The entire area was silent as Oliver stood in the center of the group, the black mass swirling under him as the boy stayed beside him. It had been like that for the past minute, none of the men daring to run or go after him. 'Wow, they genuinely fear what I might be capable of after that event...' Oliver thought as he spun the warhammer in his hand to get a feel of the weight, his gaze overlooking the group as he spotted the leader, now etching back to what looked to be a few cages as the Behemoth moved through the men in one of the only opened areas in the outer area, making a few bounds before leaping forward, soaring over the encircled warriors with ease and towards Oliver.
The men around them only stared in utter silence as Oliver looked to the creature, watching as it landed in front of him and looked with hardened eyes, ones that were obviously willing to protect the boy. Oliver only smirked under his helmet as he looked back to the leader, now hidden behind the cages as the dark mass under the group finally covered the camp. "You can have the boy for now, but don't expect my judgment to not move over him as well." Oliver spoke as he walked past the behemoth, lifting his hammer high into the air as the group around him started to slowly etch towards him to attack. "In the meantime, I think I should show you the reason you shouldn't defy me."
With that he swung the hammer down into the ground, causing the dark mass to rise in a blast that covered the area in fog, blinding the entire group as Oliver began to run, the hammer now changed into a longsword. "What's happening in there?" Elia asked as Oliver merged into the shadows, soon resurfacing in the center of a group of men as they tried to see where they were going. In the same action he swung his blade in an arc, severing both bodies and limbs as the cries resounded through.
"The fog is a form of darkness that came from the mass he had made, solely made to blind his enemies in this area so he could deal with them faster." Reginhard spoke as Oliver's eyes glowed orange, his sight clear as he jumped into another group, his blade cutting through man and metal like butter as he focused on the task at hand. "It was a tactic that was used by Lief during the War of Darkness, normally being used to ensure the assassination of enemy officials without having to deal with the majority of the guards."
"Though it only lasts for twenty seconds, given I'm still remembering my abilities after a year of nothing." Oliver spoke as he stabbed his blade into the back of a man he slid behind, soon pulling it out and kicking them into a group of three others before he jumped after him, cutting through the skulls of the men as the black blade started to crack from it's constant use. "How much longer till Erebus arrives, Reginhard?"
"Not long now." Came the response as Oliver's speed increased, his movements blurred as screams echoed through the darkness of the fog, causing the remainder of the men to either start running in a random direction or get into a defensive stance with anyone beside them. At other times, it ended up the men were killing their own comrades from their fear. "How much practice do you still need to hold your abilities again."
"It's not so much my strength as how to control the amount I can use now." Oliver responded as the weapon shattered in his hand at the last attack, causing him to twist the hilt as the shards changed into orbs, firing out around him like a grenade and hitting a good chunk of the men around him, some in the head and others in their knees. The fog soon faded as he stood up, showing no more than three men still standing from the attack as they looked around in shock at the butchery around them, the people viewing the events back in Emerial, Serphia and Oric from how it sounded, gasping as they saw the slaughter. Oliver looked around, seeing a mix of severed limbs, skulls and crushed bodies as the blood poured from open wounds.
"Well then, looks like I did better at the control than I expected, there are still corpses here." Oliver spoke to himself as he turned to look at the boy and the behemoth, both of which having not moved a muscle as the boy overlooked the area. Olivers next movements were quick, vanishing and reappearing through the shadow of the person closest to him, his gauntlet ripping through their plating and back like butter as he vanished again, soon reappearing in front of the last two, grapping both of them by their heads as his eyes glowed a dark red as darkness wrapped around their bodies, preventing their movements as he tightened his grip. "For bastards such as yourselves, there is only one solution."
With that he twisted both his hands, causing two snaps to resound around the area as he let go, their bodies falling over to either side of him as he walked to the two remaining, the behemoth and the boy. The boys eyes didn't change as he looked at the end result, his gaze in utter shock as Oliver looked around while walking towards the boy, the leader of the men having vanished from the area completely. "Well, the main problem's not dead, but I'll know if the man leaves the area. For now, however, comes your judgment that I promised."
Oliver held out his hand as a black portal opened in front of him, his mind reaching out to Ksalso as he did so. "You're lucky, I got it ready while you were having your fun." Ksalso spoke in his mind as a black sheath out of the portal, within it a sword whose hilt looked rusted and dark, unable to be determined as to what it once was. 'It's sadly gotten worse as the time has passed, though, but it's power still resides.'
"Your judgement is simple." Oliver spoke as he sat down, a black chair forming under him as the child slowly picked up the blade. "My only request is that you pull the blade from that sheath. If you do so, then I'll know what to think of you."
"...What's the catch?" the boy spoke, looking at the blade in confusion. "Is it supposed to do something?"
"That all depends on what happens." Oliver responded, looking at him as his helmet faded, revealing the bearded mans face as he looked at the boy with a smirk. "Tell you what, if it lets you draw it, then I'll tell you all about the weapon in itself."
"Just like they did with you." Came Ksalso's voice as the boy started looking over the weapon's hilt, the behemoth beside him not even moving from his side as it looked at Oliver. "He isn't pulling it immediately like others did."
'that's because he saw my actions here and now, he knows there has to be a catch to it.' Oliver responded, his own gaze overlooking the clouds above as they started to clear. 'Weather's finally clearing up, think you're up for an appearance later?'
"Always up for serving you, my lord." Ksalso replied as Oliver looked around the place, his body starting to emanate a black aura as his moves quickened. 'You're trying that old ability out?'
'Just to see if it feels foreign now, given I haven't used it in ages.' Oliver responded as he lifted his hand and clenched it, his gaze looking over to the boy as they slowly gripped the blade, his mind remembering a similar event...
-Twelve years ago-
"Look, and embrace the darkness of which your powers come from." Came the voice of the entity as Oliver looked around the place in shock, his gaze already adjusting to the black mass around him. Where he found himself in a void of darkness, he now saw the ruins of a castle ahead, a purple flame glowing near the entrance of it.
"What on earth, or where ever the hell we are, is that."Oliver spoke, making the entity chuckle as he faded into the darkness.
"That is where you'll need to go for now, and where I'll be waiting with another." Came the entity before it completely vanished, making Oliver look around in shock as he tried to find them, only to see darkness in his wake. Oliver then sighed before he turned back to the castle, moving post haste as he ran through the darkness. The more he moved, the more he noticed his surroundings: where he stood in looked to be the remains of some old city, looking like a city in Iowa that his grandfather had a picture of, save the ominous castle in the area.
'Incredible how similar it looks, though.' Oliver thought as he finally arrived at the steps of the castle, looking dead at a large gate with a handprint upon it. "Well now, how do you work..." Oliver muttered, walking up to the hand and patting it as he looked around for some form of switch. However, the moment he had removed his hand from it the doors swung open, making his own gaze widen as he found himself staring at a throne room, upon it a large armored figure whose eyes glowed red.
"So then, you're the one that the entity decided on?" came the figure, it's voice deep and resounding around the area as Oliver stared at them in shock, the darkness at his own command starting to move on it's own towards the figure, merging into his own. "Well, can't say I'm surprised they chose you of all people, given your potential."
"What do you mean by my potential, have you been watching me or something?" Oliver asked as he looked around, his gaze analyzing the detail of the area. The inside of the throne room was massive, though the castle itself was something far different from what he was expecting. Despite the massive ominous look it gave, the inside was actually quite elegant, torches along the walls bearing a green flame that shined into a bright and colored room, the throne of the figure looking of solid gold with an ivory finish. However, he could already feel a pull of the darkness coming from everything in the room, the amount far surpassing what he had felt at home. "More importantly, where am I?"
"Where you are is a better question than why you're here, given the circumstances." The figure spoke as they stood, their armor soon fading to reveal and bearded man who looked to be in his mid fifties, his own body clearly far more muscular and spry as the man jumped down from the throne with ease. "This plain of eternal darkness has many names, the most common being The Void, but it is the source of all darkness that you control as it is for all who can command it."
"But the darkness chooses it's users, not the other way around." Came another voice, making both turn to find the entity having returned to them, their gaze glowing a dark red. "Quite the first trial you put on him there, though, without him realizing it."
"What trial?" Oliver asked, soon looking back at the door confused as it shut itself. The man in front of him only chuckled at his response as he walked past the boy, moving to the door as his own hands seemed to darken.
"The doors only accept those who are attuned to darkness, and only those who control a specific aspect of it." The man spoke as he placed his hands on the doors, causing them to open in the opposite direction as Oliver watched. The old man then smirked as he looked at the boy, a black flame rolling up his right arm as he continued. "That aspect, as you might be aware of, can be defined into two categories: Ambition and Hope. But this is only to see if you are of the proper affinity, now comes the real trial."
With that the man snapped his fingers, causing a portal to open in the ground under him as a sheathed sword flew out of it, his left hand immediately catching it as it reached shoulder height. "What, are you going to fight me?" Oliver asked, his feet slowly growing further apart as the man smirked, soon tossing the weapon to Oliver. Oliver caught it with a confused look, his own gaze analyzing the weapon itself.
"The sword is known as Hesperus, and it is a blade forged in darkness for a single purpose: to determine whether a person is walking the correct path that they wish or not." The old man spoke, looking to Oliver with a smirk on his face as the boy looked over the weapon. "The task is simple, you just have to draw that weapon from its sheath. Should be simple enough if you are as reliable as the entity claims."
"What'll happen if I draw it?" Oliver asked, looking at the weapon confused as he noticed the complete simplicity of the task. "There has to be a catch to this weapon. More importantly, who exactly are you?"
"You can call me Alegar, and the catch will reveal itself if you can't free the hilt from the sheath." The man spoke as he looked to the void the door had opened into. "You can leave without drawing it, as well, but in doing so you will admit that your ambition and your belief's aren't strong enough to find out how far you can go."
Oliver just looked back at the weapon, his mind processing what was said. 'If I falter here, then I can no longer learn this ability and will walk farther away from my ambition, but I have no idea what will happen if I do draw it...' Oliver thought, his gaze along the etching of the hilt, the sides marked in the shape of dragons. He then sighed as he reached his hand out and grabbed the hilt, his eyes covered in a dark aura. 'If I run away from something as simple as he claims, then how the hell can I aim in fixing my own land?'
With that Oliver tugged at the blade, his mind determined on the path he had moved for as he felt the weight of the blade. However, instead of feeling the blade come out, the hilt itself popped off, leaving him stunned as he looked at the hilt. "Well, he's got my consent." Alegar spoke, looking to the entity as they moved to the two, their gaze seeming to glow brighter as they looked at Oliver holding the hilt. "Quite the willpower on them though, Alegar."
"Of course they would bear that kind of will, Alegar, they were chosen in the same fashion you were." The entity responded, making Oliver only look at the two confused as he held the hilt in his hand.
"Wait, both of you are Alegar?" Oliver asked, placing the hilt back in it's sheath as he moved to the two, both of which were looking at him. "Besides that, I didn't even pull the weapon, which I'm pretty sure from the feel is a metal blade, out of it's sheath. I only pulled the hilt and broke it."
"The sword has a will of it's own, of course it wouldn't allow just anyone to draw the blade with it." Alegar responded, the entity beside them only nodding as he took the blade from Oliver, turning to leave. "As for the name basis, I'll let the oldest person here do the talking."
"You'll still be called on during his training." The entity responded, making Alegar merely wave his hand as he left the area, leaving Oliver and the entity in the room.
"Well, he's low key." Oliver spoke as he sat down, the entity only turning to him in response as Oliver raised his hand, the darkness on it forming into a small bird. "So why are you both called Alegar?"
"It is the seal on the terms of the agreement we formed, showing that he holds power in this realm of darkness." the entity responded as they looked down at Oliver. "Now that you have been given the consent of one of the fifteen kings, you shall learn directly from me in the arts of darkness that have passed for centuries."
"I'm guessing a title of king doesn't mean nothing more than a ruler over a slice of land." Oliver replied, making the entity simply keep it's gaze on him as he sighed. "I'll take that as a no."
"You'll learn more about them throughout your training, but for now you must make the agreement." the entity responded, making Oliver look dead in it's eyes as he felt their power seeming to link into him. "As those who have come before you, you shall grant me a name of your choosing that befits you, and as such will be called the same name. This is to bind the fact that despite your power, it all comes from the void of darkness around you, which I am a physical aspect of."
"Wait, this entire realm is you?" Oliver stammered, looking around in shock as he held up his hand, soon seeing the darkness seem to flow off and into the entity. It was so miniscule that he couldn't have seen it before, but with how he was now he could see it clear as day. His mind then stopped thinking over it as he replayed what the being had said. 'A name fitting the entity that I believe would fit them... What would you call darkness itself...'
-Present Day, four minutes prior-
"With how he's treating that boy, he'll probably grab that old blade..." Reginhard murmured to himself as he walked out of the room with Elia, the others still watching the events as he moved through the hallways to keep his form. That was the one requirement of maintaining his form, which he would need to move around even a little while he was moving his real body to ready Erebus. "Why is it that you're following me, anyway?"
"Because I can't understand some things, and you still have answers to them." Elia responded, making Reginhard only sigh as he turned and looked to her, the woman's pacing reaching beside him as they took a turn. Her face looked stern, but her eyes were calm, analyzing the old man as they continued their walk. "How old is Oliver, for instance. Surely the training he's been through must've taken some time."
"Indeed, though the matter of his age can be rather surprising for some." Reginhard responded, his staff tapping along the ground as he looked back to the path. "Though if we go by his age physically and mentally, he'll be turning twenty four next month, much as he tries to hide that fact with growing his hair."
"He's that young, while having led a war that reshaped his country with that kind of presence?" Elia asked, making Reginhard chuckle as he continued his walk, her gaze now more concerned.
"Like I said before, he's only a shell of his former self, an effect that occurred after he had time to think through what had happened in the war for the past year." Reginhard spoke as his eyes glowed a faint red, making him smile as Elia look at him suspiciously. "If you had met him at his peak, you would feel a presence that would feel as if it could subjugate the entire world if given no other choice. This current show of power and presence that he's showing, though it is impressive for someone his age, is nothing compared to the boy who had no choice but to grow up when he had faced a final loss."
"What kind of loss did he suffer?" Elia asked, making Reginhard only sigh as he turned back to the medical wing.
"That can be discussed for another time, I've found what he's requested of me." Reginhard responded as he continued his pacing, Elia hurriedly following him as he looked over. "I'll only say this about it, it was the loss of people that he could never replace, though one may have been falsified by how I've seen this. However, you'll want to ask Oliver himself on the matter, though you'll have a hard time with actually pulling the knowledge out."
Elia only sighed at the response, her gaze moving to the walls around them as they continued their walk. Her gaze, however, was looking over each stone upon the walls, her mind trying to think through what the man had said. 'The loss of people who were only "some friends" wouldn't hit him as hard as he's claiming it did, especially after a long time. They would've had to have been truly important to him.' Elia thought as she looked back to the man, now ahead of her as his staff seemed to move like a blur. 'I won't try to push the matter any further unless necessary, then.'
"How much longer till Erebus is ready, Reginhard?" came a voice as they neared the entrance of the medical wing, making Reginhard smirk as he opened the door.
-Oliver, current time-
'Well, can easily hold it better than I used to be able to.' Oliver thought as he looked to the boy, who had been constantly gripping the blade and releasing it as he looked along the blades grip. 'Quite the fear of repercussions."
'You are the one who decided to not tell him.' Came Ksalso before the boys eyes hardened, his hand gripping the blade as he prepared to pull it. As he did, the area seemed to grow darker, as if twilight had taken hold as the boy pulled the weapon. The hilt itself seemed to shatter the rust off of it as the blade slowly drew out with his tug, making Oliver smile as he watched the weapon become free of it's sheath. Ksalso themselves only sent a static of pure shock as it watched the event unfold, the area around the camp slowly returning to it's light. 'Well, that's unexpected.'
'Indeed it is.' Oliver thought, his mind made up on his actions as he turned to the boy. "Well, looks like you have the right to live and become something great in that which you choose to follow." Oliver spoke, making the boy look up to him as he smirked. The behemoth, on the other hand, just moved in front of the boy, it's gaze stern as it looked down on Oliver. "Quite the defender you have, as well. Does the creature have a name, or is it just a traveling companion for you?"
"...Susanoo." The boy replied, his eyes locked on Oliver as he chuckled at the name, soon turning back to the way further into the camp.
"Well, that explains a good deal about you and the beasts relationship, but the question is if it will end up as I think it will." Oliver spoke as he started to walk, raising his hand in farewell. "Regardless, you drew the sword, so you're free to do as you please."
The boy just looked at him confused, Susanoo just watching Oliver leave warily before it turned back to the boy as he heard a snap, the chained collar he had on shattered and falling to the ground. The boy just lifted his free hand up to his neck in shock, welts from the collar now visible as he rubbed his neck and looked at the man. "Wait!" the boy shouted, sheathing the blade as he ran up to Oliver. Oliver only looked back confused, seeing the boy following. "Don't you want your sword back?"
"The blade let you draw it, so it's yours now." Oliver responded, continuing his path as he heard the sounds of growls further into the camp. "Its name is Hesperus, named after the Greek god of twilight, and it holds more power than you might think. But seeing as I'd be no help in explaining its abilities, it's best for you to just head back to your own home."
"I would if it weren't for the fact that my home is in the keep of the dragon, the farthest keep north belonging to Emerial." The boy responded, making Oliver just sigh as he rested his right hand on his neck, feeling the boys gaze as they made their way through the area. "I could possibly make it back with the aid of Susanoo, but not in the condition I am from the way they had treated me and the other prisoners here."
"Then follow me for the moment, if you're so keen on not running home immediately." Oliver responded, his gaze roaming the area as he contemplated what the boy had said. 'Normally a prisoner wouldn't stick around a place like this for too long if they were recently freed, but this boy seems to already know that this area of the forests are dangerous, even with that behemoth of his.' Oliver thought as he put his hand down, a black orb soon coming out of his armor as it changed to look similar to that of the area he felt his connection to the others to, noticing the silence he was hearing from their end. Reginhard was simply there watching on, while Arlus and Elia were arguing with Oric about something, Serphia now resting again as her commander scuffled the three out of the room. 'Reginhard, what are they arguing about?'
'What to do with the boy and his beast, given they were the cause of the deaths of quite a few men.' Reginhard responded, his gaze looking directly to where Olivers own orb was viewing the room. 'Arlus believes that there will be an example made should the generals of the council hear about it, and Elia and Oric are against even mentioning the boy and the beast. However, the fact remains that his behemoth is the only thing that could've made those kinds of attacks, so the chances look grim for the boy.'
'I see... Is Erebus ready for delivery?' Oliver asked, only seeing Reginhard's head nod in the screen before he smiled. He was about to ask another thing when he heard a roar further into the camp, making him look up from the orb to find a trail of dust rising from the ground ahead. '...Reginhard, you may want to prep that for launch, and to shut off the feed while you're at it. Things are about to get really bloody here.'
Oliver then waved his hand over the orb, causing it to fade as he walked up to a wide clearing. Susanoo also looked a bit off as they approached the space, their movements tense as their claws dug into the earth. "Something's here..." Oliver spoke to himself, his eyes glowing orange as he held his arm out to stop the two from continuing on. The boy only looked at him confused as Oliver closed his eyes, his armor seeming to shift as he focused. With it came a silence, the boy too afraid to speak to Oliver as the man held out his hand, a black pulse coming off of it as he continued walking forward. "Massive beasts within the shadows, yet concealing themselves to try and surprise me... they're trained to follow that man, far unlike your friend behind us. Three in total, if what I feel is right."
"How do you know that?" the boy asked, making Oliver only smirk as he walked forward into the open area, soon looking around to find three massive beasts in it waiting for his appearance. The one to his left was a large serpent, an earth dragon from what he could guess from the knowledge swimming in his head, capable of a good amount of power if left unsurprised. It also bore some striking resemblances to the earth dragon he had seen in the beginning of the story for what would occur in a thousand years. To his right there resided a larger version of the beasts he had killed within his first two weeks he had resided here, the gem on the creatures head signifying it as an alpha of it's kind. To his center, however, he saw another Behemoth, this one of the natural black pelt they are known to wear, it's gaze bloodshot as the camp leader stood beside it smirking. The boy kept out of his sight, watching from behind a tent as the silver behemoth took it's own ready stance, making Oliver sigh as he looked around.
"Well, you've caused quite a bit of trouble for my men, especially since we weren't told of a magician within this country." The man spoke, his hand patting the black behemoth as Oliver started to shake, his hand reaching for his chest. "Quivering in fear? I can't blame you, given the array you're seeing right now. So then, any last wo-"
Oliver then burst out laughing, his voice holding more surprise than enjoyment as the man stopped his speech, looking at Oliver confused as the man continued to laugh. As he began to slow down in his laughing, however, he began to speak. "You honestly think that-that these creatures are a match for me?" Oliver asked, his voice calming down as he stood straight again. When he stopped his laughing, however, he held up his hand into the sky, causing a black mass to pour out of the clouds above them, covering the entire camp. "Well, I guess I should show my own hand against you."
"And how do you intend to do that?" came the leader as they looked at Oliver with a smirk, completely oblivious to the area above them as the boy looked up in shock, two large eyes glowing above them as Oliver smirked.
"By allowing one of my original war machines to deal with your beasts." Oliver spoke, swinging his hand down to point at the man. "Ksalso, deal with these vermin, but leave the man alive."
With that a roar rang out, shaking the ground as the man looked around in shock. The beasts, on the other hand, looked up with wide gazes, their instincts screaming for them to not move as a massive form came from the clouds, landing just behind Oliver and spanning to where half of it's body was outside of the valley. The form was covered in scales, bearing black wings that spanned far above the area as a serpents head with two horns rested behind Oliver, it's gaze glowing a dark red that brought the deepest fears of the man to mind as they backed behind their behemoth. To anyone with half a mind, the realization of what the creature was would come to them with one word; dragon.
"Quite the spectacle you've put before me." The dragon spoke, lifting it's head as smoke came out of it's nostrils. The creature then looked down to where the boy was under him, Susanoo standing directly beside the boy in preparation as the massive beast smirked. "I'm guessing they aren't on the menu."
"Save your questions for later, Ksalso, for now you need to deal with these creatures." Oliver spoke, his gaze overlooking the beasts as he sat down in place. "I told Reginhard to cut the feed, so you're free to do as you please here."
"As you command." The creature responded as it raised one of it's claws, a black mass flying out of it before landing beside Oliver, taking shape of an ebony man with a red crystal on his left arm. His eyes held the same color of red as the dragons, with his clothing looking like a covering of steel plating over a military uniform. on his hands were a pair of gauntlets, both holding various engravings that were of a wolf and a dragon, the wolf resting above the dragon's head. When he spoke, however, it was of the same voice as the dragons. "Then with all due respect, my lord, I would like to deal with them in a more maneuverable form, given I could damage others that aren't part of this."
"Permitted." Oliver replied, resting his head on his hands as he looked back to where the boy was. The child only looked at the new man confused, the skin of the man practically emanating of the same darkness that was on Oliver's armor, the boy's hands gripping Hesperus. "You'll want to watch this, boy, you'll eventually be able to do the same with that blade in your hands."
The man before the two then ran to the earth dragon at a blinding speed, the darkness from his body seeming to concentrate into his gauntlets as he smashed both into the creature, causing a ripple through the entirety of it's body as cracks came along the shell of the earth dragon. Before he could even continue his arc, however, the reptilian beast had moved for the man, biting down onto the mans right arm along with a part of the now falling apart earth dragon as the man looked to the creature. "Well now, you have quite the bite that could've proved a bit more dangerous if Oliver decided to fight you." Came the man as he flexed his arm, causing the teeth biting him to crack as he forced his arm out of it's mouth, soon swinging his other fist into the creature's jaw, shattering it as a pain staking wale came out of the lizard. However, it was short lived as the man jumped up and smashed his other fist into the beasts gem, shattering the gem with a force that shook the creatures entire body, making it fall to the ground limp as the earth dragon writhed in pain. The man then smirked as he turned to the behemoth, the creature only moving into a defensive stance as the man backed away, only to find the darkness behind him shoot up into a wall, blocking his escape.
"Now now, my dear commander, why leave when the fighting has almost concluded." Oliver asked, his gaze glowing orange as the ebony man vanished, soon appearing above the behemoth and smashing down into it's neck, causing a resounding pop to echo through the area as Oliver stood up. As the dark man landed with the behemoth following in tow, the commander backed away in utter horror as Oliver walked forward. Oliver's voice was hollow as he advanced, his gaze with a look that sent shivers down the mans spine.
'This man doesn't take prisoners, that's the vibe I'm getting from him...' the commander thought as he continued trying to back away, the darkness etching back as he did so before Oliver stopped, his footing now directly in front of the man as he looked down at their form, scoffing as he turned to the boy who had come out of his hideaway. "So what, you're going to just kill me while that boy has the same amount of blood on his hands?" The man stuttered, making the boy tense as he looked back at the man. "I may have ordered it and forced him to, but it was him that decided on the creature taking care of the work I demanded. He bears just as much guilt as-"
"You would dare talk back on the edge of death in order to pull someone with you to the afterlife, and a mere child at that?" Oliver interrupted, making the man flinch as his gaze pierced through him. His body began to emanate with darkness, the force of it seeming to shake the ground around him as his eyes glowed a blood red before he felt Reginhard tug into his head. 'My lord, Erebus is ready for you to summon.' Reginhard spoke, causing the darkness around Oliver to slowly cease as the armored man sighed. He then turned to the boy behind him, holding out his hand as the child looked at the man. "Boy, I'd like to ask for that blade back for a moment."
The boy, now looking at Oliver confused, only nodded as he walked up and held out the blade, letting Oliver grab it as he tossed it over to the mans feet. 'So you're doing that old test still?' Ksalso asked within Oliver's mind, the ebony figure fading as the dragons head moved down to look above them, it's size easily covering the front of the camp in shadow as the man picked up the weapon skeptically.
"Well then, if you want to live then strike me down with that weapon." Oliver spoke, making the man look up at him in shock as Oliver waved his left hand, a chair rising from his own shadow as he fell back into it. "If you do that much, then you can go free."
The man only looked to the blade and back to Oliver before grinning, a cold gaze coming from him before he tugged at the blade, only for the weapon to not budge from it's sheath. Oliver then sighed as the man continued to tug at the weapon, the darkness to his right slowly forming into a small black pool that wasn't any further than three feet in radius. "What the hell is this trick!" The man spoke, the blade soon shaking out of his grip before it flew back to the boy, making him look at it in shock as Oliver smirked. The boy only looked at the blade in confusion, drawing it out again as if it was completely normal, making the man gape at the blade itself.
"Unfortunately for you, the blade doesn't even like you enough to allow you to even remove its hilt." Oliver spoke, holding his right hand over the portal and moving it in a swirling motion as a small area of smoke rose from it rising to his hand as he continued his speech. "The sword decides who can draw it based on the path the person will continue down, whether it be to go for their own ambition or on the ambitions of others. If that person finds a love for killing no matter what they've seen, or holds a heart that is unwilling to change its way, the sword will refuse them completely. If you wish to atone and grow stronger from those experiences so as to prevent them, however, then it will allow you to draw the hilt of the sword alone."
"The fact that he could draw the sword is another matter entirely, one not fitting to tell dead men such as yourself" Oliver continued, reaching his hand into the shadows as he felt a familiar tug in his own chest, placing his hand on the item that rose up from them. "Now you'll face my own judgment, but not before I learn more from you."
With that he pulled the item out of the fog, revealing a sword the same size as the blade the boy held yet different in all aspects. In one hand, it looked similar to an ordinary blade, but the hilt itself seemed to emanate darkness as Oliver held it. The blade's metal shined like silver, showing no impurities or cracks on its surface and held a sleek finish straight to the tip. The hilt held the engraving of a wolf moving to strike, its eyes flickering in a red hue that could've been from the light behind the sword. On the pommel was a red gem, the gem itself not even large enough to go past his hand, but enough to where it was bigger than a pebble in itself that the wolf head seemed to bite into. Around it were thirteen letters carved into the gem, swirling slowly on the gem as Oliver pointed the blade at the man.
"I won't talk." The man spoke, his voice quivering as he looked at the blade. Oliver only smirked as he lifted the blade onto his shoulder.
"To normal methods of interrogation, I'm sure that's the case, especially given the look you have." Oliver spoke as his helmet returned over his head, the eyes glowing in the same orange hue through it as the wall of darkness faded from behind the man. "My own form of torture is reserved for those who I find unfit to live in the world, however, and is far worse than you'd expect. So feel free to try and flee, if you can. Or choose a more fitting end and try to regain some of your lost honor by trying to fight me after finding a decent weapon."
The man only looked at Oliver confused, his fear still clearly there before he turned and ran, making Oliver chuckle under his helmet and turn his head to the boy and Susanoo. "Susanoo, take the boy to my own house. You should be able to find it on the same road you had attacked me and the others on." Oliver spoke as he kept his gaze on the behemoth, who only nodded as they picked up the boy before they could interject. "This part of war is unsightly and shouldn't be seen by those as young as you."
With that the Behemoth left, leaving Oliver alone with the ebony man. Oliver only smirked as he turned to them. "Go see if you can find any letters or maps they hold, something among them should give information on who they work for." Oliver spoke, making the man only nod before they ran into the array of tents, Oliver himself turning and following the trail the man had ran off by.
'My lord, Arlus and the others have returned and are wondering what is happening here, and why the feed was cut.' came Reginhard as Oliver followed the tracks to the man. Oliver only sighed as he felt Reginhards gaze returned to him, making him look to the shadows he felt it in. 'What should I tell them?'
"Tell them too fucking bad if they were expecting a complete show, because I'm currently having to prepare my mindset for torturing this bastard for information, and I'm sure that they won't like what they see." Oliver responded as he pointed the blade towards one of the tents, the silver blade soon changing black before it fired a beam that scattered into the tent, causing him to hear various cries as he spun the blade around him, cutting through the rest of the tents within a twenty foot radius as the cries grew louder. The beams then vanished as he set his blade back on his shoulder, the tents that he had cut through soon leaning or falling in on themselves, making him sigh as his eyes took a dark red glow. "And don't say those exact words, I doubt they'd expect me swearing like a sailor when I'm serious."
'As you wish, my lord.' Reginhard responded as Oliver heard a chuckle, feeling the man's presence fade from his vicinity as he continued his path after the commander.
Hahahaha I've been away for awhile, haven't I... Well, I can't try to apologize or excuse the fact I've been away from this, honestly the reason why was because I couldn't figure out how to continue it after the whole warhammer thing, but at least I actually did it.
In all seriousness, however, I wanted to keep going with this story, but my mind went straight past the camp and into further parts of it, into some things that I thought would be interesting as hell, at least in my outlook, so I ended up being stuck a few months ahead of the current chapter ;-; I'll just go bash my fist into this conveniently placed wall.
Either way, I'm back for the most part, and I'm not going to go and try to give a specific date for each chapter. Also, this chapter is still being worked on, but I decided to post it since I feel like I've slacked off for too long. So until the next one, this is Ron signing off.
