16. THE ILLAGER WAR
It was to be one of the greatest wars Enim had ever seen. Compared to civilised worlds it was about as devastating as a major traffic accident, something that would make the news for a week and not be brought up again.
Arcacia had warred nearly three decades ago, King Regus III had attempted to fight off the Thestacrucian Empire for four years until his forces were defeated. Hundreds of thousands had died. Still, it was the nature of Enim that everything was at a much smaller scale. Ordinary testificates created small villages for themselves, and after their numbers grew to a point they'd split apart, or a small group would splinter off to form a new village, and without any means of communication across 'the vast expanses' they simply lost touch.
Similarly, the illager tribes were less common but would claim territory that spanned further, including typically no more than three villages. Their numbers stayed small because of butting heads and power struggles that led to splinters moving off as well. Unlike humans, testificates seemed to have the organisational ability of pack animals, and nothing as complex as a township numbering in the thousands, or even hundreds, could ever come to be.
As such, the larger wars between illagers occurred when by chance, two big tribes had stuck together without being overrun by internal problems. But this war wasn't the result of chance. There was a mastermind influencing both illager groups, and other tribes across Enim too, and they'd supplied both items and wisdom which allowed the illagers to expand their territories into unnaturally vast areas. In doing so this otherworldly influencer was gaining a great deal of resources from an unmoderated world via shady means. Extortion, which wasn't how illagers normally operated at all. It seemed to be by chance that two of the tribes working for this 'mysterious ally' had grown their territories enough to meet and in the face of their newfound greed, would fight.
Violet was able to piece all this together just by turning over all the evidence in her head.
While her primary focus was getting to Zann's office, these other thoughts were playing in the background. She was moving through the caves when Tiril stopped her.
"Violet, methinks thou ought to be brewing us more healing potions 'i case we need 'em."
Violet turned, "I will. But first, Zann's given me a special order."
"The captain has? What is it?"
"I can't say."
Violet stared at the wide-set illager woman and waited to see if she'd be believed. Her hand flexed as she mentally scanned the sword in her inventory. She really, really didn't want to hurt Tiril. But she would if she had to.
After a few seconds Tiril just nodded, "Very well."
"You should make sure everyone here's ready to fall back deeper into the cave systems and hide, just in case the fighting is pushed into here."
"Aye."
Violet turned and continued off. She found the narrow corridor and was hurrying faster now, running while the angled rock flew by either side of her head. She couldn't slow down if she wanted to - her chance was finally here. There was the door and Violet thought for sure it'd be locked. She was prepared to break it down with her sword, but as soon as she reached for the handle she heard it click loudly. Violet stood still and let the door slowly swing open….
A robed person was standing in Zann's office. At first she registered that the figure was a mage, the hooded cloak was all black but with glowing purple runes. They'd been inspecting something, but they turned to Violet. She could only see the bottom half of his face, but then she could register he was a man, and not just that but human. The first other human Violet had seen since her expatriation began.
She stared at him, then her eyes moved around him to where her crystal ball was supposed to be, only to see the empty charging cradle. The mage was holding her crystal ball and had been studying it before she came in.
"No!" Violet's vision went blurry. The sword appeared in her hand and she took quick steps into the room.
The mage smirked and splayed his hand. Blinding light burned from his palm and instinctively Violet dropped her sword and raised both hands to shield herself. The light stayed bright for a few seconds before dying down. There was fizzling as objects in the room, and the ground around Violet smoked as it was stained black. But she was unharmed. The mage frowned in surprise.
The sound of running steps scuffed quickly from down the hall. When Violet looked back the mage suddenly vanished in flecks of purple, similar to an Enderman. He'd teleported away - and he'd taken her crystal with him.
"Violet, what be the meaning of this?" An illager woman stared in, another pair peeking around her.
Violet fell to her knees.
She wasn't getting away from this war, after all. The outcome of it would also determine hers. Violet bit the back of her wrist to muffle her scream of frustration.
"Violet?" An illager asked again, looking at the black scorched floor around her. "What is it?"
She got herself under control, "...I better start brewing us more healing potions, just in case..."
She was almost reluctant to get off the ground but she did. So their ally was aware of the current situation. Violet had always considered him a matter of curiosity, but not relevant to her in any way. She supposed Zann had only let her live in the first place to present her to him, that was until they figured her experience dealing with villagers could help them instead. But now to think this ally would appear to take her only means of getting home. Should she have tried to take it sooner? But no oppertunity had presented itself.
Violet squeezed her way past the women and stalked away to go contribute to the war effort.
Later, a young one was running back and forth from the cave entry. He was watching the fighting and keeping everyone inside informed. Of course, he couldn't tell who was winning even with the binoculars.
It made Violet antsy to sit around and brew potions. The battle seemed to be taking longer than it should, but Violet didn't know how long it should be taking. She supposed this was a good sign. If she were to run out and join them, even with the three healing potions she was making, it still seemed certain that she'd die quickly. She couldn't stand the thought of choking on her blood, lying atop the baking sand as the sun heated her armour. It was too horrid a way to die.
Perhaps the numbers were even on each side. Or perhaps, they were outnumbered but the healing potions Violet had prepared was giving their side an edge. Maybe the fight was almost over. Or maybe… Violet's fretting was distracting her from what she was doing. She noticed the colour of the potions wasn't right and she desperately refocused herself.
Tiril swore, and her conversation with the elderly and those women not fighting carried over to everyone.
"We were pushing 'em back, but now they be gaining ground. It appears…"
"A retreat into the caves may be ordered…"
Violet's stomach sank. She stopped brewing, she just couldn't focus enough to finish. She stood uncertainly.
A few minutes later it became a certainty: Tiril turned and waved her arm, "Retreat! Go back!"
Children were carried or pulled, and the shuffling elderly helped along. Violet stared at her brewing apparatus and just left it, hurrying with the others deeper downwards. They'd be staying out of sight, but cornering themselves as well.
Violet whacked her foot against the rocks in her haste, and tried to shake off the pain in her toes. Fear was making her clumsy. Could she hide in here if they lost? Not forever. All throughout she'd not stopped internally cursing that man, incredulous disappointment still thumping in her heart that in such a blasé manner he'd come at the worst possible time and swiped her only chance of getting out of here.
And then the sounds of fighting were in the cave too. Clashing weapons, grunts of pain and shouting orders, all echoing down from the entrance.
There was no more time to lament her decisions so far. There was only one way out of this, and even if it failed it was all she had now. So Violet willed her other self to the front of her mind, and let her sword appear in her hand. She clenched it. It'd not been cleaned since Jarmila's blood had stained it yesterday, now a dark mark. It was simple, no ornate thing but sword upkeep was also something she ought to learn if she survived today. If there was no way back home... she was an illager now.
Violet stopped following the crowd then and went back the other way.
"Violet?" Tiril noticed her.
She looked back, "Maybe set some traps if they get in any deeper, okay?"
Tiril just nodded and Violet ran off, her head hazing, out to fight and hopefully make a difference. As opposed to hiding before getting found and killed, as helpless as she'd been before. Never again.
It was unfortunate that illagers all looked so similar, with facial characteristics the main way to tell them apart. But she then noticed the war paint helped distinguish friend from foe. Swords were swinging and slashing. Violet saw one ally below her stumble over a rock before getting stabbed through his kidney. After pulling his weapon free the enemy spun around to chase Bronis. He was holding off three well enough, blocking two clubs and now a sword, the metal flashing into a blur. Violet slid down toward the dying illager. She turned her head at squelching and saw one of her own clubbing an enemy skull against the rocks.
"Hey!" Violet called and he turned. "Potion!"
It appeared in his hand and he threw it. Violet caught it as she continued her slide down. Then she lifted the illager's head. He looked seconds from death but she made him drink. The wound healed and soon he could stand, shaky at first. Maybe pointless, but she'd done something. She lifted her sword and turned away before he could thank her.
A pair of illagers were pressing their swords together. Another enemy was rushing to go stab her ally from behind so Violet threw the empty potion bottle. She missed, but her ally was alerted and turned back so both enemies were in his sights.
Then Violet saw a slim illager on her side struggling against a better fighter so she jumped in beside him and together they fended him off, a frustrated sneer appeared on his face.
They were doing well for a few seconds but Violet cried out in pain. It was her ally, desperate and carelessly swinging his weapon too much - he'd sliced the back of her hand. Then their opponent stepped in and stabbed at his exposed neck, above the chainmail. Violet backed up and the sword was tugged out. Now she was alone against him.
Then someone was behind Violet. Bronis flew in front and parried, then stabbed up through the enemy's chin. He'd dealt with those three cornering him and had come to help her. Bronis drew his blade out and the enemy fell, the helmet bouncing away.
"Violet we must move back!"
She just nodded and followed him in his retreat as more enemy illagers stormed in.
As they ran Violet noticed Nedi growling by the far wall, spinning an illager by his legs, then throwing him far through the space and he shrieked before crashing into a stalactite and spinning off. Ahead was Sagan with a few others, leading a fight against another three enemies.
Violet felt a growl rip through her as she ran alongside Bronis. They both jumped and two of the enemies noticed, turning in alarm. One was speared through the neck again by Bronis. They worked between the two remaining and split them up. Violet ignored the stinging on the back of her hand as she ganged up on another enemy before he was finally stabbed by two swords into the rock behind him, gargling blood with a furious final curse.
The enemy behind was dealt with too and Sagan strolled over, nodding to his brother. Then he noticed Violet there and stared.
The other snarling, bloody fights around the cavern forced them to separate and so they got back to it.
Unfortunately, while their side had their share of skilled fighters so did the enemy. Violet could see one swordsmen mowing down his foes from the corner of her eye. She was focussed on the one before her, parrying his strikes, ducking under as he made a grab with his free hand. She jumped up a rock and felt a weird faint spell. The cut on her hand, a damn accident by an ally, had been bleeding freely this whole time. She focused herself and swung at his head, but her opponent moved back and the steel chimed against stone. All the while the strong enemy below was working his way over. Even without taking a proper look, Violet could tell he was good by how well he moved in her peripheral. Violet's current foe wasn't so good, just angry.
She read some anticipation in his expression, his eyes darting behind her, and Violet sprang off the rock just as someone from behind slashed downward. Violet then jumped between other rocks and landed at the lower level in a roll, her armour clanging against the stone surroundings. She was closer to the skilled enemy now and could distinguish him by a long scar through the side of his monobrow. It was just a brief look, then he was facing away from her, looking at Sagan who strode forth in challenge.
They regarded each other for a moment before leaping together, their blades clashing with a wild ferocity. They parried and for a moment it looked evenly matched. Then Violet's smile fell – the enemy was better. Where several others had failed, even acting in numbers, this illager got through Sagan's guard and slashed his neck. Blood spurted dark in the light of all the torches, Sagan was down and then the sword was speared between his collar.
Violet felt her insides go taut.
"Brother!" Bronis shrieked before leaping his way over, "Nooo!"
He lunged, and the reckless impulse seemed to be working in Bronis's favour, who with furious vigour slashed his weapon speedily and forced the enemy to give ground.
Through the loss Violet also understood her allies had been holding back a lot against her in practice, she couldn't hope to keep up with such speed. Anyone who could beat Sagan was a genuine threat. Hopefully Bronis would stop him. He so far had maintained control of the battle so Violet felt optimistic.
Until an arrow soared past Violet's face and perfectly pierced a gap in the armour by Bronis's foot, pinning him in place. He was then dealt with the next second. But instead of dying right away, his first instinct was to crawl to where Sagan lay. Perhaps he'd already used his potion earlier.
The skilled enemy continued along, while Violet's head whipped around and she glared murderously at the archer standing higher above the rocks. With tunnel vision again, Violet made her way right to him. He noticed her and nocked an arrow. He fired and Violet ducked behind a rock, the arrow bounced away. He pulled and fired again but Violet shielded her face with her armoured forearm. The archer stepped back along his boulder nervously, reloading and firing while Violet maintained her climb, moving around until she was level with him on the same boulder. They were dangerously close to one another, he slid in another arrow.
Violet charged him. He released the string and she turned her head, feeling the feathered end brush her cheek. It whistled on by and she swung at his armoured middle, causing him to topple back with a shriek. He bumped and rolled down several rocks before coming to a stop. When Violet reached him again he was just starting to stir, her blade came down on his neck and almost severed the head perfectly. Dead; Violet panted for a few seconds, feeling another small burst of vindication.
A loud roar and Violet looked around and saw Nedi, he was trying to swing his arms with an enemy holding onto each one, lifted off their feet but weighing him down. Several arrows had pierced him.
More fighting was going on ahead and remembering that skilled fighter who'd got away, Violet hurried along to see what was happening.
In a clearing of scattered bodies there was the talented monobrowed enemy staring down none other than Zann.
The cavern widened here, and some were just watching as the superior fighters were sizing each other up. Then they ran and met in the middle, steel clashing as they pressed against each other, under the natural light of the tiny fissure to the surface. They turned, feet scuffling, and then broke apart, their swords making a terrible symphony of echoes. Both combatants twirled, trying complex manoeuvres to throw the other off. Arrows were loosed at a distance from both sides and they'd simply dodge aside or even block with their blades, keeping their main focus on each other as the parries continued. The other soldiers in the room chased the archers from their perches, smaller and less extravagant fights happening all around the centre match.
Violet ran to him, because she still couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to their captain, even though he was one of their best fighters. Sagan and Bronis had fallen, and who knew how many others. Usually Jarmila was always at his side, but now she wasn't, and Violet had to make sure they weren't going to lose the very head of their tribe.
Someone surprise-attacked Violet from behind a boulder, jumping and swinging their sword into her shoulder-plate. She veered over sideways then her back hit a stalagmite. That sword came down and she blocked it with her forearm. Her head was getting whoozy again and Violet fought to focus before swinging her sword, the weak blow was deflected with ease. The illager thrust his foot into her chest plate and she lost her breath, but she started hammering her free fist into his knee. It was doing nothing.
Bizarrely, an illager used rope to swing over from the cave wall and tackled him from mid-air, the foot left Violet. She stood up and saw both of them disappear over the next ledge. Violet turned, looking back to the main fight, and what she saw made her skin go cold.
Zann was lying on the ground, fallen and bleeding with his adversary hovering over him. Both had lost pieces of their armour in the fray, scattered around them and glinting in the sunlight above. The enemy illager lifted his sword for an executioner swing, but Zann had tricked him. He suddenly lashed out, stabbing through his chest before pulling the weapon free again.
The enemy staggered before collapsing backwards. Zann's sword arm dropped too, his other grasping his very real, very lethal-looking wound. Violet ran to him at once.
"Zann!"
"Violet…?"
"Can you move? We have to get out of here." She took his sword arm and slung it over her shoulder, he grunted as they stood. Violet looked around the cave fearfully, and though many were around, they all seemed distracted by their own fights and weren't paying attention to them.
Violet saw a gap in the wall, a natural corridor. Her gaze focused and she led them toward it. Her pulse was hammering away behind her ears, but they slipped through and out of sight with nobody following after. The shouts and metallic clashes grew dull. From overhead torches Violet could see that the grey tinge of Zann's skin had paled considerably. That was alarming. She rounded a bend and helped him lean against the wall. He slid down until he was sitting and Violet crouched with him, water was dripping in the corner of the natural cave room. She tried to get a look at the wound around his arm and it was as bad as she'd feared.
"You need a healing potion! I'll go and find one!" Violet shot up but he grabbed her arm to stop her.
"Violet… do not rejoin the battle…"
"Why not?" She looked at pleading eyes. "You're hurt! I have to!" She tried leaving again and he pulled her back more forcefully.
"Naye! Listen… My feelings for thee are wrong. It would not have helped thee to know of them."
That struck her, "What do you mean…?"
He shuffled and grunted in pain. His life was close to ending but this seemed vitally important, "Violet, thou art immensely special..."
"And to you… what? I thought… Jarmila…" she mumbled.
"Jarmila had her flaws. Like all of us... but not thee. Thou were only ever kind. Brilliant. Hard working. Thou must survive Enim. And when thee does… move through the pain, grief, regret. The past is to be let go of, thou must forge ahead…" The last of his strength was gone. Violet's wet eyes widened as he tried to say one last thing. He couldn't, though she could see the words he was trying to make. And then his life left him.
He'd said before that he regretted what happened to her, what they'd done.
The opening-closing hole in her chest ripped apart once more, torturing her again as she leaned forward, her hands on either side of Zann's lifeless neck and face. It was cold glass unfurling, slicing. For the first time Violet put up a decent fight against it. She slowed its shredding by inches, and instead of giving into the paralysis, her survival instinct allowed her to get back to her feet and walk. Not before taking Zann's sword and carrying it with her as she left the space and travelled further down to wherever this passage was leading.
Her tears fell silently as she walked; the armour made her steps softly clunk. The agony in her chest was somewhat under control. She walked for about a minute, wondering if the fighting might already be over. And then the way opened up into a larger cavern and she recognised those standing there. It was her illagers, those who'd survived by retreating again. She saw little more than a dozen, and among them was Nedi whose injuries had been all healed by a potion. Violet ran to them.
"Violet?" They turned to her, all of them scuffed, bloody and weary.
Another asked, "Hast thou seen Zann?"
Yet another, "Yes, hast thou seen the captain?"
Her tears flowed anew as she showed them his sword. They stared at it and said nothing, immediately understanding.
"So… we are all that remains then?" One illager stepped forward to say. "How outnumbered are we?"
"Their numbers have greatly diminished also," Nedi grumbled, deeply saddened about Zann. "Our loss is not yet certain."
"But we need someone to lead us," another said and then he looked around.
Despite being soldiers they were reminiscent of children as they looked around for their next leader. Violet assumed the position would obviously go to Nedi, as the now only surviving member of Zann's inner circle. And yet, though he was bigger than everyone he stood with no confidence now. It was likely why he'd not been in charge to begin with.
Violet looked at Zann's sword in her grip. Fury ignited within her, finally melting the frozen spikes in her chest and so she was burning instead. It was a burning desire to live.
"I'll lead us," Violet said.
They all looked at each other in surprise.
Violet clenched the sword, she made her voice imposing like Zann often had, "Any objections?" Nobody was speaking up, they all looked to be accepting it. Heartbroken from the loss of Zann, it felt like she'd started to embody him. "Then let's go end this battle. I told Tiril and the ladies to set traps. If we can lure the remaining soldiers after us, we might win this war yet." Her harsh tone was snapping them to attention, their backs straightening, readying… Violet pointed the sword to the way out, "Let's go men!"
They raised their weapons too and charged with roars, all for one final swing at victory.
They found their enemies in the third cavern space, also recollecting themselves. Standing by the enemy captain on a tall rock was the mage, his robes glowing faintly from the purple runes. Seeing their ally made them all hesitate.
"So it was true…" Nedi growled then spat, "Traitor!"
The mage only smiled and the captain raised his sword before pointing it down to them. They were outnumbered, but not considerably. It would still make for an uncertain fight. "Kill 'em!"
The illagers flowed down while Violet's allies roared and climbed up. She only had eyes for the mage, and at once moved to the edge of the cavern and began climbing up and around the other conflicts. She managed to avoid enemies by hanging back, they all raced at whoever was closest. When she finally got to the top the captain turned and pointed his sword at her but the mage grabbed his arm and he paused.
"You took something that belongs to me," Violet growled.
"A human in Enim. You had me worried before, but for some reason you're here alone?" His voice was low, a sophisticated turning over of the words implied he was upper class. Maybe because he was a mage, his tone felt slightly hypnotic. "How?"
Violet snapped and charged him. He lifted his hands lazily and she was shot backwards into the cave wall, her armour blistering against the magic. He walked the distance to her, speaking to the captain without turning his head, "You can finish up here, can't you?"
Violet tried to straighten up and winced in pain.
"I'm taking her…" he lowered his hood and Violet felt the disbelief and shock on her face.
"It can't be…"
He grabbed her quickly then and they teleported away.
。。。
【AN: Oh yes, end of part 2. I could've finished it yesterday if I wasn't so busy. Anyway after this will be part 3 and the final part. Shuriken has just reviewed chapter 7, hopefully the infamous chapter 8 won't make him want to stop reading lel】