Time for things to get bloody again.

Chapter 18 – The Black Eagles Strike (Guardian Moon)

The thief ringleader Bryne snarled as he looked out of one of the windows of his hideout. The city guard had tracked his men down after they had robbed an army wagon and surrounded the place before he and his men could pack up and make their escape. Even the sewers were now cut off. No matter how he looked at it, he and his thieves were going to have to fight to survive.

But to the ringleader's confusion, the guards weren't moving in. They clearly had the numbers and the equipment, but none of them were advancing.

"What're they doing, boss?" asked one of the thieves.

"I dunno, something ain't right," said Bryne. "Just be ready for them."

"Why would they send so much muscle after us?" said another thief. "What'd you guys steal from them?"

"Arcane Crystals and some other magic stuff," said a third thief. "At least that's what our source told us."

"Hey, who's this source anyway?"

"Dunno. Didn't see his face, but he looked kinda pale. Like dead-body pale."

"Shut yer gobs, would'ja?!" said Bryne.

"Sorry, boss."

Before anyone could say anything else, the north wall of the hideout burst open in a spray of stone and mortar, smashed open by Zola's axe, the blonde's strike enhanced by Trauare's magic. Two thieves who were close to the wall were sent flying to the opposite wall, while a third crashed into one of the support beams in the middle of the hideout. A fourth thief, who had only been sent stumbling back from the blast, yowled as an arrow went through his temple.

"Nebelschleier!" shouted Trauare as she cast a spell, spraying mist and fog into the hideout that shrouded the Black Eagles from view.

Zola roared as she followed up her breaching swing with another wide slash, cleaving another thief in half through his waist. Just as one of the thieves raised a short bow to the threat, a javelin thrown by Salia hit his left shoulder, sending him to the ground.

"Get'em, you idiots!" shouted Bryne.

The thieves, still reeling with shock, desperately tried to draw their weapons and meet the surprise attack. Just as two of them drew daggers, Ladislava had already dashed in and smashed one in the head with the shaft of her lance, knocking him unconscious. She then whirled around, striking the second one's dagger away before hitting her in the gut with the blunt end of her lance. The thief recoiled and fell to the ground, clutching her stomach.

Another arrow from Setiawati soared out and hit Bryne's second-in-command in the chest, prompting Bryne to draw his cutlass. A third arrow from Setiawati flew directly at Bryne, but the ringleader was quicker than his minions and slashed the arrow in mid-air. At the same time, Salia impaled another thief on her halberd before ripping it out of his gut and then slashing open another thief's throat. A blast of water from Trauare hit another thief, smashing him into a set of tables and chairs. Zola then roared as she swung her axe down onto another thief's head, splitting it in half like a grapefruit.

As her latest kill's body and brain fell away, Zola looked up and, recognizing the ringleader, said, "Bryne! Thought I heard your voice."

The fighting stopped as Bryne stumbled back in terror and said, "Z-Z-Zola!"

"And here I thought you actually worked up some balls by now."

"You know him, Zola?" said Ladislava.

"Yeah, same penal unit I was in before you pulled me into the Black Eagles. He's a deserter."

"W-Well, why should I risk my neck for the Empire?!" Bryne stammered as he kept backing away from Zola. "I saw my freedom and I took it!"

"In other words, you pussied out. But I thought you were smarter than this. I mean, stealing from the army after escaping?"

"You didn't actually think you'd get away with it, did you?" said Trauare.

"Whatever your reasons are, you're going right back to the Imperial prison," said Salia.

"No! NO! I'm never going back there!" shouted Bryne, both in terror and defiance.

"Is that so?" said Zola. She then licked her lips and said, "Looks like I'll be saving the headsman some work. Again."

Bryne stepped back again and almost toppled over as he backed into a crate. Glancing back, he realized it was one of the stolen crates, and the lid had been loosened. Hastily, he ripped the lid off and grabbed the first thing he could find in it. It felt like a round stone with strange grooves in its sides, and he felt a strange twinge of power as his fingers touched it.

"You won't take me!" snarled Bryne. He pulled the stone out of the crate as he said, "Not while I have this!"

The ringleader saw the eyes of the Black Eagles widen, but it wasn't for the reason he thought.

"Put that down," Ladislava said commandingly. "Now!"

"Hehehehe, not so tough now, are you?!" Bryne clenched his hand around the stone as he said, "This crystal is all I need to beat you so-called elites!"

"Bryne, don't be a fucking idiot!" snarled Zola. "Drop it! NOW!"

Before Bryne could say another word, he felt a jolt of pain in his hand and looked down at what he thought was an Arcane Crystal.

His eyes widened in horror at the sight of the Crest Stone glowing crimson and oozing a black sludge that was beginning to consume his arm.

"What – NO! NO, GET IT OFF ME!" Bryne screamed in terror.

He tried to throw away the Crest Stone, but it was firmly stuck to his hand as the black sludge continued to engulf him. He threw away his cutlass and tried to pry the Crest Stone out of his grip, but this only caused the sludge to spread further across his body.

"Setia!" shouted Ladislava.

Setiawati, who had been aiming at Bryne, fired her arrow at the ringleader's throat. But at the last second, Bryne thrashed to the side, and the arrow only embedded into the side of his neck, rather than into his windpipe. It was not a fatal wound, and so the Crest Stone continued to corrupt him as he fell to the ground on his back.

"H-HELP! HELP ME! HELP ME! GYAAAAHH!" cried Bryne, his final plea cut off as the sludge engulfed his head.

Within seconds, the sounds of tearing flesh and bones breaking filled the hideout as the remaining thieves ran to escape, running straight into the waiting city guards. A cocoon had formed around Bryne's body and rapidly expanded in size.

"Fuck!" hissed Zola.

"Well, this is going to hell in a hurry," said Trauare.

As the cocoon grew, it began to push away the support beams of the building. The Black Eagles knew it would come down in moments.

"Outside, NOW!" Ladislava shouted, prompting the strike force to exit the hideout from whence they came.

As the guards subdued the surviving thieves, the hideout began to collapse as the cocoon continued to swell, demolishing the building. Then, even as the building crumbled around it, the cocoon burst open, revealing the monster that Bryne had become.

Ladislava turned and saw a form she did not recognize. Normally, the Demonic Beasts that resulted from Crest Stone corruption were reptilian and either with sickly bronze skin or grey scales. But this was different.

The monster was more like an anthropomorphic boar than a reptile. Jagged gray spines jutted out of its back, and it stood on its hind legs that ended in cruelly twisted hooves. Its hands were large and swollen, and its chest looked as though it were covered by stone. Its head, however, was a nightmarish effigy like a skeletal version of a pig's face, with four gnarled tusks that complemented a row of crooked, razor-sharp teeth.

The Demonic Boar let out a squealing roar that forced many in the area to cover their ears.

"W-What is that thing?!" shouted one of the city guards.

The boar, hearing the shout, snarled as it whipped around and charged toward the guards. The guardsmen scattered, but one wasn't quick enough and screamed as he was smashed aside by the boar's hand. With another squeal, the boar whirled around and stomped on a second guard, crushing him. It then thrashed its snout at two other guards, ripping through them with its tusks.

Seeing the carnage beginning to unfold, Ladislava put two fingers in her mouth and whistled. Within seconds, wingbeats signaled the arrival of Fenix, prompting Ladislava to leap up into the Wyvern's saddle.

"And I thought Bryne was a pig before," quipped Zola. "Now it's a bit too literal."

"What's the call, Commander?" said Salia.

"I'll get its attention," said Ladislava. "Reorganize the guards and we'll bring this thing down!"

The other Black Eagles didn't waste a moment, rushing to the guards while Ladislava urged Fenix to soar at the Demonic Boar as the beast crushed another guardsman. Fenix let out a roar, one that caught the Demonic Boar's attention as Ladislava slashed her lance at the monster, hitting it in the left side of its face. Squealing in pain, the boar tried to swat Ladislava and Fenix out of the air in a rage, but the pair easily dodged the attack.

As Setiawati brought three arrows to her bow, Trauare shouted, "Eislanze!"

Several large icicles flew at the Demonic Boar as it raised an arm, trying to strike Ladislava and Fenix out of the air. These icicles speared into the boar's hide, making it squeal painfully as Setiawati's arrows hit the boar in its left leg. This gave Ladislava another opportunity to slash the boar's head with her lance, while Fenix raked its snout with his talons. The pair immediately darted back to avoid the boar's clumsy counterattack as Zola hit the boar with a throwing axe.

As she prepared for another pass, Ladislava glanced over to see Salia directing the guards as they readied crossbows and javelins.

"Fire!" Salia shouted.

The guards let loose their bolts and javelins, riddling the boar's hide as it continued to screech and squeal in pain. Salia raised her own javelin and threw it into the boar's right knee, hitting what was clearly a sensitive spot. Setiawati and Trauare continued to pelt the monster with arrows and spells, respectively, while Zola threw another axe into the boar's chest. The boar was now on all fours, confused by so many attackers at once.

It was then that Ladislava noticed the spines on the boar's hide, which looked more like the quills on a porcupine, began vibrating.

Sensing the danger, Ladislava shouted, "Zola! Hit it!"

Rushing forward, Zola then shouted, "Squeal for me, piggy! SQUEAL!" as she raised her axe and slammed it into the boar's snout, cleaving its nose in two, but not the rest of its head.

The Demonic Boar screeched at such a dire wound and reared back, blood spurting from its nose and drenching Zola as she laughed sadistically. All over its body, the boar's hide was covered in streams of red as its blood ran down its sides.

As it stumbled back, the spines on the boar's back suddenly shot outward in a volley of razor-sharp quills. Most of the quills went into the side of a building, but two guards perished as they were riddled full of spikes.

Ladislava was thankful that Zola's move had caused all the spines to shoot in one direction, rather than showering everyone around the Demonic Boar. Still, she knew they had to end the fight before the boar recovered.

As it continued being pelted by crossbow bolts, the boar struggled to get to its feet and renew its assault.

Ladislava raised her lance and was about to shout another command when an array of black magic lances appeared over the Demonic Boar. Ladislava immediately recognized the Dark Spikes T spell as the lances plunged into the boar from above, effortlessly piercing its hide.

The Demonic Boar let out a final prolonged squeal as it was skewered by the dark magic, and then collapsed to the ground lifelessly. The boar's flesh and bones crumbled away, leaving only Bryne's lifeless body amid the rubble of his hideout. The Crest Stone that had turned him into a monster fell away from his hand and rolled across the ground.

Ladislava turned to the source of the spell, watching as Hubert and his retinue of mages settled from their stances. The guards and remaining Black Eagles also turned to the emperor's majordomo as he walked toward them.

"Lord Vestra," said Ladislava as she and Fenix landed.

"Commander Ladislava," Hubert replied. "I must thank you and your squadron for your aid in resolving this situation… considering it was not yours to deal with."

"What do you mean, Menteri Vestra?" asked Setiawati.

"Recovering the Crest Stones that these thieves made off with should have been my responsibility. I apologize for the inconvenience to you all."

"Think nothing of it, Lord Vestra," Salia said curtly. "We were honored to be of assistance."

"Speak for yourself, Salia," said Zola. "I was just getting a good buzz going when this shit started up. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go get myself another beer or three."

"Zola!" Salia hissed admonishingly as Zola spun around and started walking away.

"Let it go, Sally," said Trauare. "I agree with Zola. This was supposed to be our time off."

"You will all be compensated for your efforts," said Hubert. "Now, in the meantime…" Hubert turned to the city guards and said, "Have these thieves brought to the city prison. My associates and I have much to… discuss with them."

"Yes, sir!" said the guard captain.

As the guards prepared to move the thieves, one of the rogues jerked away from the guards and broke into a run before they could bind his hands in chains.

"H-Hey! Stop him!" shouted one of the guards.

"I'm not going back there! Never again!" said the panicked thief.

Sighing loudly, Zola said, "For fucks sake…"

The blonde then raised a throwing axe and, before anyone could stop her, she threw it as hard as she could at the thief, nailing him in the back. The thief was killed instantly.

Ladislava was about to admonish Zola when Hubert said, "Well struck, Sergeant Axberg."

Zola had to chuckle as she walked over to the dead thief and pulled her axe out of his spine. Ladislava watched the blonde killer in disapproval, knowing she'd only done it to satisfy her bloodlust.

As good as her squad was, it seemed some things never changed with them.

Hubert with the kill-steal, am I right?

This new Demonic Beast/Boar isn't the only new one I have planned. I've got a few more ideas for unique monsters that will appear in the story. Just a way to spice things up. Also, I know I made the Boar seem a bit weaksauce, but that's more to show the competency and power of the Black Eagles.

Speaking of, which of the Black Eagles do you like the most? Not all of them have gotten the same amount of spotlight time, but I hope to change that.

And since this chapter was otherwise a bit shorter, here's some more details on each of the OC Black Eagles, including their skill proficiencies if they were to be playable.

Salia Tereshkova

Born in Bergliez territory as a commoner, Salia was recruited into the royal guard on a recommendation due to her skill, and then was made second-in-command of the newly formed Black Eagle Strike Force after the Battle of Garreg Mach. Initially quite brash, she became far more professional and levelheaded as she continued fighting in the war, both to keep herself alive and to set a good example to others. Others are often surprised to learn that she's quite a bookworm, and she plans to travel the world after the war ends. She has a mother and three siblings in the Empire, though her father was killed in a hunting accident. Like all members of the Black Eagle Strike Force, she bears no Crest.

Salia is classed as a Wyvern Lord. Her personal skill grants her +2 damage output and +2 damage resist when she has an allied unit within 2 tiles of her, but this effect inverts (-2 damage output, -2 damage resist) if no allies are within 2 tiles of her. Salia's best stats are HP, DEX, SPD, and she has average-at-best STR, MAG, DEF and RES growths. Her CHA is below-average, though, and she has terrible LCK. In essence, she doesn't excel in any particular stat, and only her LCK is problematic, making her a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none. She has strengths in Lance, Axe, Flying, and Authority, but a weakness in Bow, and a budding talent in Reason. Salia makes use of a halberd, which statistically would be similar to a Lance of Zoltan.

Her likes include books, sweet dishes, proper discipline, and learning about other cultures. Her dislikes include unprofessional behavior, spicy dishes, and alcohol.

Zola Axberg

A Skraeling warrior from the far north who ended up stranded on Fódlan when her raiding party was annihilated. Making the most of her situation, she became a bandit and serial killer until she was finally arrested by the Empire. She was then given two choices while in prison: serve in the Imperial Army, or face the death penalty. Zola joined the army as a penal trooper, but her skill was eventually recognized and she was recruited into Ladislava's unit (after Ladislava beat her in a one-on-one fight), which would eventually become the Black Eagle Strike Force. Zola is boisterous, crude, and loves battle a bit too much for her own good, but serving the Empire for five years has instilled a degree of loyalty in her. Like many of Skraeling origins, truthfulness is one of the few virtues she values. Her numerous victories and her seemingly insatiable bloodlust have earned her the nickname "Kill'Em-All Zola". Like all members of the Black Eagle Strike Force, she bears no Crest.

Zola is classed as a Warmaster (despite being female). Her personal skill increases her STR and SPD by +6 when below half health. Zola's HP, STR, and SPD are her best stats, while her DEF, DEX and LCK are reasonable. Her MAG, RES, and CHA are all terrible, though. Zola's strengths are in Axe, Brawling, Heavy Armor, and Flying, but she has weaknesses in Reason, Faith and Authority. Zola wields a Skraeling Battle Axe, which would have similar stats to a Hauteclere axe.

Her likes include battle, bloodshed, meat, and alcohol. Her dislikes are cowardice, liars, illnesses, and bumblebees (which she is deathly allergic to).

Trauare Wrede (pronounced Trou-ar Fred-a)

Born in a fishing village, Trauare's life was textbook mediocrity and boredom (outside of the pranks she would pull) until she joined the Imperial Army in search of adventure and excitement. She quickly found she had a knack for fighting, both with her trident and with magic. Her skill was recognized and she received training as an officer, joining the Black Eagle Strike Force later on. Flirtatious and a show-off, Trauare loves to be the center of attention. This even goes as far as to her spellcasting; she often says fancy words when using her spells, even if they're not required, because it looks cooler. She learned water magic from an old mage in her home village. She can also use ice magic, but prefers water spells. Soldiers of the Empire have nicknamed her "Siren". Like all members of the Black Eagle Strike Force, she bears no Crest.

Trauare is classed as a Falcon Knight. Her personal skill allows her to use limited magic while in a Flying class (halved charges), and adds 1/4th of her MAG to her physical attacks. Trauare's MAG, LCK and CHA are all good, and she has above-average DEX and RES, but her SPD is average-at-best, despite her being a Falcon Knight. Her HP, STR, and DEF are all low. Trauare's strengths are in Lance, Reason and Flying, but she has weaknesses in Axe, Heavy Armor, and Brawling. Trauare's spells are all water-based or ice-based, though they're more-or-less reskins of existing spells. Her unique weapon, the Seastone Trident, is a magic lance-type weapon with only 1 range, but it has a high MT stat and good durability; repairing it requires Arcane Crystals.

Her likes include swimming, flirting, fish dishes, and pulling pranks. Her dislikes include overly serious people, bitter dishes, physical labor, and boredom.

Setiawati

A huntress from Brigid, and one of the island nation's greatest archers. When the war started, Brigid was called upon to send vassals to support the Empire. Petra openly defied the Empire, so Setiawati joined the Imperials to placate them, bringing many warriors with her. She was brought into the Black Eagle Strike Force on Edelgard's recommendation. Setiawati was Petra's original teacher in hunting and fighting before the princess was sent to Fódlan, and now seeks either to bring the Brigid princess home or to bury her, believing that Petra is angering Brigid's patron spirits. Though she speaks Basic well enough, Setiawati often uses her native tongue when she speaks. Her name roughly translates to "loyal and faithful". Being a native of Brigid, she obviously does not have a Crest.

Setiawati is classed as a Bow Knight. Her personal skill halves the HIT penalty from taking long-range shots and adds +10 to her HIT baseline. Setiawati's DEX is exceptional, and she has high SPD and LCK, with reasonable STR. Her MAG, DEF, and RES are all low, with her HP and CHA being average-at-best. Setiawati has strengths in Bow, Sword and Riding, but weaknesses in Heavy Armor, Reason and Faith (her religious beliefs are in Brigid's spirits, not in the Goddess Sothis). Setiawati wields a unique bow named Sharanga, which statistically would be a Longbow with higher MT (i.e. 13 MT), lower weight, and greater durability.

Setiawati likes and dislikes are not well known, as she keeps them to herself.

Ersha von Raziya

The eldest daughter of a minor noble family, Ersha is a kindhearted mage who, unfortunately, feels obligated to do whatever it takes to keep House Raziya alive. This includes sleeping with numerous men in an effort to bear offspring, which so far has resulted in two children of different fathers (both who have been killed in action during the war). Formerly a member of the Black Eagle Strike Force (on Edelgard's recommendation), she was honorably discharged from the military due to her pregnancies. Despite not having attended the Officer's Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery, Ersha is still a skilled spellcaster who often found herself backing up Aerin Ladislava in combat. Ersha's younger sister, Vivian, was one of many unfortunate souls who was sacrificed in order to give Edelgard von Hresvelg a second Crest. Ersha does not have a Crest, but her family has very distant ties to the Lamine bloodline. However, House Raziya has not born a Crest-bearing heir in several generations.

Ersha would be classed as a Dark Flier. Her personal skill causes her to lower her target's Avoid chance by 15 for 1 turn if she hits them with an attack. Ersha's MAG, DEX, and RES are all high, and she has good CHA as well. Her SPD and LCK are average-at-best, and her HP, STR, and DEF are all terrible. Ersha's strengths are in Reason, Faith, Riding, and Flying, but she has weaknesses in Sword, Axe, Heavy Armor, and Brawling.

As for Ladislava, I'll do this sort of thing in a future chapter. There's more to her backstory that I want to cover before showing her skills, stats, etc.