Chapter 17 The other battle
William transported in the middle of a forest onto a path that leads to his objective ahead of the incoming attackers. William is disguised as a normal traveler and his physical appearance is he has lightly tan skin, brown hair, and soft blue eyes. William walks closer to the forest edge to a clearing which is where the village he is to protect from a small strike force of mamono that are going to try to take it. The village is surrounded by spiked wooded polls and only two entries and one of them comes into William's view. At the entrance were two lightly armed guards and they suddenly swift their pose as they see William emerge from the forest.
"Halt! Who goes there!" the left guard yells.
"A simple traveler looking for a place to rest and fill his empty belly after a long trek here," William replies though it's a lie.
"One silver coin to enter after we inspect your belongings for any demonic taint." The same guard orders.
"Very well, I have nothing to hide nor do I wish to disrupt this village," William says as he hands over his bag to the right guard.
The guards go through the bag roughly as they see nothing but clothes, a map, a canteen of water, and some medicine. Seeing nothing dangerous or related to the mamono, the first guard says, "You can enter our village once you pay our entrance fee."
William hands them the silver coin then they let him pass, William is finally in as he sees a few guards who seem to be hiding behind the walls or inside the barracks. William walks to a small tavern and inside held a few people who seem to be travelers like he is supposed to be. William walks up to the counter and the elderly-looking bartender asks, "What would you like sonny?"
William mentally chuckles to himself, 'Heh, if you knew how old I actually am, I would be calling you sonny,' then says, "I'll have some cheap ale." The bartender nods and quickly serves the drink to William then the bartender asks, "What brings you out here all?"
William lighthearted replies, "Oh I'm simply exploring the world looking for adventure and fame while avoiding those annoying monsters."
The bartender raises an eyebrow and asks, "Travelling all by yourself? That's rather bold or reckless stupid wouldn't you say."
"Well, you see I'm/MONSTERS APPROACHING!" William gets interrupted by someone yelling then a horn being blown alerting the whole village. All the people in the tavern jump up from their seats and dash out leaving only William and the bartender. "Well, looks like I get to show you how I get by if I encounter one of those monsters." William quickly chugs down the ale then he stands up and leaves with the bartender. The elderly man for some reason wanted to see how this traveler can be so calm even when monsters are attacking so he follows the young man.
The pair reaches the gate to see a handful of guards and some adventurers staring down the forest edge with many eyes staring back.
"YOU!" William sees the earlier first guard angrily walk up to William, roughly grabs him by the shoulders, and yells, "Did you lead them here you heretic?"
William calmly answers, "No, I didn't lead them here. As I said earlier I don't want to bother this village."
The guardsman growls, "Oh really, then how come they showed up after we let you in? For all we know, you're a scout for them to find out how weak our defenses are. Prove yourself that you are not with them, NOW!"
"Very well, I'll show you that I'm not with them, that I'll take them all on by myself." William gently removes the guard's hands and walks by him as the guard looks at him bewildered as if he has gone mad.
William walks to the front of the defenders as the aggressors walked out of the forest into a small grassy area acting like a buffer between untouched nature and human civilization. All the guards and adventurers watch William take point as if he is the only one standing to protect the village. The mamono forces seem to compose mostly of Dark Elves, Ogres, and Minotaurs with one Succubus leading them.
"Well, well, hello there handsome! I hope you don't mind if we crash here for a while, my girls and I are exhausted and are looking for a place to get a drink. Do you think you can help us?" The Succubus smiles and waits for William to answer.
"I'm sorry miss but I don't live here and I think the people who do live here, unfortunately, wouldn't allow you all in." William bows his head in apology and continues, "My advice is that you all find a different settlement that is friendlier towards you and your group, somewhere west of here."
The succubus smirks and some of the others giggle as she says, "Don't worry, we'll be on our best behavior. Right girls!" Numerous voices shouted back with 'Yeses, Ha has, or making hand smooches' "Besides from the look of things, it seems this village is somewhat shorted handed and we are more than willing to help."
"Screw you bitch! You ain't taking this village, not as long we stand!" a young guardsman yell which causes the succubus to give a look of disapproval at the man's rude interruption.
"Excuse me dear but there seems to be a child who needs to be disciplined." The succubus walks forward which makes the young guardsman feel a chill go down his spine as her eyes zeros in on him.
William takes a step that blocks the path to the guardsman and says, "I'm sorry but I'm afraid I have to insist that you walk away for you see this village is under my protection and I'm authorized to eliminate any threats that have come. So if you want to occupy this place, you'll have to go through me."
The Succubus stops for a moment and many of the mamono quietly talk among themselves before she asks, "You think you can take us all on by yourself without any help from them." She points at the guards and adventurers as they all look at William in shock and amazement at his bold claim.
"Yes." William walks back to the center then a few feet forward, gets down on one knee and slams both hands onto the ground, finally says, "Feel free to try but know failure will result in your death. Approach at your own peril!"
The succubus was speechless at the scene before her; A lone man challenging her entire force who doesn't give off an aura of a hero but his calm attitude and his eyes looking back at them like a predator watching its prey. Her feelings are mixed with her mind saying it's an easy victory but her gut screams danger to run away as fast as she can. Before she can say or do something, one of the ogres suddenly says, "Enough standing, time to claim!"
The ogre charges towards William with a wooden club size of a human but he doesn't move or even flinch, just watches. "HARGHHH-HUH!" the charging ogre falls onto the ground face first as if she just tripped over a rock or something and she doesn't stand back up.
"Seriously Bella, you klutz, did you just fall in front of everyone?" Another ogre yells at the failed charger. "Come on, stop lying around Bella. Get up you lazy log!"
…
Silence
…
"Bella, you better not be asleep from that trip or I'll/Wait!" the succubus stops the yelling ogre from approaching the laying ogre then asks, "Do you smell that?" All the mamono start smelling the air then notice an iron scent lingering that seems to be coming from the down ogre.
"As I said any failures will send you to the afterlife so your friend here is already gone," William reveals why Bella isn't getting up. A few mamono gasped and a few were confused about how this human kneeing the ground had managed to kill an ogre without moving a muscle?
The succubus in a serious tone asks, "Tell me, how you managed to kill her? I didn't see you move or mumble some sort of spell since you are not a hero from what I can tell."
William slightly smirks and says, "Sorry but that information is personal and one I don't want everyone to know. May her death be a warning to how serious I am to defend this village from threats so now will you leave?"
A Minotaur yells, "You think that will be enough to scare us, come on girls let's show him how wrong he is." Most of them roared with determination as they all charged like a stampede with the succubus trying to stop them but failing.
'Fools.' William is already set for them as he begins his counterattack, the front row mysteriously seems to have tripped with the second row following suit and the third and fourth rows stumbling over the first two rows with some of them now falling over.
A Dark Elf notice something glimmering out the corner of her eye and was about to say something then she suddenly falls to the ground and lost all feeling in her arms and legs even couldn't breathe. Her consciousness quickly fades to black and now deceased.
The Succubus and the few remaining mamono that actually listen to her watch in horror and confusion as the entire charging force stumbles to the ground to never rise again and the air was starting to smell of iron.
A Dark elf asks, "Eva, do you see something like a thin glimmer around those who've fallen to the ground and trying to get back on their feet but to fall down again."
The Succubus Eva noticing the glimmer dancing all over the place says, "Yes, now you mention it, I see it too, and…..no it could be!" Eva's voice then quivers in fear as she yells, "All of you get back here NOW!"
A few mamono heard Eva and complied while the others trying to stand up were too busy figuring out what was going on only to have their limbs then their heads severed off their bodies as a retreating mamono soon see for herself. Emma, the Minotaur was the last one heading back to Eva after seeing most of the rows fall on top of each other then soon seeing all the severed limbs and heads on the ground causing her to pause in fear. She is a few yards away from Eva but then she missteps and falls to the ground, panicked she looks back and sees her hoof no longer attached to her leg. She sees something slithering in the grass next to her missing hoof and it was getting closer to her. She crawls backward keeping an eye on whatever it is as it was getting nearer and nearer to her then it launches into the air. A pair of needles with threads attached to them rocketed towards her and she barely had time to register them before they pierced her eyes then her brain instantly killing her.
The guards and adventurers watch the whole thing in amazement as they see three-fourths of the mamono force now lying dead and William hasn't lifted a figure nor moved from his spot. The guard who wanted proof of William's innocents was speechless and a little afraid of him as he mentally thinks to himself, 'Who is this traveler and what does he mean this village is under his protection? Is he with some elite Order group or a hired mercenary from some foreign country?"
The remaining mamono forces were horrified to see their sisters in arms dismembered and their blood pouring out into a large puddle around the pile. The smell of blood spreads throughout the area with most of the guards were becoming revolted by it even some of the villagers were starting to smell it.
Eva shouts, "You-you'll pay for this! When I tell my lady of what you have done, she'll corrupt you in painful ways that'll you wish you didn't stand in our way!"
"That assuming she survives our counterattack along with her main army at Highland City." William's reply shocks everyone including the guards.
Eva couldn't believe her ears as she quickly says, "Wait you know of our attack? How!?"
William stands up revealing a cluster of steel razor wires exiting out of his long sleeves and into the grass towards the mamono as he coldly explains, "We captured two of your elite troops and what we learned from them is that you were going attack both the city and this village at the same time. I was sent here ahead of your group Eva and to prevent you from taking the village while the rest of my comrades did the same for the city. Your advancement into the heart of the Order ends today, for we are here and you'll face a force that you are not prepared for. We are the darkness that consumes evil, the death of tyrants and warlords, and today we are here to oppose you for your transgression against us."
Both parties quietly process what William just said till an Adventurer asks, "Just who are you?"
William turns his head to the point he makes eye contact out of the corner of his right eye and answers, "My name is William, I'm with the Dark Guard and today we are your new allies against your war with the Royal Makai and especially Druella if she escapes somehow."
Eva now understands the whole situation that their whole plan has been exposed before they began and if what William says is true then Lady Druella is in grave peril so she barks out her orders, "Everyone retreat! Fall back to the camp now!" The remaining mamono forces headed back and before Ave turns back she says one last thing to William, "Next time we meet, I'll be the one to defeat you and make you mine for all the trouble you've caused me." She leaves but there were no victory sounds, no celebrations, no congratulations, only dead silence as the villagers and defenders are frozen in fear or confusion by William's statement and the pile of the deceased mamono he created.
William turns around once all the deployed steel razor wire has returned and sees the various shocked and fearful expressions, William looks at the guard who wanted proof of his innocents and says, "So do you now believe me that I'm not with them?"
The guard nods his head in confirmation and shakily says, "After what you have done to them, I-I believe you. Are you really here to h-help us?"
William smiles as he answers, "Yes, you are no longer alone in your fight for survival. We have come to help this world in its long tiring struggle in finding peace and respite." He walks back inside the village and looks at the shaken bartender leaning against one of the doors and says, "I believe you have your answer now?"
I hope everyone had a happy Halloween yesterday and today enjoy reading this new chapter!
To EndlessFun99: I too get tired of those types of stories thus why I'm making this story more serious and dark. Even Rise of the Gears doesn't have a lot of goody feelings but is not as dark as this story.