a sealed package, a quest form, and a letter.
"Take this to the guild." Handing it off to the Sapphire Ranked Adventurer, she continued. "This is a priority quest for the guild."
Silver Ranked Escort. She read the text. "No problem Sister Superior."
"Thank you." Once more she bowed. "May you walk in the light of the Earth Mother."
"Thanks, and you have a good evening!" She gave a nod before the cleric returned to the temple.
"Are you done?" Cataphract Errant asked her, leaned up against the cart.
"Yep." She popped the 'p' in her response. "We can go to the guild now."
"Alright." He followed beside her as she got closer.
"Quite the adventure, right?"
"It was… interesting." He stated, voice as emotionless as it always seemed to be.
"You know I've been thinking…" She began, looking at the sealed package. "How do you do it?"
"Do what?"
"You know." She gestured with her free hand. "The thing you always do?"
He tilted his head. "Meaning?"
She sighed before shaking her head. "Never mind."
From her peripherals, she could see his helmet tilt the other way, this raised with realization.
"It gets easier the more you see it… but you never get used to it."
The honest response caught her off guard. He spoke with a tone she had not heard yet, however it quickly returned to its usual gruffness. She could only wonder what kind of things he had seen to garner such a response.
She wanted to ask, but she nodded as she continued to follow alongside him.
They continued to walk in silence, the guild within sight now.
Her partner halting abruptly, she turned towards him.
"Something up?"
"Once we get inside, I can do all the report and administrative tasks." Cataphract Errant spoke, realizing that this was his post-quest routine. "What will you do afterward?"
"Me? Well, I plan on getting a few drinks in, celebrate for defeated a servant of the Chaos Gods, heavens know I deserve it." She turned back to the guild, soon adding in jokingly. "Got a nice seat next to mine if you'd like to join?"
"Sure."
"Really?" She had been caught off-guard, turning to her partner.
"Did you not just invite me?" Tilting his head, he looked back to the guild.
"I suppose I did…" She rubbed the back of her head in slight embarrassment. "Though I'd didn't think you'd actually accept."
"I see…" He looked down, which quickly prompted her own response.
"You're still invited if you'd like!"
"Then I will." He stated definitively now.
She heard an exhale from him, and she swore it was amusement.
"Well, this stuff isn't going to complete itself when we're standing out here." She beckoned towards the hall. "Let us get going."
…
This new game played by the ones as old as The Father, The Daughter could tell that trouble was brewing when The Son got along so well with the one named Truth.
Unable to keep herself from interfering, a brief glimpse into the future showed that evil was lurking, with the 'Demon Lords' armies mustering across the four corners.
However, they were not the reason for her concern, for she knew that soon their Chosen Heroine would go forth and quell that evil, no… there was greater darkness rising within the grand shadow cast by the Demon Lord.
So The Daughter went to the one who could balance out the darkness in this world so beautiful. The one who was like she was to her brother.
The one named Illusion, who seemingly brought unintended suffering to her pawns.
The Daughter warned her of what she had seen. How Truth and The Son had created what she could only describe as an unholy alliance
Worry came over Illusion, not wanting to see her beautiful creation fall to the shadow of dark forces, looked to her for help.
And when help was asked for, she provided a cube, outlined with gold and hummed with a blue glow, radiating pure light from it.
Amazed by such an item, Illusion accepted the blessing provided to her by her junior and knew she could not rely on Truth.
She would have to make her own dungeon to preserve the balance of this world.
Whelp, here is another revised chapter! It took a bit longer than I wished to put it out, but better late than never right?
I've been going through a bit of a writers block this summer, which was a huge bummer but rolling with the punches.
Regardless, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I hope that your days are good!
-Moonlight Talon of the Night
