First off, I want to apologize to those who have been eager for the next chapter. Life got in the way and I found myself unable to write.
Currently, my exams are up and I'm way too busy studying to write. That and I have 4 papers to submit by the end of the month, which took a toll on my mental health.
As a result, I would like to apologize for the quality of the chapter. I don't know how good this chapter is but its making me feel even worse if I don't upload it. So here it is.
Hope you enjoy…
Chapter 17
Minutes before the attack…
...
After being told by the head butler that they would just be standing guard around the ballroom, the armored members of the Watch complied and moved to different positions within the large ballroom.
Edmond had quickly stationed himself near the ballroom door. Knowing that most likely his quarry was hiding backstage, he had to find the backstage door. But sneaking away to investigate was easier said than done. Still, he couldn't afford to miss out on this opportunity to find the truth. Discreetly, he began to walk away from his post, taking quick glances at the crowds of people in hopes that they won't notice him slipping away.
Alright, time to-
"What are you doing?"
He abruptly froze, slowly turning around to face the person. Luckily for him, he was greeted by two familiar faces.
"Uhh…"
Amber glared at him accusingly. "Don't tell me you're planning on doing this alone are you?"
"W-Well you see-"
"I thought we had a deal. That we would help you with investigating this ball?"
Edmond sighed in defeat. "…Fine. But don't blame me if you get caught." He took another glance to the crowds of people, making sure their attentions weren't on the door before the trio quickly opened the door and slipped out quietly.
Finding themselves standing outside the ball, they quickly moved towards the side of the building, taking care not to alert the guards stationed just outside the gate to the mansion.
Edmond gestured for the two to follow him as they stuck close to the wall, crouching underneath the windows. "Be prepared to encounter the enemy."
Jason smiled cockily, "Haha, don't fret. I happen to be an excellent fighter."
His sister raised an eyebrow. "Says the one who got easily beaten up at the tavern back then."
Jason blushed. "A-Amber why did you-"
The huntress shrugged, giggling. "What? Just stating the obvious. If it weren't for Siegfried and that woman, you would have ended up in the hospital."
"Sister damn you…" Jason groaned, covering his face in embarrassment.
Edmond chuckled at the sibling's antics. As they neared what looked like the backstage door, Edmond went still in his place. He held a hand forward in front of the two behind him. His other hand reached for the sword on his hip. Suddenly, he turned around and pointed his sword back.
"Shit!"
Jason and Amber nearly stumbled back at the sight of the sword's edge inches away from slicing their faces. However, their attention immediately moved towards the sound of the person who had just cursed.
Edmond shook his head as he sheathed his sword. "Oh…it's just you."
The aforementioned person exhaled in relief. "Man, what's wrong with you?"
"You're the one who snuck up on us…Romero."
The named hunter chuckled half-heartedly, "Yeah…Wait, how do you know my name?"
Edmond grinned, "I have my ways…With that out of the way, what are you doing here?" he said, fingers tapping the pommel of his sword, something Romero's noticed. Edmond was wary and rightfully so.
"I could ask you the same thing-" Romero smirked, crossing his arms under his chest. "-Mr. Former Guild Knight."
He was met with a bewildered look, followed by one of caution and fear. I knew it. Romero held his hands up. "Relax. I'm not going to rat you out or anything. Not like I can, anyway right?"
Edmond huffed, hands still floating his sword. "For someone who I've observed to be dim-witted, you're surprisingly sharp. How did you figure it out?"
Romero merely shrugged, "In all honesty, I didn't." He tapped a finger against his temple. "I was not sure whether or not you were that guy from the poster, and I was merely going off on the fact that you have the same hair color and build…But it would seem you've confirmed it for me yourself."
"Y-You…" Edmond groaned, shaking his head. "Damn it."
Amber slapped a hand to her forehead, "Great…Now what are we going to do with you?"
Romero snapped his fingers. "Easy. Let me come with you."
Jason frowned. "Do you even know what we're trying to do here?"
Shamelessly, he shook his head. "Not entirely. However, if a former Guild Knight like you is investigating something, then it must be something important right? Besides, I'm rather bored and would rather do something else than watching some nobles dance."
The three of them narrowed their eyes at him. "How can we be sure you really won't rat us out?"
"I'm unarmed, unarmored, and half-drunk. Do you honestly think I would try to do anything to you three in this state?"
The former Guild Knight fell silent for a few moments before letting out a tired sigh. "…Fine, you may come along." Edmond let go of his sword and continued to walk forward. Though, he continued to sneak in a few glances back at Romero.
Much to Edmond's relief, they soon found themselves standing in front of the backstage door just outside the mansion. As quietly as they could, they gently pushed the door and scurried inside.
Inside, the place was dark as they expected. Yet Edmond noted how it felt utterly empty and more like a storage space rather than the back of a stage. They tiptoed through the darkness, investigating every nook and cranny for any clues leading to their quarry.
I don't know what we're searching for, but this is kind of fun… Romero continued to move through the backstage when he found himself before a door. Etched onto its front read the words "Storage". Carefully, he took the knob and gently opened the door…
Sensing movement behind him, he turned around and swung a fist in the air. "Huh-" His attack hit nothing and all of a sudden, an arm wrapped itself around his neck. A hand clasped over his mouth, muffling his voice. Romero found himself unable to break free from the hold, the figure's strength quickly overpowering him.
"Sneaky one ain't ya?"
As he struggled to break free, his eyes glanced downwards at the open door…and he let out a muffled scream before the figure violently twisted his neck. His body promptly crumbled onto the floor, unmoving.
Shame he had to discover their bodies…Oh well. "Now to take care of the rest…"
…
Amber had no idea what to look for. She had searched high and low for anything, anything that would lead them to the Revenants. To her frustration, the backstage was extremely sparse save for some stage machinery. Suddenly, her ears perked up, catching a peculiar noise. She quietly moved towards the source of the noise, finding herself standing before a door with the word "Dressing Room" plastered onto it. Gulping and with a hand on the sheath of her sword, she pushed the door open…
"Nothing here…" she muttered to herself, unaware of the figure standing behind her. She realized too late and just as she turned around, she was shoved onto the ground. Immediately, hands wrapped around her throat, slowly strangling her. She gagged as her hands reached upwards, grabbing their face in an attempt to pry her assailant off. As she struggled, her eyes glanced towards the exposed part of her attacker's arm. Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second upon seeing the familiar symbol on it.
"I-It's you-"
"Sleep."
The grip around her throat tightened and her strength quickly vanished. Her eyes rolled back, and she went limp, her hands dropping to the ground.
The figure stood over her unconscious body, rubbing their hands together.
"Two more to go. All that's left to now is-"
"Amber?"
The figure rapidly spun around…only to find an armored blonde-haired man standing by the doorway. Shit! I did not expect him at all!
Jason looked at the body of his sister and the cloaked individual standing over her. Rage filled his body at the sight of his injured sibling. A hand around the handle of his sword, he spoke in a dark voice. "Hey-" Before he could do anything, the figure grabbed him by the head and smashed his face hard against the wall. The hunter's body limply slid down onto the floor as the figure cursed under their breath.
I'll have to deal with the last one quickly.
…
Edmond had heard it. He didn't know what it was, but he remembered it coming from the direction of Amber. Unsheathing his sword, he cautiously walked towards the direction of the rather loud crash.
He stopped in his tracks upon seeing a figure in the darkness walking towards him.
"Amber? Jason?"
"Wrong."
Edmond's body tensed up upon hearing the voice. He backed away, still holding his sword in front of him as the figure still concealed by the shadows moved closer. As he readied himself for combat, his sharp ears picked up the sound of footsteps. He immediately stepped to the side…just as another cloaked figure thrust a sharp knife forward. Edmond raised his sword and slashed down onto the enemy, slicing the figure into two.
"Impressive. Even in the dark, you're still able to fight well."
"Where are the others?"
"They're back there. Don't worry though. I didn't kill them. I figured I could use those three later on, but as for you…" He heard the snap of a finger. Anticipating an attack from behind, Edmond turned around. There was nothing. Suddenly, arms grabbed him from behind.
"Get off!" He elbowed the figure in the stomach and hurled them over his head. Picking up more footsteps, Edmond slashed to his side, cutting another cloaked figure directly in the chest.
"You're surprisingly skilled for being a mere soldier of the Watch. Tell me, are you a hunter as well?"
"Why don't you go find out yourself and face me, coward!"
He could hear a laugh. "Very well."
Back to the present…
"K-Kill…u-us?" one of the nobles stuttered out, as virtually every guest had the same thought within their heads. They glanced at the numerous armed individuals and Wyverns surrounding them and back at Jacob and the woman on stage.
"He wants us to…d-die?"
"He doesn't mean it right…right?!"
"I-Is this some kind of twisted joke?!"
Soon enough, the frightened nobles began to panic, shouting amongst themselves but unable to escape from their soon to be deaths. The cultists and Wyverns had blocked all the exits. One noble in particular, amid the panic, found himself cowering under the gaze of one of the Wyverns. The poor man looked upwards, finding the Wyvern staring down at him, its hot breath against his face. He yelped and stumbled back into the "relative safety" of the crowd.
"RELEASE US AT ONCE!" The panicked crowd turned their attention to the now battle-ready Border Watch and Catherine, who had soon accepted the fact that her beloved could be dead. Nonetheless, furious over the current events, Catherine and her squad pointed their swords at the cultists.
"Surrender now and I'll promise your executions to be as painless as possible!"
A twisted smile formed on Jacob's lips. "Oh? What makes you think that we're the ones who would lay down our lives?" Immediately after he said those words, the Watch too found themselves surrounded on all sides by armed cultists.
Catherine cursed under her breath as she and her squad pressed their backs against each other, facing the cultists. "Tch. Some ball this turned out to be…"
"My lady, are we not going to attack?"
She shook her head. "No, we cannot. If we attack now, we risk endangering the lives of the defenseless nobles."
"But they're going to kill them anyway if we don't do something!"
"I know!" Catherine gritted her teeth, realizing how hopeless their situation was. Between the seemingly impossible number of cultists alongside the Wyverns, it would seem their chances of getting out of here unscathed were next to zero. A tense silence enveloped the area, as neither cultist nor guest spoke a word. The only sounds that could be heard were the faint growls of the Wyverns as they kept a watchful eye of the crowd.
"Why are you doing this? What can you people possibly gain from killing everyone here?" It was Siegfried who dared to break the silence first. But all he got was a smug smile from Jacob.
"Why our former comrade, it's very simple." He cackled as the cultists and Wyverns drew closer to the guests. "I simply want to eliminate any and all hindrances to our plan." He turned around and walked away backstage. "I'd rather not waste any more time. Medea, you may deal with them now." And with that, the man left and vanished through the curtains.
As soon as he said those words, the armored woman unsheathed her dual swords, uttering the one succinct word everyone feared. "Get them!"
The moment the words were spoken, the entire hall burst into chaos. The nobles scrambled for their lives, crashing and bumping into each other in a desperate bid for survival. Many of them rushed towards the doors, only to find the path blocked more of the cultists. The poor nobles were unable to do anything as the cultists descended onto them, the terrified screams of agony and fear ringing throughout the entire hall.
"SHIT!" Catherine said as she and her squad desperately attempted to fight off the seemingly endless number of cultists. She decapitated one and kicked another before weaving around her squadmates to assist them.
"So many of them!" She slashed one across the chest, narrowly dodging the knife thrust towards her. Behind her, one of her own stabbed his sword clean through a cultist's neck, who had attempted to launch a sneak attack on her. Catherine nodded gratefully as she commanded her men to form a circle with their backs against each other, covering every angle possible.
"Dammit, they keep-"
She froze upon hearing the familiar roar and footsteps approaching them. She and her men watched as two Wyvern riders stood before them, sitting atop their own Wyverns.
"You have got to be-"
…
Immediately, the hunters crouched down and hid behind the flipped buffet tables as they attempted to get a hold of the situation.
"We need to find a way to get out of here!" Luca said, peeking over the table. He rapidly averted his eyes away from the gruesome events happening before them.
Rowan slammed his fist against the floor. "No! I am not leaving without my brother!" He stood up but Hilda grabbed his wrist, pulling him down.
"Don't go! Can't you see how dangerous this entire situation is?!"
"I don't care!" Rowan shouted back, gritting his teeth. "I am not leaving the only family I have left behind!"
"Stop!" Before the hunter could make a rash move, Hanzo tackled him onto the ground. Rowan writhed and struggled under his grip. In the midst of it, Hanzo was forced to knock him out, headbutting him with his helmet and rendering him unconscious.
"So, what now?" Hanzo asked, sitting back down.
Hilda briefly looked over the table, cringing slightly upon seeing a poor noble get devoured by a Wyvern. "We'll try to find a way to rescue those hostages but…if left with no choice, we have to leave them."
"How can we do that? We're unarmored, outnumbered and we have no weapons!" Luca said, flinching upon hearing another bloodcurdling scream from god knows where.
"We can fight our way out of here!" Hanzo suggested, cracking his knuckles.
"Against those?!" Eris finally snapped, pointing at the Wyverns and cultists. "Without any sort of weapon?!" From the look on her face, the hunters could tell she wasn't in the most jovial mood. Being the closest one to Siegfried, the reveal most likely had been too much for her to handle.
Hilda crossed her arms under her chest. "I don't suppose you have any better ideas hm?"
Eris glared at her but made no move to retort back. Hilda huffed. "Thought so." Looking around, her eyes landed on a certain red-haired hunter who had been oddly quiet throughout the entire exchange. Hilda's expression turned to that of anger. "How about you traitor? Got any ideas?"
Siegfried looked up from his trance and met her eyes. He didn't speak a word, prompting Hilda's frustration even further.
"Answer me, traitor!"
"I am not a traitor!" Siegfried's hand tightly gripped a glass shard he picked up. Suddenly, he stood up and turned to face the chaos.
"What are you doing?" Eris asked, furrowing her eyebrows. Don't tell me he's going to-
"I'll save them. All of you…run." Before anyone could stop him, he leaped over the table and charged towards the cultists and Wyverns.
Eris stared, nonplussed. "That idiot!"
"Does he have a death wish?!" Luca added, mouth open.
Hanzo rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Uh, guys?" He gestured towards the cultists now closing in on them.
The hunters glanced at the enemy and at each other, realizing that they all had stood up, exposing them to the danger. Now they were at the mercy of the enemy. With their other hunter currently unconscious, it was down to three against a whole lot of cultists.
Eris smacked her forehead. "Shit."
…
"Get out of my way."
The cultists did not respond as they drew closer to Siegfried, knives in hand.
"Fine be that way." With a sudden burst of speed, Siegfried dashed forward towards the enemy. In a surprise maneuver, he tucked his legs into a slide, kicking the cultists off their feet. Rapidly standing up, he ignored them and proceeded forward towards the stage, intent on rescuing the hostages. But before he could-
"WOAH!"
He dropped to his knees and slid under a tail whip, grazing the tip of his nose. Gritting his teeth, he turned to face the attacker.
"I don't have time for this!" He clenched the shard in his hand and rushed forward towards the Wyvern, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He dodged a bite and subsequent tail whip before jumping onto the tables and leaping onto the Wyvern's head. The creature shook its body furiously, trying to shake him off.
"Die!" exclaimed the Wyvern rider as he attempted to slash at the hunter. But Siegfried, burning with determination ducked under a slash and lifted his body up to deliver a kick to the rider's chest. Staggered, Siegfried maneuvered onto the Wyvern's back, grabbing the rider and stabbing him right in the exposed throat with the glass shard. Siegfried grabbed the man's blade and kicked his body off before proceeding to stab the sword directly onto the space between the Wyvern's armor plating, piercing through the flesh and spine. The Wyvern roared in pain as it thrashed around violently, slamming against the walls and accidentally swatting away nearby cultists. In the midst of it, Siegfried leaped off the Wyvern's back, landing on the ground and once again making a beeline towards the stage. But as he arrived in front of the stage…
"Hello Sieg. I'm admittedly surprised to see you here." the armored woman greeted, smiling.
The hunter scowled at her. "You."
She faked a hurt expression. "Aww, how could you forget about me already? Was the one year we spent together not mean anything to you?"
Siegfried took a step forward. "Move, or I'll kill you."
"Such negativity…" She tapped her fingers against the dual swords she was holding. "I suppose there's only one way to settle this." Without warning, she suddenly launched herself at Siegfried, who had barely any time to process her movements before finding himself tackled onto the ground. The woman, now straddling him pressed the edge of her blades against his throat. She leaned in closer to his face, her breath mixing with his as she whispered threateningly to him.
"Come back to us and I'll let you live."
In response, Siegfried gave her the nastiest glare he could muster. "Never." He headbutted her and kicked the woman off him as he took a fighting stance.
"We could have been together you know. You and I both. And now, with our combined strengths, we could rule as one." Her expression grew bitter. "But then you decided to flee, like the coward you are. Abandoning me. Us."
Siegfried scoffed. "Who said anything about being together? And besides, I made a choice…and I don't intend to turn back on it. Ever. For as long as I live," Siegfried replied, eyeing the cultists approaching him from behind. To his surprise, the woman gestured for them to stay back. She sighed and shook her head, readying her blades as the rest of the cultists watched the impending duel.
"Then you'll die upholding that belief!"
…
Hilda parried a strike from behind her, throwing a cultist over her shoulder and onto the hard floor. She then brought her foot down onto the cultist's head, shattering the skull. "Damn it, how many of them are there?!"
Nearby, Eris and Hanzo stood behind a fallen table as a wave of cultists rushed towards them. Wordlessly, the two reached down the table's edge, lifting it up before promptly flipping it up towards the incoming enemy, crushing them under the weight of the thrown furniture.
"This is not how I imagined this ball to be…" Luca noted, grabbing two cultists by the head and smashing their faces against each other. He narrowly dodged another stab, grabbing their arm and twisting it with a painful crack before kicking them away. Panting, he adjusted his glasses and poised himself once more. But just then, his eyes caught an alarming scene.
"AAAAGH!" He rushed forward towards Rowan's unconscious body and tackled the cultist that was just about to attack him. Lifting his fist, he quickly dispatched the cultist. But as he stood up, he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. Slowly looking down, Luca winced at the sight of the knife embedded within his waist.
Hilda, spotting her friend gasped. "Luca!" She tried to run over to him but found her path blocked by more cultists. You have got to be shitting me!
A brief but excruciating burst of pain hit him as Luca pulled the knife out. He stumbled back, clutching his wound. Unable to bear the pain he dropped to his knees, failing to realize the enemy closing in on him.
"Pathetic."
"This is going to be fun."
They raised their knives above their heads and prepared to bring it down onto the injured. Luca closed his eyes and braced for his death…
SPLITCH!
Hearing the sound, Luca opened his eyes. His mouth opened as he took the sight of a sword that had been run through one of the cultists. A figure barreled towards them, grabbing the other one by the head and impaling the cultist onto the sword still stuck in the other's chest. The figure pulled the blade out as their bodies fell limply onto each other.
"J-Just in time…"
"…Lady Catherine," Luca said, his face turning even paler from what he's seeing. The armored woman's hair was disheveled, her armor dented, and her face bruised and bleeding. She had resorted to supporting herself upright with her sword. However, in her state, she failed to realize a few cultists sneaking up from behind her. Luca opened his mouth to warn her but stopped upon seeing them collapse to the ground – decapitated and stabbed in no specific order.
Catherine laughed weakly, turning to face her saviors. "Thanks."
Her remaining soldiers nodded, holding their swords in front of them in a defensive stance. Luca noticed that were only three of them remaining. He was tempted to ask her what happened to the rest but quickly stopped himself out of respect.
"Fucking hell…It's a shitshow." She walked over to him, coiling his arm around her shoulder to support him. "C'mon, let's get you to your friends."
…
Unarmed and unarmored, Siegfried could do little but defend himself from the woman's constant barrage of attacks. Her slashes felt lightning quick, and without his armor, he was forced to dodge every single strike.
"Stop moving!"
Amidst the flurry of slashes, Siegfried noticed her swings grow slightly slower. Seizing the brief opportunity, he ducked under a swing and delivered a quick jab to her gut.
"Ack!"
With her guard down, he kicked her legs, causing her to trip. The moment she made contact with the ground, he stomped his foot onto her stomach, eliciting another pained gasp from her. Her blades dropped from her hands, landing onto the floor with a loud clank. Not giving her any time to breathe, he reached down and grabbed hold of both her legs. The hunter then began to swing her around rapidly, increasing speed each second before letting go of her, flinging the woman away and into one of the walls, shattering the concrete. Brushing his hands, Siegfried adjusted his suit and eyed the shocked cultists.
"Anyone else?"
They didn't respond and he took that as a no. He climbed onto the stage and kneeled down beside the tied-up hunters. He pressed his fingers against their necks, breathing a sigh of relief upon hearing their pulses. Siegfried was just about to tear the ropes off when he heard the familiar sound of footsteps rapidly closing in. But when he turned around to retaliate, it was already too late.
SPLITCH!
His eyes widened for a fraction of a second.
The woman grinned evilly, twisting and pushing the knife even deeper into his stomach. She then got on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear, "I win this time." The woman then proceeded to tear the knife off his stomach. The hunter staggered back and found himself on the receiving end of a kick to his chest, sending him falling off the stage and onto the floor. As he laid there on his own pooling blood, the woman looked down at him from atop the stage. She flipped the bloody knife around and smirked.
"I really don't want to kill you by the way. That is why I'm giving you a choice." She looked at something in the distance and grinned before making some beckoning hand gestures. Weakly, he tried to turn his body around, but his strength gave away and he ended up on his stomach. Still, not one to give up and with one hand still on his stomach, he craned his head upwards.
"N-No…" His labored breaths reeked of disbelief.
The remaining cultists stood there, their hands firmly holding the now captive hunters, including the now conscious Rowan. The hunters were on their knees and they would have escaped it weren't for the Wyvern's behind them, ready to bite their heads off the moment they attempt to escape.
"The choice is yours Siegfried. Surrender yourself to me and I may just let them go."
Siegfried remained silent, both the weight of his decision and his wounds weighing down on him. Much to his horror, however, the woman took his silence differently.
"Let's pick up the pace, shall we?" She snapped her fingers and the cultists pushed one of the hostages forward. It was one of Catherine's men.
They pushed the man down onto his knees and held a knife under his neck while Catherine screamed out continuous expletives.
"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY MEN YOU-" She was silenced with a hard punch to her gut.
"It is alright, my lady…It's been an honor serving you." The soldier gave her a sad smile and closed his eyes.
"NO WAIT!" Her cries were ignored as she watched the knife slice across her soldier's neck, spraying blood everywhere ending his life instantly. And just like that, Catherine broke.
The woman placed a hand on her hip. "We'll execute them one by one in front of you if you don't comply. Now, make your choice."
"Just surrender you fucking traitor!" Catherine shouted out in rage as tears flowed down her cheeks.
"No, he will not! I forbid him!" Eris retorted back with equal fervor. Suddenly, all eyes were on her. The armored woman hummed in response, fingers on her chin. Narrowing her eyes, she saw the way the silver-haired woman looked at Siegfried and the way his body reacted upon her outburst. A devious thought flashed into her mind.
"Bring her forward," she commanded, pointing at Eris. Siegfried's eyes widened in pure horror as they pushed Eris forward and onto her knees right next to him. His body tensed up significantly, something the villainous woman noted with glee.
Eris glared at the cultists, "Touch me one more time and I'll break all your fingers." Her expression fell the moment the cultists pulled her hair back and pressed the edge of a knife against her throat.
"N-NO!"
The woman's expression turned dark. "Looks like you do know her. Tell me, Siegfried, what is she to you?" There was a clear hint of venom in her voice, and even the cultists shuddered.
They pressed the knife harder, drawing blood. Eris gritted her teeth through the pain.
"Make your choice now or this woman dies first."
"S-Stop…please…" Siegfried finally said, practically begging.
"Then say it," the woman ordered him, scowling fiercely. She snapped her fingers once more and the cultists practically pushed Eris down onto the ground and onto her stomach, pinning the huntress down. One of the cultists pressed a knee against her back while the other one slowly dragged the tip of their knife against Eris's cheek, scarring her porcelain white skin.
"You bast-" They shoved her back down, causing her face to collide against the floor. This time, they angled the knife directly above her.
"Say it! Surrender to me, now!"
"Let her go! Please!"
His cries went unheard as the woman gestured for the cultists to continue. "Brand her."
"Unhand me- AAAAAAAH!"
Siegfried could only close his eyes and bear through Eris's screams of agony as they proceeded to draw their symbol on her back. Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop it! A memory of the past flashed into his mind.
"S-Siegfried help m-me…"
"No stop let her go!"
"This is what you get for betraying us!"
Her screams of pain as the man used his knife on her would forever haunt him.
Unable to handle it any longer, Siegfried slammed his fist against the ground.
"DAMMIT I ACCEPT!"
Crying out through the pain, Siegfried lifted himself off the ground. Nearly stumbling, he stood up and turned to face to the woman with an absolutely furious but defeated expression. "I surrender myself to you…"
"…Now that wasn't so hard was it?" She nodded at the cultists and they promptly got off Eris.
"Now let them go."
"I'm afraid I can't do that." Without warning, the cultists shoved the rest of the hunters onto the floor and pressed their knives against their necks.
Siegfried jerked back and forth between both sides, flabbergasted. "Y-You lied to me!"
The woman shrugged. "Actually, I didn't. I distinctly remember mentioning the word "may" when I told you I would spare them. C'mon, you know how important is to listen to people's words."
"You damn bitch!" Siegfried stomped towards her but stopped midway, clutching his abdomen. From atop the stage, the woman merely cackled out loud.
"I never intended to let them go anyway. You, however, are an exception. So? Come back?"
"…I'd rather die!"
The woman clicked her tongue. "Last chance Siegfried. Come back to me and I promise you won't ever be alone again."
Siegfried spat blood onto the floor in front of her. "Over my dead body. At the very least, I'll finally have some peace and bloody quiet!"
The cultists shivered upon seeing the pure hatred emanating their superior. They had never seen her this angry. "You won't die, because I'm never going to let you. After I kill your friends, you're gonna wish you had suffered the same fate as them." She ignored the hunter's horrified look as she opened her mouth to issue the inevitable command.
"Kill the-"
It felt as if time slowed down. Siegfried and the rest of the hunters froze in their place. The cultists as well had not moved a single inch, their knives just inches away from the throats. The woman too had frozen on her spot…just as she dropped to her knees.
Blood immediately spilled out of her mouth, trembling hands around the blade jutting out through her chest. She slowly twisted her head back to see her attacker…
Both she and Catherine couldn't believe their eyes.
"H-How?! How are you s-still alive?!"
The former Guild Knight let out a pained smirk. "Guess I got lucky." He backed away, too weak and injured to make another move, dropping to his side and lying on the floor. He watched through the corner of his eye as the woman attempted to make a sound but ended up coughing out more blood before her body crumpled to the floor, the sword still stuck in her chest. The remaining number of cultists meanwhile, were simply too stunned to move at the sight of their superior being so easily defeated. Their grips on the hunters loosened and they stood still in their place. Fatal mistake.
Seizing the opportunity, Catherine broke free of their grasps, elbowing the cultists holding her. The other hunters quickly followed suit, quickly dispatching the cultists holding them and picking up the knives off the ground. Completely caught off guard, the situation soon devolved into chaos.
Picking up one of the dropped knives, Catherine flung the weapon towards one of the Wyvern riders, hitting them square in the chest. They choked and fell off their mount, and Catherine used this brief moment of surprise to leap off one of the fallen tables and onto the Wyvern's back. Quickly lifting herself up onto the saddle, she grabbed the reins and pulled hard. "HYAA!" The beast thrashed violently as its tail and head crashed against some of the cultists.
"Hey, watch it!" Rowan said, ducking under a tail swing.
"You sure you know what you're doing?!" Hilda added, grabbing a cultist and kicking him towards the rampaging Wyvern, whose body immediately got clobbered by the creatures' tail.
"Then move out of the way!" Catherine replied as the beast continued to go berserk under her. "I'll handle this! All of you help the others!" They watched as the other Wyvern riders moved to attack her, only to end up on the receiving end of a tail swing. With Catherine keeping the Wyvern's occupied, the rest of the group moved towards the stage to assist the unconscious hunters.
In the midst of the chaos, Eris had crawled her way towards Siegfried. He reached out towards her, grasping her hand and pulling her towards him as they laid down on the ground, side by side on the floor, bleeding and injured but alive.
"Fool, what were you thinking?" Eris chastised him, gritting her teeth through the searing pain on her back.
"I-I just couldn't let you…die," Siegfried responded weakly, his strength slowly fading from the effect of the substance now within him.
"Hey, don't you dare close those eyes!" She got onto her knees and moved his head onto her lap. Remembering the lectures back at the Academy on how to treat injuries without first aid, she pressed her hand against the wound, applying pressure in her attempt to stop the bleeding. However, the damage had been done and she found herself unable to keep the blood from seeping out of him.
Suddenly, the shuffling of footsteps caught her attention. She looked up and saw Hilda crouch down beside her and Siegfried. Eris glared at her briefly before soon realizing that the huntress didn't come here to insult her.
"I'll help."
Eris gave her a skeptical look, but it disappeared the moment Hilda ripped a chunk of a dress off and began wrapping it around Siegfried's wound.
"Don't look at me like that. Look, I don't like you, but I do have a heart you know." Even if it means saving a traitor like him. I'll deal with him later…
Eris blinked a few times before letting out a sigh. "…Thank you."
…
"SUCK ON THIS YOU BASTARDS!" Catherine cackled loudly as she continued to wreak havoc on the cultists atop the Wyvern. The surviving riders found themselves unable to do anything to Catherine as the thrashing of the Wyvern made it impossible to approach safely even atop their own mounts. They took one look at the numerous corpses of their own brethren and nodded to each other.
"We need to retreat!"
"Fuck yeah! I'm out of here!"
The survivors watched as the remaining riders pulled their mounts away and jumped through the window, grabbing their fallen superior's body along the way and fled into the night sky.
"Now you die!" Catherine exclaimed as she leaned forward and gouged out the Wyvern's eye with her fist. She leaped off the Wyvern just as it crashed against a wall in a blind fury. Dazed and defeated, it hazily stumbled towards one of the windows before following its owners and taking off into the night.
Not wasting any more time, Catherine rushed towards her lover. Jumping onto the stage, she tucked her legs into a slide and cradled Edmond's body.
"H-Hey…"
"Edmond! Stay with me!" She examined him thoroughly, checking every part of his body until she felt a wetness in her hand. Turning his body around, she gasped upon seeing the large gash on his backside that seemed to have cut through his armor. He needed medical attention.
She lifted him and looped his arm around her neck. "Everyone! Let's get out of here before they send reinforcements!"
As quickly as they could, the group made their way out of the bloodstained ballroom, stepping over and around the seemingly countless number of corpses on the floor. Catherine averted her eyes away from the dead bodies of her squad members, having been killed just before Catherine managed to dispatch the riders and their mounts. The armored woman could still see one of her swords stuck in one of the Wyvern's necks, a painful reminder of how helpless she felt as she and her squad fought the encroaching cultists with all they had.
"I can't believe they would do such a horrible thing…" Hanzo said bitterly.
Hilda nodded solemnly. "Yeah…We should report this to the Guild once we get back to the mainland. They'll know what to do."
As they exited the mansion and trudged towards the ship, they spotted an alarming sight. In the distance, there were quite a few figures standing by the port, and judging by the color of their outfits, they were the cultists.
Catherine gently set down Edmond onto the ground. "Anyone who can still fight come with me. We'll take the ship by force!"
As soon as they got close, they attacked, charging towards the surprised cultists. Though exhausted, the cultists found themselves outmatched and were quickly slain by the adrenaline-filled hunters. Immediately after, they resumed their pace, bringing their injured comrades onto the ship's deck.
"Do you think the crew members are traitors as well?"
Catherine shook her head at her soldier's logical question. "Not sure. But we're going to find out. Once again, anyone who can still fight follow me!"
While Catherine and a small group ventured inside the ship, the remaining ones rested on the deck, tired and eager to go home.
"How…is your back?" Siegfried asked Eris as he propped himself against the ship's mast.
"Not as bad yours so I'll manage," the huntress replied, sitting down next to him. "Are you alright?"
Siegfried touched the reddening piece of clothing wrapped around his stomach. "Definitely not. Hurts like hell but I think I can handle it…"
Eris sighed and turned to look at the other huntress currently leaning against the ship's railing. "I hate to say this but…thanks, for helping him."
Hilda waved her off. "Don't mention it."
Nearby, Rowan waited impatiently for his brother to regain consciousness. He quickly glanced at Siegfried and stared at the ground below him. Mixed emotions ran through his head as he attempted to deal with the revelation that his comrade used to be part of that infamous group. He wondered if Siegfried was involved in that very attack that ruined their lives…
Can I trust him now? After what he could have possibly done? He shook his head. He didn't want to believe that Siegfried was capable of doing such a thing. But could he have been mistaken?
His brother's body shifted, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Brother!"
"Ughh… Shit, my neck hurts…" Romero groaned out as he regained consciousness. Thankfully, he didn't appear to have any external injuries.
Similarly, the other two hunters stirred awake, alerting the other hunters. Jason was the second to wake up, shaking his head as he sat on the ground. His sister was the last to wake up, letting out a brief cough and rubbing her throat. They blinked a few times before they looked frantically around their surroundings.
"Where are we?" Amber muttered before her eyes landed on a familiar figure resting against the ship's mast. "Siegfried!" She quickly crawled towards him, unable to suppress the feelings of relief.
Siegfried gave her a weak smile. "Hey, it's been a while..." He directed his gaze towards the blonde-haired man kneeling down beside her. "You too."
"That wound…What the hell happened to you?"
"I could say the same to you two. What in the world are you doing here? I thought you were back at Dundorma?"
Amber laughed half-heartedly. "It's a long story. More importantly…" She leaned forward and held his hand. "Are you okay?"
He gave her a thumbs up. "I feel like shit, but thanks for the concern."
"Ahem…"
Amber and Jason turned their heads towards the woman currently sitting next to Siegfried. Their eyes widened. "It's you!" Amber said, much to Eris's minor irritation.
Rude. "And you are?"
"Amber. And this is Jason...who unfortunately happens to be my overprotective brother."
"Hey! I'm not overprotective, just concerned! I mean as the older brother I have to-"
"I've heard about you. Eris is it?" Amber said, ignoring Jason's rambling. "The supposedly infamous Ice Queen?"
The named huntress shook her head. "I don't know where you've heard that name but yes, I'm Eris."
"I see…" Amber narrowed her eyes at her. "And may I ask why you two are together?"
Siegfried opened his mouth to answer but Eris placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Amber raised an eyebrow at this. Don't tell me they're- "It's a long story. But simply put, we're partners."
"Huh?" When did they get so comfortable around each other? The last time I saw them they looked completely hostile to each other…
Amber was just about to ask more questions when suddenly, the ship began to move. A moment later, the door to the ship's interior had burst open as Rowan stepped out into the deck. "Get inside and bring the injured!"
Inside the ship, the hunters soon settled into the couches and floor. The injured were currently being treated by the ship's staff, who Rowan had explained that they had been held hostage and if it weren't for them, the cultists would have executed them. At the very least, it had dispelled their worries of the ship's staff working together with the enemy. With the danger seemingly gone, for now, the ship began its voyage back to the mainland.
"Ack! That stings!"
"Be still."
Edmond winced at the stinging pain on the gash on his back. They were in his dimly lit bedroom, where Edmond sat on the bed as his lover dabbed a healing ointment provided by the staff onto his injury.
Edmond covered his face with his hands in shame. "Damn it, this wouldn't have happened if I had been more vigilant…"
"Don't blame yourself for this. None of us could have anticipated something like this happening."
He clenched his fist. "No, it's my fault. I shouldn't have gotten others involved with this. Now I've made myself an even bigger of a failure, both as a knight and as a person."
"You're not a failure Ed."
In response, he lifted his prosthetic arm up. "Does this not look like failure to you?"
She stopped and raised her free hand, intertwining her fingers with his metallic ones. "I told you…you're not a failure Edmond. You can't always blame every mistake on yourself. It happens to the best of us."
He raised his hands up as Catherine began to wrap bandages around his torso.
"Then what about Amber and Jason? Those two hunters who came with me. It is my fault they both got injured and ended up being used as a tool by those bastards. Had I not consulted with them and brought them with me, perhaps the situation may have turned out differently."
She gave him a solemn look. "Stop it, please. I can't stand seeing you like this."
Edmond trembled under her touch. "I can't believe I lost against that woman." His voice began to crack as a memory of how the woman had outmaneuvered him and got a nearly fatal hit on him emerged. "It's just failure after failure and I can't do a single goddamned thing about it!"
"Stop-"
"Heh, I wonder the Elders would have thought of me now. Maybe they're laughing at how pitiful I look. Maybe I deserve it, after all, I'm a fa-"
"Shut up!"
Edmond went silent. He slowly looked back…only to find an angry looking Catherine looking right back at him. "Cat?"
"Don't call me that!" She got off the bed and stood with her back turned against him. "I fell in love with the strong, determined, hard-working man with a strong sense of justice. Not this pathetic excuse of a human being here." She walked towards the door and stood by the doorway. "Give me fucking break," she uttered out one last time before slamming the door.
Edmond did not look back.
…
When Catherine stepped into the main atrium where everyone else was, she could only stand still in surprise at the scene before her.
"Damn traitor!"
"Let go of him!"
"Liar!"
"Don't hurt him!"
"All of you calm down!"
In front of her were the hunters locked in what appeared to be an intense argument. And standing in the middle was their tallest member Hanzo, who had his hand on Siegfried's collar as the hunter's legs dangled helplessly in the air.
"You better explain shit or else you're a dead man!"
Siegfried only growled in response.
"You're a damn criminal and you know it! I knew we weren't supposed to trust you!" Hilda added. "Once we get back, we're taking you to the Guild!"
Eris stomped her foot down. "Are you absurd?! They'll execute him immediately after interrogation even though he hasn't done anything!"
"Precisely why we should do that." Romero said, crossing his arms." At the very least, he'll die knowing he contributed to the efforts of the Guild."
"Say that one more time and I'll fucking punch you!" Amber threatened him, to which she received an equally threatening glare from the hunter.
In the midst of the argument, Rowan attempted to calm both sides down, but it only served to aggravate them even further. The staff, meanwhile, cowered behind the corners, fearing that a fight may break out any time soon.
"What happened?" Catherine asked, walking towards Rowan. The hunter shook his head sadly.
"They asked Siegfried to explain everything, but he refused to do so. Well as you can see, this is what happened after…"
Catherine hummed in understanding as she looked at the scene before her. They were all angry and confused as well horrified at what had transpired before. It was only natural that they would desperately want answers. However, as of now, they couldn't afford to have a fight happen here. Not like this. She quickly ran towards the group.
"Break it up, all of you!" she said, moving in between the hunters. She pointed a finger at Hanzo. "You, drop him."
"And what? You'll punch me?"
Catherine's eyebrow twitched in annoyance and she stepped towards the taller hunter, staring right up at him. "Are you challenging me?" Completely unfazed, the shorter woman's eyes bore into Hanzo's own, despite them being covered by a helmet. The taller hunter found himself fidgeting slightly under the weight of her fierce glare. She had quickly exercised her authority against him and Hanzo found himself unable to fight back.
Eventually, he relented. "Fine…" He promptly released his grip on Siegfried's collar and the hunter dropped to the floor.
"Thanks…" Siegfried muttered, fixing his collar as Eris and Amber helped him up.
Catherine instead redirected her glare at him. "Don't take this the wrong way. One way or another, you'll still be judged by the Guild whether you like it or not. So, prepare yourself, traitor…" And with that, she walked away towards her own bedroom, leaving the hunters alone.
The rest of the journey back home was quiet.
...
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