Queen's note: so, did you know the health bottles in eternal are called 'Bocksbeutel' bottles! And my stupid brain is refusing to figure out how to pronounce that because I keep reading as something different every time

Garnets

Chapter Sixty Five:

The Broken Wall

It was six 'fresh' bodies that the group took down. Of that only four were alive, one did not even survive the process. She had just weakly tried to reach for the water and as the Slayer carried her to the water's edge, he paused. Feeling the life die, but walking the rest of the way to try and give the lingering spirit a chance to feel the water one last time. Away from whatever hell magics and binding of the crucifix like trees. He could feel the soul of the dead slip naturally onto their way. To the next life or stream between words.

There was a cracking sound that drew the Slayer's attention back standing out of the water and moved back. Setting the passed Argenta down near but not too close to the three alive, satisfied that the wintherin were not only staying but also forming a barrier around those survivors still alive.

Jade looked up from supporting the head of one of those in the worst conditions. Giving him drops of her water at a time, "Lord Slayer, we need healers, but I don't think they can survive a fight to find one."

The Slayer hesitated a moment, kneeling down by the man that had spoken up a few minutes ago. Looking over to see his three Sentinels taking down the Argenta dead first. Those bodies still had trapped souls that could be sensed through wraith gifts. Unbinding them to rest, before Haco and Asin took down the first rasping mummified and starved demon. Zanin's rapid movement to use a picked up energy blade to cleave the demon's head off then twisting to drive it into the chest. Using his fallen brother Sentinels' weapons to get some form of justice.

The Slayer shook himself, that ever present burning in the back of his mind was shoved to the side to be useful later. Like when he found the lich. The Demigod knocked his knuckles on the side of his helmet for Vega's attention while digging into his subspace for another beacon.

"Yes Slayer?" Vega answered at once.

Get Asa ready. I need her. The Slayer signed as he knelt by one of the Argenta. Touching the chest by holding off on trying to bleed over energy, knowing that might hurt or kill. He was not a healer after all.

"Healer Asa is heading up to the bridge now, she has light armor on," Vega informed and warned, using a few new revived drones to meet her there from medical, with added supplies. "Asa requests that you do not try to move the survivors."

The Slayer shook his head, paused and then nodded as he understood that. He was not going to try that, if they needed to then he might as well pull them through a portal back to the Fortress. He lifted the beacon, activating it and found a spot a few paces away that seemed solid to set the beacon. Stepping back as there was a pulse through the air before a swirling blue portal of light and energy opened up. Stabilizing in a heartbeat as the Slayer scanned back and forth, making sure nothing was in the water, or coming down from the city walls.

"Slayer, I'm sending through several of my new drones," Vega spoke, not just to the Slayer but the others as well so as not to startle. "In addition to the ones that will stay with Asa, these are a modified version of the scouts I have been using on earth to track the demonic corruption."

Asa came through the portal then, she only had armor covering her torso in place, and very much light armor on the rest of her. No helmet so the short ash-brown hair was exposed. Thankfully Asa was not weaponless, a rifle was on her back and two hilts of her energy blades on hips. She was already heading to the first body still alive as the medical drones buzzed around her. Little grasping claws gipping containers as one settled at the head of each of the three survivors.

The Slayer recognized them as the ones from Medical, having little fins on the ends of their stubby wings. While six new drones buzzed out of the portal, they were almost the same. Just more streamlined without any added fins and a single optic sensor that was both shielded and had Vega's emblem on it. One was holding a case as it stopped mid-air, spinning around in circles before it gave a startled sound as if not expecting to be on another planet. Or another place.

To the side, there was a soft snort, as the Sentinels' armor was being stripped off expertly. Asa attached a monitor device to his chest as she spoke, "They're definitely dehydrated, you, mother of the littles, keep giving them some water. Did anyone try to give them some of their wraith gifts with them?"

"No healer." Jade shook her head, shifting a bit but stayed in place as she was motioned to. The woman watched as the little robot drone left its container at the first seen warrior's head and lifted back into the air to hover above him and started a medical scan with sweeping teal lights. "At least, not that I saw. Would that not help?"

It had been a long time since she had seen an active drone, and these were so small and compact!

"In a way, but in this state they need something purer." Asa was using her own wraith gift to check the second, the third man and woman with the drones, but was careful not to share it. "Good thing I kept a stash of this,"

The healer pulled a glass flask, or wine bottle out of subspace as the Slayer was starting to pace around them. She seemed unbothered by the low growling unlike Jade, but Asa recognized it as a neutral tone. She was careful with the thick glass not because Asa was worried about it breaking but that the glowing teal-blue fluid would spill too much more than a few drops as it was uncorked.

The Slayer paused, spotting what Asa had as he came back, crouching at first before shifting to sit on his knees. Carefully helping to lift and support the unresponsive but still living woman's shoulders and neck. Black eyes barely cracked open but other than that made no resistance. The Slayer was not even sure if she could see him or anything as he helped Asa trigger the Argenta to swallow first a few drops of the liquid energy and then a full sip. Letting the Sentinel settle back and start the process over with the next man.

"What is that? I've seen those now and then in ruins." Jade asked as she had to move this time, being directed to help the woman with some water. It was a bit of a pattern now. A few sips each per person to start with before Asa was even trying to work on the visible wounds.

"It's a mixture of liquid energy and condensed wraith energy that Sentinels used to make. It's to heal and revive those coming off the battlefield to make it long enough to be treated." Asa explained, capping the bottle before offering it to a medical drone to hold onto before needing it again. Taking out a soaked cloth from a sealed bag from the first box above the unconscious. It smelled like alcohol, and was used to clean one of their arms. "It's the best thing for this, they still need water and fluid. Vega? You had the drones fill their tanks with the saline fluid?"

"I have Healer Asa." Vega said, through the nearest drone to her, "They are ready for you to hook up an intravenous line to, and scans are ready for you to look at."

"Good," Asa set about doing just that, trusting those around her to protect while she was focusing. Only once the three had the IV lines attached, and giving them another round of sips of the liquid energy did she look up. Rai was here now in full armor, one of his shields out but was turning at catching movement.

Rai, take this back. The Slayer was signing as he pulled something out of his subspace. Motioning the younger man to turn around, and Rai presented his back obediently. Grunting as his armor was grabbed and the Slayer slotted the thick disk he had been given by the phantom in-between the added plate of armor for the shield barrier and the under armor.

The Slayer reached up to playfully scruff at the slightly taller Rai's neck as his once charge now Sentinel rolled his shoulder to get whatever that was into a better spot. Rai was likely one of the few that could get away with slowly shifting his weight back on the Slayer and not having to worry about being dropped to the ground. Not that he was inclined to do it long, standing back up to check on the three and the healer.

"Firearms," Rai warned as he saw the three bigger warriors moving with their plasma rifles drawn. Finishing cleaning the beach and now picking off the strung up demons on the walls as well as the far too nosey, hell corrupted gargoyle. Making sure to pick them out of the air long before the nasty things got close.

The Slayer rumbled a low growling sound as he pulled his own rifle, taking aim to join picking off the gargoyles. As well as shifting to fire farther to start shooting at the single eyes of the floating blobs starting to rise. The Slayer was not the only one to notice a little tally that popped up in the corner. Judging by the slightest hesitation of his group, the warrior Sentinels noticed too and then their shots became even more controlled and precise as Vega kept track of who killed what. It was a small thing but it seems to be entertaining the Slayer, thus distracting him in a way to help. It was not the first time Vega had done this, but the last time it was just counting what the Slayer had done. Triggering a base competitive drive was not hard for not only humans but for a demigod and Argenta it seemed.

"This liquid energy heals?" Jade was asking after checking to be sure nothing was going to get too close.

"Yes, though it's not a cure all. But it will help them survive the trip through the portal." Asa stood up, moved to the first man she had seen, as she spotted how glazed eyes were open and staring at the Slayer. It was clear in the man's expression showing that he was not sure if this was real. As the Healer knelt, she saw the confused disbelief shifting to longing as he started to reach up with one of his broken hands, before seeing Asa for the first time.

Hazy white-silver eyes widened as it took a moment for him to focus first on the healer then at her chest plate. Shifting with that little bit of energy given to grasp at Asa's shoulder then scraped over the Slayer's mark that was boldly across the armor with the healer's glyph. Scrabbling a bit as his fingers did not really work with the damage done. He choked on air, but no words came out, focusing on the mark as if it was the only thing that could save him.

"We're here brother," Asa spoke, grasping his shoulders back and moving to push the Sentinel down on his back again. Following the movement and speaking with as much feeling as she can, "Let us take your guard, we will stand for you while you heal."

The healer shifted to let him see Rai standing near with his shield out and back to them. Both the War King's glyph on his back and the Slayer's personal red mark on his left shoulder that the demigod used to identify certain Sentinels in his personal guard once they were in full armor.

The man swallowed several times, looking back up at the healer. "...am I hollowed? Are you…real? Is he real?"

Asa frowned for a moment, what did he mean by hollowed? "We are real. The Lord Slayer is real, brother."

The starved Sentinel tried to push up, to struggle as his eyes rolled for where the Slayer stood in the same spot a bit farther than Rai. Asa was stronger though and kept him pinned down. "Help them… please…"

"We'll take the dead, don't sit up again brother." Asa reassured as she glanced to the portal, seeing the first of the stretcher like devices being pushed and pulled through by Galen and one of the young men from Jade's family.

"No," the man gasped, struggling as he rasped a weak sound. Jade came over with the water.

"Take sips," Jade said firmly, "Before you damage yourself more. Sip, breathe, then try to say what you need."

There was a moment more of struggle before the man sagged back into the wet sand and pebbled beach. Surrendering to take sips of the water and then the teal, liquid energy again. Watching his dead teammates being lifted into the hovering stretchers first and through… a portal. Then seeing the ring of guarding wintherin, including the biggest he recognized. It was that that had him really starting to believe that the Slayer was… back.

"There… are others… in the city." The man paused to breathe, watching the Slayer as he was turning back. Seeming to stand guard of the dead and living. It was comforting.

"Your brothers?" Asa asked, getting the three ready to move as well.

"Yes… more," the man took a deeper breath every few words. Trying to make sure he got it all out to be clear. "We came… to help them… the tainted order… would not."

The healer paused, coming back to let this struggling Sentinel gasp her hand, and reached for the Slayer's glyph on her armor again. It seemed to give comfort before a shaking hand pointed to the fallen titan.

"It… it wants that. Both of them. It's taking… those that can not fight… trapping them… inside. We let, we stalled…the horde for brothers… help them. The ones that," The man had to stop and reached for the canteen on his own this time, Jade made sure he did not drink too fast. "The Order… they did not send the… trapped Sentinels. We came… to help…"

"There are civilians inside Taras Nabad?" Asa asked to clarify the semi rambling, getting a nod as the man sagged back, most of his energy spent. "Still alive?"

"Yes… keep hearing… fighting… battle, echoes."

Asa looked up and over as the Slayer paused by the last dead Argenta. Looking over as it seemed like the last traces of a phantom was being absorbed to be hosted. He looked to the city walls, no more demons were coming for now. There was a trial of death ash and char over the side of the broken city wall where his three Sentinels had even picked off grounded demons. The Slayer came over, hooking his rifle to his back and chuffed at Asa, looking at the mostly awake man as he signed.

"Do you know how many?" Asa asked as Galen came back through again with the last three stretchers for the living. The ones that were clearly larger and far more stable, meant to support the weakened body's. Asa noticed that one of the humans must have added a foam mat on the top, surprised at that small added thoughtfulness.

"Not me," the man shook his head before his eyes widened as he realized the Slayer was standing over them belatedly. The rolling heat and power coming off of the Demigod distinct as he knelt. Like it was ages ago. Reaching out to rest a hand first on this man's chest, then to grasp his left shoulder, the Slayer being very careful not to bleed over his energy. It was still there though, as the other man shifted and grasped with bloody hands on the demigod's gauntlet weakly.

"...never…never…lost my…faith in…you…"

Slowly, carefully, the Slayer let go to sign in just Argenta between them. Having to think about it like he did when just using ASL. He glanced at the side as Asa translated in a low voice just in case. The injured man was trying to still hold onto the Slayer's forearm with broken hands.

"We are here, we will stand your guard. Protect what you cannot, Sentinel. Grieve and heal. Trust us and your healer to heal your body. I'll stand your guard for you as long as you need, because you are my brother. My Sentinel."

I will find them. The Slayer added after a moment as he watched the man's desperation slowly settling at both the old promise, and the personal promise.

Help was there now.

The Slayer moved to the man's left, glanced at Asa and with a nod of approval he moved to pick the injured Sentinel up. Asa was supporting his head and neck, but well able to move in time with each other to the stretcher. The Healer made sure he was able to drink some more of the liquid energy before Galen was pulling him through the portal.

Asa looked down at the bottle she held once the last of the living survivors passed into the portal. She looked over at the Slayer who was watching her back. Asa held the bottle up to show him, noticing that Asin and Zanin were handing Rai bags that were taking off the saddles of the wintherin. She had used almost a third of the liquid energy per survivor. "You're still going to your vault, yes?"

The Slayer nodded.

"If you could, and if it's there, please send more of this back to the Fortress? I have a feeling we will need more." Asa asked, blinking as a hand reached to awkwardly pat her head just before Viola's own big head invaded their space. Sniffing intensely around as the massive wintherin recognized first Asa's scent (remembering a little injured child her person found and offered Viola to nest on… why did that child grow up?) and something clinging around her. A young scent that had also clung to her person at first before the fighting.

Viola purred as Asa offered an arm for inspection letting the wintherin get a better scent. "Hello again big girl, do you remember me?"

The Slayer chuckled as his mount gave a small lick to show she did, but was not sure about this growing up thing. The Demigod pushed the big head away to be free to sign. If there's some, we will save it.

He at least had another two portal beacons. The three with him likely did not use the beacons given to them. Though he could just move this one to the vault as well- The Slayer growled a sharp warning as Viola was now sniffing at the open portal. Viola arched her long neck up and snorted back, pretending she was not about to do something questionable.

She was perfectly innocent. See her grooming her chest? Innocent.

Asa smiled at that, looking over and then offering the last bit of the liquid energy to Jade. "Here, Jade was it? Finish this off. It won't bring your wraith gift back, but it should help make it easier once it's back. And keep up with these four if you want to stay here still."

Jade hesitated, but considering it did seem to visibly help the surviving crucified sentinels. Going from ashen pale to looking alive again. Jade took the first mouthful and it took just about all her willpower to not spit the fluid she knew now was very valuable back up. It tasted… cold. Burning cold like early mornings in the highest peaks before you had a chance to get warm clothes. Or falling through the surface ice of a deep lake.

'Sentinel energy' and the 'Wraith energy' were as much one in the same as separate she knew in theory. This was like the raw energy that would farm into a Wraith gift in one's core but…refined? It was almost familiar but at the same time Jade had never, in her two hundred years of life, drank liquid energy.

The Healer was there, Jade was aware as Asa was helping her. Getting just three mouthfuls was almost impossible, but in a mildly horrifying, detached way, Jade was aware she could not just spit it out. In the void left from her blacked wraith gift, her body was trying to swallow as much as react against the strangeness.

Then she was gasping, leaning on Asa's arm and looking confused and somewhat betrayed, "...what?!"

"Don't strain yourself," Asa warned as the Slayer was more or less bullying his mount away from the portal. Noticing several of the new type of scout drones Vega had made had long since vanished except for two. "You'll feel strange for a while, then like you can do much more then you really can. Use self control to not strain yourself Jade."

Jade swayed a moment, looking confused as the winter cold was shifting to something cool as it settled inside her core. Then spread and, if not faded, almost felt like her wraith gift again. The pebbles on the beach all shifted under and around those there, startling the woman.

"Use self control," Asa reminded firmly, "If you try to use whatever is left of your wraith gift like you once did, you will drain it fully. Wait for a mother wraith to help if you can."

Haco was coming up behind Jade, putting a hand behind her back to help support. She took several deep breaths and then blinked as her other sense settled back. Jade could feel what kinds of minerals were around her again, but she did not reach to pull that curtain way to manipulate stone and earth. "...this is something Sentinels used to take?"

Haco laughed, having seen the distinctive bottle. "Only when needed, ready to get back on the wintherin for a bit?"

"I want to lay on the earth and feel… but that does not seem wise to do here." Jade admitted as she turned to the taller man, walking with him back to their shared mount before. Startled when that wintherin licked Jade up her back and side.

Vega. The Slayer signed after he tapped the side of his helmet, making sure Asa and Rai got through the portal and no wintherin muzzles before picking up the beacon. How are Valen and Milla?

Vega paused only just a moment, doing the equivalent of glancing at the feed from Valen's helmet. Hearing the commander laughing with a few other Argenta while watching a very angry Milla basically suplexed another into the ground before jumping back up to tower over her second, now quite pale opponent. "From what I understand things are going very well."

The Slayer tilted his head at the amused edge in Vega's tone, but shrugged. He was not getting any sort of alerting messages of them needing help. The not quite man looked up at the city walls from where they were. Able to see the broken section and where the Titan Dreadnought's head and shoulders were sagging over. Part of the big beast's back was also sticking through the wall and looked odd.

It was not impossible to climb up, more so with bones now exposed and the massive, metal spikes sticking out of the titan's corpse. The Slayer looked up as the two remaining drones hummed down close enough for him to finally grab the one holding a case. It squeaked as he tried to be careful with getting it to unlatch its grip, looking inside the case and finding medical supplies and an attachment for his plasma rifle. That he took and let the drone take the case back before nudging it over to Haco. while that second one was already latching onto Zanin's back temporarily.

Taking a moment to partly take apart his rifle to install the part he had Vega make before leaving. Able to slot it in and then put the rifle back together and sight down. It should be better with consuming energy cells now.

"Slayer," Vega added once he was back up on Viola's back. "Lily would like to speak to you. May I link her into your helmet?"

The Slayer gave a deep, pleased rumble, nodding as he rubbed his knuckles over Viola's withers until she was purring and shifting under him in a happy way.

"John?"

The Slayer gave his own happy grumble at hearing the now familiar voice again. Sitting back to sign. My flower.

"Thank you, for the plants." Lily started before trailing off as she watched his feed. "...Valen definitely lied to me about how big those things are."

The Slayer chuckled, made sure his others were on wintherin back before getting Viola up into the air. See? He knew what he was talking about before about no wintherin eggs for his flower. Welcome Flower.

"That thing, in the wall, you really fought that before?" Lily asked, no shame in showing the awe in her voice. It had more warm faith spread in the Slayer's gut, not the same as what the Sentinel before had given. Comfortably warm, not hot. "Before you came back to earth?"

The Slayer nodded, scanning over the Dreadnought, seeing a different kind of red in the mess of its sprawling body. It looked… odd to him. The Titan's head was lulling oddly, and even from the air, the Slayer could just barely see where its severed arm was on the outside of the wall. It was a strange mix of rotting and turning to not death char, but white stone like chunks. Long time ago. Titans die once rotted, outside of hell.

"...can the ones forming on earth be killed too?" Lily asked without thinking, before squeaking softly as if she had not meant to blurt that out.

They will die too. I will kill them all myself if needed. There was no hesitation as the Slayer signed as Viola circled with the other three wintherin. Letting out that almost fire-like breath to start burning lingering demons in the courtyard, and spotted something bigger than the already large Barons. Fighting time Flower.

There was a pointed click that Vega made before he spoke. "I disconnected the line so Lily does not have to see you fighting."

The Slayer felt a moment of gratefulness to Vega for that even as he was rising to stand on Viola's back as she banked around the broken yard part of the Dreadnought's decaying body was in. Running down her back and launching off the wintherin's back at the Tyrant that was in charge of this horde pouring in. He did not have to worry about one of his Flowers seeing him getting lost in the violence about to come.


Reviews!

XFireStoneX: there's so much I'm trying to keep track of for this, I hope I get it all out correct! hope you like the new chapter!