Chapter 3: Brand of A Warrior
Percedal swung again, at least this time he didn't lose his footing. Rubilax was in fact simple to wield when he was in dagger form, but when struck he became somewhat heavy and threw the Iop warrior off balance. When he struck a tree he almost always was knocked back by the force of his own blow, it was frustrating, how was he to be a good Iop father for Elely if he couldn't fight.
"I don't know to do Rubilax," he said sadly hanging his head
Rubilax sighed " I wouldn't be offended if you need to get a lighter sword." He said, though his voice betrayed how he truly felt.
"No Rubilax." He said "that's not going to happen and you know it."
"But you – " Rubilax started before Percedal cut him off.
"No buts," he said matter-of-factly "You and I have been through too much together for me to simply abandon you in favor of another sword, besides I'm your guardian, it would be shameful for me to try and replace you."
Rubilax sighed and his eye rolled "Hard headed as ever Iop." He said.
"Perhaps I could help with that?" a familiar voice said from behind
Percedal turned to see Otomai behind him, the blue haired ogre watching with interest.
"Oh, Is Ogrest here then?" Percedal asked.
"Playing with Elely and Flopin."
"And Evangelene?"
"Teaching them some songs."
Percedal listened and was able to hear the sound of several soft voices singing.
"Hmm," he said closing his eyes and remembering "I remember when I learned she could sing."
Rubilax's eye rolled again "Oh, Brother."
"Shut it Rubi," Percedal said in false annoyance
Otomai chuckled, "Well for wielding a sword one handed, You're going about it the wrong way." Otomai motioned to rubilax "May I?"
Percedal looked at Rubilax unsure "Go ahead Dally," Rubilax's voice assured.
Percedal handed Otomai the sword "Normally you would put your other arm behind your back like so," The ogre began "But in your case, that's not feasible. Spread you legs more, give yourself a strong foundation."
"but if I do that, I won't be able to move around much." Percedal argued.
"Not so," Otomai continued "In fact you'll be putting all the boundless energy you have to good use. In one handed style you doge and jump more to make up for the lack of defense."
"I'm not sure I like that Idea." Percedal said "It's not very Iop."
"I suppose it's not," Otomai said handing Rubilax back to Percedal "But I know no other way."
Percedal sat down with his legs crossed his brow furrowed in thought. Otomai laughed outright when he saw it. "Now there's a sight I never thought I'd see."
Percedal frowned, but otherwise made no comment, he had grown used to the insults that were thrown at him, and his patience for them had grown against his will. He knew there was a way to wield a sword one handed, he had seen it before hadn't he? Yes, he was more certain now, his master wielded his that way didn't he?
Percedal shot up "A Chain!" he said excitedly "I need a chain!"
"Wh-What?" Otomai was taken aback by the sudden turn of events.
"My master Goultard," Percedal said "He weilds his sword one handed with a chain, It's very Iop."
"You want to put a chain on me?" Rubilax said with disgust "As if being stuck in this metal shell isn't enough?"
"You're hardly stuck there." Percedal said "Y'know that I'll let you out whenever you want to walk around and stuff."
"Yeah, yeah." He said "I guess a chain wouldn't be so bad."
As always the Sadida forest was a wonder to behold, she hadn't really appreciate the richness of this place when she was younger, but had come to think of it as a beautiful home. Clophee stepped beyond the threshold of the palace and encountered guards outside her friend's room.
"Hello there," She said cheerfully "Can I go in and see Amalia."
The guards looked confused. New faces, she loved having fun with new faces.
"No one sees the princess without the King's approval!" The guard on the right said
"Oh I don't need that," Cleophee said innocently "I'm Cleophee of the Brotherhood of tofu."
The two guards looked at each other, then began laughing.
"There's no Cleophee in the Brotherhood of tofu!" The guard on the left said betewwn laughs.
A pulsing vein became visible in Cleophee's head "WHAT!" she said enraged
The sounds of banging and smashing broke Amalia out of a reverie of memories revolving around Yugo and the other members of the Brotherhood. Her mood soured by this she rose from her bed and looked to the door
"Cut out that Racket you rookies!" she yelled, but still the noise continued soon more voiced were added to the cacophony and the princess became truly angry stomping towards the door.
When opened the doorway afforded her a front row seat to the trouncing of her guards by a certain whimsical blonde she had hoped would not come calling anytime soon.
"Oh hi Amalia." Cleophee said with a big innocent smile "What's new with you?"
"Cleo," Amalia said almost reverting back to her bratty teenage tone "You cannot just beat on my guards whenever you are bored."
"Hey," The blonde responded indignantly "It's not my fault they couldn't recognize a member of the brotherhood." She then grumbled something incomprehensible under her breath.
"Guards," Amalia said nonchalantly "Leave us be, I am more than capable of taking care of this little cra brat."
Again the vein on top of Cleophee's head threatened to pop. "What did you call me?" she said angrily before leaping at the Sadida princess. Quick as a flash her doll barred the way having rapidly inflated with air. Cleophee simply bounced off slamming into an oak beam and sliding ungracefully to the ground.
"Ow." The blonde uttered.
"You see," Amalia said to her guards. "I'll be fine."
The guards followed her orders and stepped away grumbling something about guarding a master warrior for no good reason.
Amalia turned to face a recovering Cleophee "What brings you here cleo?"
Cleo sighed "I don't hear from you anymore," she said "It seems like ages since we just went out and did things together."
After her sister had become more involved with Percedal Cleo had done a complete one eighty on Amalia becoming her best friend and partner in crime while Evangelene doted on the empty headed Iop.
"That's probably because I'm a princess Cleo," the Sadida replied "And I have Royal duties to fulfill."
"That's a load of crock and you know it!" Cleo said angrily, "You spent the last four months almost exclusively with Yugo!" the cra almost sounded hurt.
"Cleo I – " The sadida princess started but never finished
"It's not fair," Cleo said nearly weeping "You and Evengelne found love, why can't I?"
So that's what this was about. Amalia put her hand on the Cra's shoulder and Cleophee looked up.
"Why don't we have a girl's night then," Amalia said "Like Evangelene and I used to do."
Cleophee's eyes shined, but dulled again "what about Yugo?" she asked
"Yugo went to see Alibert," Amalia said "He probably won't be back for a little while."
The shine returned and with it a happy Cleo, something Amalia used to think she would never actually want to see.
"Yes, Yes!" Cleo said happily "We can run to fair and fight big bulls and trolls and – "
"Baby steps Cloe," The sadida said "We'll go to the fair, but let's not try to cause any trouble this time okay."
"Okay," Cloe said with her fingers crossed behind her back.
"Alright then," Amalia responded "I'll go get changed."
Goultard swung his sword letting it fly from his hand bound to it's chain until it hit the interloper, or appeared to. Seraphin simply caught the blade between his fingers, as though it were no more harmful than a feather. The other gods looked at each other with worried expressions, this man would be a very real problem.
"Interesting fighting style," Seraphin said, he cast the blade aside, but the force of his throw snagged the chain and forced Goultard to follow it. His throat was caught by the gilded man's hand. A brief wave of nausea and disorientation came over him, then the Seraphin's eyes narrowed.
"I see," The gilded man said "You are but a Demi-God." With that Seraphin's fingers tightened around his neck cutting off his air flow. The Iop gagged and clawed at Seraphin's armor to no avail, he didn't even leave scratches. After a few moments Gouldtard's eyes rolled back into his skull and he passed out, his orange glow left him and Seraphin allowed him to fall landing on his vessel.
He looked at the other gathered gods "I word to the wise," he said "You shouldn't attack one at a time."
It happened in a flash, no one was expecting it, least of all Percedal. He had just finished affixing the chain he had sought to Rubilex's handle when a golden bold struck him from the sky. The Iop Warrior screamed in pain and rage his pupils disappearing as he floated from the ground in a haze of powerful orange light, his tattered cloak billowing as though trapped in a hurricane's winds.
Flopin witnessed the event and ran to his mother yelling "Mommy! Mommy!"
Evangelene could tell by the tone of her son's voice that something truly frightening had happened. "What is it?" she asked worriedly.
"It's daddy," the little sandy haired boy replied "Something's happening to him!"
The Iop's next scream couldn't have had better timing happening just as those words were uttered. Recognizing the sound of her husband's voice she rushed outside, bow drawn, ready for anything.
Anything but that.
The Iop was held in mid air by an orange-ish yellow light, while he screamed and writhed in what appeared to be agony. The wound of his arm opened again spilling hid blood onto the ground, but it did not bleed long. A bone suddenly jutted forth from the shoulder another formed connecting to it, then tendons formed and muscles and finally skin.
Evangelyne lowered her bow and watched the macabre miracle before her eyes, finally the light subsided and her husband was lowered to the ground. Sweat beaded his brow and he breathed heavily.
Evangelyne approached warily, unsure what had happened "Dally?" she said cautiously
Percedal moved quickly embracing Evangelyne in a hug. "I'm okay Eva."
"Thank goodness." She said "I thought something terrible had happened to you.
Percedal pushed Evangelyne outward holding her at arm's length, she could see now the glowing light that had covered him four months ago, when he had battled Ogrest.
"Is that…" She began
"Something terrible has happened to my master." Percedal finished for her "And something far worse is coming our way."
The next attack came from the one with clockwork armor, a sword fashioned out of a clock hand appeared before him and rushed forward stabbing Seraphin in the chest. The gilded king looked down for a moment and grabbed the blade's handle to pull it out, but the blade would not budge.
He barely noticed another presence behind him as the muscular green haired one slashed past him barely brushing him. His eyes quickly followed the perpetrator and he saw him tying a lock of his hair to a doll.
"Vudu magic." Seraphin said darkly, he hated vudu magic.
The green haired warrior proceeded to scratch, cut and otherwise abuse his doll, the wounds invariably appearing on his own skin as well. While he recovered from the volley the large man with armor on his right arm quickly slashed him with a fatal blow that shattered his breastplate and then he felt a dagger insert itself between his armor's plates. Something cold entered his body from it.
The gods returned to their places looking on the now beaten and bloody intruder, after a few moments he screamed. Apparently agonized, he glowed a bright gold for several moments before exploding into golden dust that dissipated into space.
"That ends that." Xelor said summoning his clock blade back to him.
"I wouldn't be so sure," Sadida said "The doll did not dissipate with him.
Sacrier heard a sound behind him and turned to see Seraphin's face and the golden dust coalesced into his body, fully armored an unharmed.
"So little gods," he said again "Is that the best you can do?"
Author's note: I figured I'd spend more time on the other members of the brotherhood this time since the last chapter was all about Yugo. Seraphin is a badass, but is he a bad guy? Also let me know how you feel about the length of these chapters, I can probably make them a little longer if need be.