I don't own Arknights or Type-Moon content.
The young boy sat alone beside the lake, eyes absentmindedly observing the scenery as he leant against the tree. He saw the other kids playing around earnestly, the sight causing him to frown from his secluded corner.
He wondered why he couldn't find joy in their games, and why did he lack the same interest and drive they had.
Is something wrong with him?
His mother would certainly disagree, and he'd hate to see her sad eyes when she saw him on his own most of the time. Frustration built up everytime she tried to comfort him, her encouraging smile and complete faith fueling his guilt.
The child sighed, picking a stone and throwing it towards the lake, the little rock sinking immediately. He watched as a different stone flew by and skipped quite a bit before sinking into the body of water. Turning behind him, he was greeted by the sight of a girl around his age.
Her brown eyes sized him up, before she nodded for a reason he did not know.
"Hello! My name is Leliana, and I want to be your friend!"
She grinned energetically as she sat down next to him, not caring for the dirt which tainted her beautiful white dress. Her black hair swayed with the breeze, tickling his cheek and snapping him from his stupor.
The boy blinked repeatedly as Leliana's words sunk in. His lack of experience showed as his mind tried to find the best way to answer. He remembered his mother mentioning the importance of introduction when meeting new people.
"Hi. I'm Edward. I guess you can be my friend."
"Do you like skipping stones?"
"Not really, I didn't have anything better to do…"
"Do you want me to teach you?"
He considered the suggestion. Edward found little interest in the activity, but maybe it'll be interesting to learn. He nodded and was caught off guard by the girl's enthusiasm as she took his hand and almost dragged him closer to the lake.
He dutifully watched her as she tried her best to explain how to throw the pebble, although his own attempts were much less impressive than her own. Without him realizing, he found himself pushing further and further to get the same distance as Leliana.
Unbeknownst to Edward, Leliana was watching him the entire time. The girl smiled in pride as the boy continued on with his attempts, completely oblivious to the fact he was smiling.
"Yes, that's how you do it."
Though her words were meant for his smile, Edward mistook them to be about his grip, his attempt falling flat without a single skip. He turned to Leliana, aggrieved at the failure.
"You tricked me."
Leliana couldn't contain her laughter, her hands clutching her stomach at the sight of the formerly gloomy and sad boy now pouting at her. Her reaction didn't make him feel any better, although seeing her happiness sparked a feeling of accomplishment in Edward.
The girl playfully crossed her arms and seemed to look down on him, Edward's brow twitching in mild annoyance. He would go on to throw more pebbles into the lake with the singular goal of overcoming her throw, failing to do so in the end much to his frustration.
Ursus empire's Capital City of Sankt Grypherburg / February 20th, Year 1094 / Overcast...
A figure casually traversed through the back alleys of the capital, the darkness of the night further masking his presence as the imposing man maintained his indifferent expression.
The twists and turns eventually ended, the ursusian's black eyes focusing on a humble building in front of him. It appeared to be a three story building with a sizable garden, well decorated and maintained. Approaching the door, he didn't get to knock before the entrance opened and a woman greeted him.
"Welcome, my child."
The woman was a Draco, her golden hair flowing fluttering with the breeze. The few wrinkles and strands of gray hair spoke of her old age, but did nothing to diminish the exceptional beauty she possessed. Clad in a crimson dress and a pair of house slippers matched her ruby colored eyes well.
"Greetings, mother Agnessa."
The man bowed and kissed her hand, his tall frame towering over hers as he entered and hung his overcoat and adjusted his shirt. Agnessa chuckled and accompanied him as they sat in the dining room, the motherly woman peacefully smiling as the man observed the cane next to her with intrigue.
"I didn't expect you to be so entertained by roleplay, mother. Perhaps I should have brought a few props for extra authenticity."
"I heard canes were a trend lately, and it was a gift from his Majesty. Did you forget my lesson about respecting your elders during your pilgrimage, Alyosha Belov?"
Alyosha chuckled as the room slowly turned dark, the dark dominion causing the furniture to tremble. He lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender, the unnatural aura retracting in a blink.
"I wouldn't dare even as a Grand, dear mother."
"Good, I taught you all better than to let your powers get to your head."
The two of them turned their attention to the noises approaching the room, a band of children and adolescents cheerfully entering and immediately grouping around the current generation's Grand sword. The giant man knelt and greeted each of them with equal enthusiasm.
"Hi Al! I've missed you!"
"Can you carry me please?"
"Al! I've started learning swordsmanship!"
"Mother told me I could become an engineer!"
"That's very impressive, make sure to study and train hard to accomplish great deeds in the future."
Agnessa watched from the sidelines with a smile, memories of the first day Alyosha came into her care flashing before her eyes. Amongst all the swords of Ursus, he was undoubtedly the easiest to raise, even though she had to admit at this point she had enough experience to handle a swarm of children without popping a few blood vessels as she tried to restrain herself from screaming her lungs out.
Those were much more challenging days.
She gently clapped to get their attention, gesturing for them to take their seats as servants began to bring in their dinner. The kids didn't need much prompting to begin eating their meals, even as the two adults stood up and bowed to the figure soundlessly watching from the side.
Fyodor waved at them and simply stood there. His eyes softened a bit at the sight of the little ones, his shoulders relaxing as he pushed off the wall he leant against and finally made his presence known.
"Dear, oh dear, to think none of you would wait for me. I'm heartbroken."
"Greetings to his Majesty the emperor!"
Following their etiquette lessons, the children stood from their seats and saluted the ruler of Ursus. Fyodor nodded with a smile as he sat at the head of the table, Agnessa and Alyosha right beside him.
"Well then, let's dig in."
Fyodor chuckled at the utter mess the energetic bunch were making, Agnessa's incredulous expression was especially amusing to witness. It appeared that even an exceptionally long life did little against the mental toll caring for children takes.
Alyosha wisely chose to focus on his meal and feign ignorance, doing his best to hide the smirk on his face from the matron.
Eventually, the ravenous band satiated their appetite. Fyodor decided to accompany them to their rooms while the other two sat next to the chimney.
Agnessa noticed the reminiscent look in her child's eyes as he gazed at the fire. The subtle clenching of his hand betrayed his thoughts, causing the woman to sigh.
"It appears your pilgrimage didn't help you overcome your wounds, little one."
"I'm hardly little, mother."
It took exactly ten seconds for the Grand sword to begin fidgeting under Agnessa's unblinking stare. Although in his defense, he has something to boast about compared to his seniors now, none managing to last as long as he did against the matron's pressure.
She silently beckoned him, the man moving to stand in front of her with a hesitant expression. Agnessa tapped her thighs and smiled encouragingly at him, Alyosha sighing as he went down on his knees and leaned into the motherly embrace. Agnessa gently caressed his brown hair, the sound of her heartbeats easing his tension as his head rested against her chest.
"My little boy Alyosha is a grown man now."
The matron's eyes met his own, a distinct sense of understanding and sympathy in her gaze. Like him, she once fought and bled for the nation, witnessing many friends and siblings dying in the process. Memories of the valley of the setting sun were still fresh in his mind, the bitter taste of defeat non washable despite his best attempts.
"You must learn to forgive yourself, little Alyosha. The path ahead of you is still fraught with danger and trials. Remember what I always say?"
"'A passionate heart, a tempered body, and a refined mind.'"
"Yes. Mourn those we lost, but do not be trapped in the past. For all that is beautiful in our nation, carry their hopes and move forward with confidence."
Alyosha took a deep breath, nodding his head. Seeing his countenance improving, Agnessa found herself feeling nostalgic. The two turned their attention to Fyodor as he entered, his eyes widening for just a moment before he moved to sit near them without a word.
"The kids were very excited tonight."
"Of course, they were aware of your visit, your Majesty."
Fyodor chuckled, his eyes bearing hints of longing as he gazed at the flames. His relaxed posture gave Agnessa relief, the woman ushering Alyosha off before she stood up and walked behind Fyodor, her gentle touch dissipating much of the tension in his muscles.
"What seems to be on your mind, your Majesty?"
"Tomorrow the team charged with eliminating the duke will come into conflict with Buldrokkas'tee and his shield guards. I can't help but worry about them."
"I'm sure those children should be able to handle the situation. Their number is more than sufficient."
"It is as mother said, your Majesty. My brethren will return with satisfying results."
Fyodor leaned further into the chair, releasing a long sigh as he closed his eyes for a few minutes. A miniscule smile appeared on his face, the emperor standing up and moving to the entrance accompanied by the two.
"Please come back soon, your Majesty. I can tell you're fatigued these days. I trust you'll be more attentive to his Majesty, Alyosha, or else I might have to re-educate you on the duties of a Grand."
Agnessa hugged both men and patted their heads, her warmth and encouraging smile brightening their mood despite the mild embarrassment from the blatant affection.
"You spoil us too much, Agnessa. I'll be sure to visit as soon as I can."
Once they left, the matron entered the building again and headed to her humble room. She sat on a comfy chair and observed the night sky and the waning moon. Memories of a young and valiant wendigo she saved in Kazdel steering both her melancholy and happiness.
'I hope you're doing well, little Bul.'
Ursus Empire's Northwestern Tundras/ February 21st, Year 1094 / Snowy...
Kondrasha examined his surroundings with a frown, unable to calm the persistent nervousness he's been feeling ever since he left the camp with the scouts. He checked up on his team, noticing nothing out of the ordinary, before he forced down his hesitation.
Thankfully, the snow around them wasn't too much of a hassle to traverse through. The yeti deeply wished for winter to just end so they could truly begin moving eastward, excited as he was to finally see something more than an ever encompassing wasteland.
"Captain, we've been looking for a good while now. I think it's safe."
"No. Keep checking for any signals we can intercept, otherwise we'll go another half a mile before we report back."
Kondrasha ignored the groans of the infected fighters, his eyes narrowing at the strange constructs in front of them. Talulah already told them no villages were supposed to be nearby, and no matter how hard they looked, they couldn't detect any presence of the Ursus army near enough to justify this.
Although much of it was covered in snow, he could barely make out remnants of the familiar equipment. He felt his blood run cold as he noticed the blood, still fresh. The uncomfortable sensation came back with a vengeance, the young man fighting the trembling of his hand as it rested on his sword.
Then he noticed it, as dark as it was unnatural.
Black snow standing out amidst the white landscape in front of him. Alarm bells rang in his mind, Kondrasha rolled on the ground and observed the shadowy figure behind him, the Shashka failing to behead him.
"Impressive, It appears I underestimated you, young one."
Kondrasha tried his best to fight the fear threatening to envelop him as his eyes beheld the headless corpses of his team members, his grip on his blade slackening for a brief second in horror.
Gritting his teeth, Kondrasha kept his enemy within his sight. The unknown hostile casually sheathed his blade, and began walking towards him. The yeti ran at him, ducking under the punch and running as fast as he could, even as unbearable agony assaulted his senses as a black rod pierced his shoulder.
He pushed through the pain, knowing the danger everyone is going to face. He ducked under cover as yet another dark projectile almost struck his head, disappearing among the dead trees.
The Royal Guard hissed as he turned to his two comrades, giving them a silent nod before slowly following the blood trail.
"Why didn't you finish him off?"
"He handled himself honorably and professionally, the chance to give his comrades a final farewell is my gift to him."
"Swords don't give gifts."
"I shall accept my punishment after the mission."
Black snow tainted the landscape around them, a veritable dark blizzard erupting around the group and encompassing their surroundings.
The Royal Guards advance.
Talulah sighed while nursing her forehead, hoping for the headache plaguing her to subside. The draco observed the people around her with a critical eye, wondering about Kondrasha's absence.
Igor and Lazarus stood beside her, each giving the latest reports about their status while asking questions to one of the infected fighters. Talulah remained silent for the most part, trying to revise her plans as their group drew nearer to Ursus's cities.
"Talulah, is something wrong?"
"What?"
Her response was colder than she intended, the fighter flinching under her cold gaze.
"You've been pretty gloomy the past couple months, did something happen?"
For an instant, Talulah remembered the scent of burnt flesh, her eyes growing colder at the mention of the incident which continued to haunt her dreams for months.
"Nothing happened."
"I haven't spent that much time with everyone around here, but going by what I heard, I got the impression you used to be a bit more energetic."
Lazarus sighed before he decided to interfere.
"You sure seem talkative there, buddy. Talulah's not usually not down in the crowds like this. Why don't you try talking to the captain like that and see what happens?"
The sarkaz appeared amused at the visible paleness of the man's face, Igor trying his best to hide a smirk at the thought of a random fighter trying to talk to Buldrokkas'tee casually.
"Wouldn't dream of it."
"Patriot isn't as scary as everyone makes him out to be, Edward can attest to it. The Shield Guards are all like this, but don't let it get to you. He's a man of few words, and his throat problems lately didn't help, especially given how intimidating his silence is."
Talulah hummed as her fingers tapped her sword's pommel, sighing as the headache worsened.
"There's just been a lot on our plate recently, and not much room for error. Once we get to the cities, contacting the infected groups in the cities has been our priority, all while avoiding those tracking us down."
Igor looked slightly eager to finally see civilization after spending so much time in the tundras, nostalgia clear on his usually hardened face.
"Although we have limited communication thanks to the transmitters we have, we don't have nearly enough people to split into teams. It's not like the fighters have the knowledge necessary to even begin basic training in their use either."
All in all, their situation wasn't good as usual. Everyone understood the fact they were in a race against time as their resources continued to dwindle without a sign of any villages to trade with.
"Talulah! Our recon unit was ambushed!"
Everyone turned to the running Viktor, his breath ragged and chaotic as he frantically called out to Talulah. Lazarus immediately ran towards him, concern written all over his face as he calmed him down.
"That's nothing. Why do you-"
"One more word, and I'll shove my blade down your throat, boy. Viktor, tell me what happened."
The fighter took a step back and avoided the sarkaz's furious glare, the man turning his attention back to the Yeti member.
"They were unlike anything we've ever faced! Their recon caster was down before we even knew what's going on! Kondrasha was the only one who came back! He's bleeding all over!"
Lazarus, Talulah and Igor tensed almost immediately, while the infected fighter kept looking between them, waiting for context. Talulah gently grasped Viktor's shoulder, trying her best to reassure the distraught young man.
"Take us there, Viktor. Igor, notify Patriot immediately."
"No way in hell they got outsmarted by a Patrol unit or an average platoon, this is going to be a mess."
"My men are ready, we've no time to lose. Patriot's already on the way."
The team hurriedly followed Viktor, Lazarus following closely next to him. Talulah's eyes widened as soon as Kondrasha's bloodied figure came to view, his formerly white cloak and uniform dyed in crimson as he struggled to stay standing.
"Kondrasha!"
"You have to tell Big brother right aw-"
The yeti screamed in agony as a black spear burst from his stomach, the sight causing many of the infected to shiver in fear. Lazarus's eyes widened in recognition, immediately placing himself before Viktor despite the boy's protests.
"Shield Guards in formation! Now!"
"Form up, men!"
The sarkaz pulled Viktor back just as he was about to charge the approaching figure. Igor and his men took deep breaths to calm themselves, their hearts pounding faster with each crunching sound the unknown enemy made as they trudged through the snow.
"Let me go, old man!"
"You have no idea what he is. Unless you want to die, stick to formation."
"What do you-"
"That's the goddamned Ursus Royal Guard, moron! You'd die without even knowing what happened before you got close!"
A hiss came out of the terrifying mask the imposing man wore, the plethora of pipes adding to the sheer fear his menacing presence evoked. The Royal Guard came to a stop a bit away from the shield wall, unhurried and uncaring for the bleeding yeti or the fear in the eyes of the soldiers.
"Fear is abundant in the air. I didn't expect such a mediocre reaction from the Shield Guards of all people. None of the infected amongst you are close to ready."
As twisted and distorted his voice was, the utter contempt and condescension in the emperor's blade was anything but subtle.
"However, the bleeding one proved to be of much greater mettle than the parasites hiding behind your shields."
Igor gritted his teeth as he kept attention to his surroundings, he signaled to his lieutenant to keep watch for any openings the inexperienced fighters might give to their foe. Already he could see some fighters getting riled up by his provocation.
"Nobody moves! If you flinch, you'll be the first to die! Stick close and don't give him any openings!"
The Royal Guard observed the group with a great deal of amusement, his relaxed posture the complete opposite of the tense soldiers.
"Infected, heed my words. Stay out of this, should you wish to not meet the same fate your observers faced."
"What the…it can't be…the Liches?"
"I thought they were fairy tales."
"There's no way we could fight those monsters!"
Lazarus cursed internally as he slammed his shield down, snapping the fighters out of their terror. He glared at every one of the fighters, noting some of them were searching for a chance to flee.
"I'll kill anyone who flees!"
"What!?"
"They're trying to scare you to have a breakthrough point in the formation! Whether you live or die depends on this fight, whether you like it or not."
"Do not be fooled into believing they're invincible! They're still made of flesh and blood, and if it bleeds, it can die! Now shields up!"
"As amusing as your struggle is, duty beckons me."
The Royal Guard shifted his attention to Igor for a few moments, before he began unsheathing his sword. A dark substance permeated the air, dying the surrounding land in black. Many flinched as the unnatural phenomena approached them, only halted by the wall of flames erupting in front of the shield wall.
The Emperor's Blade snorted, his assumption confirmed as he regarded the small delight on the faces of many fighters with unconcealed contempt.
"I hope to finish this quickly. Why don't you come out, daughter of Kaschey? It would make things a lot easier for everyone."
"Whose daughter did you call me?"
Talulah passed through the Shield Guards, sword in hand and glaring daggers at the unmoving executioner. Her fury continued to grow as her opponent chuckled at the heat encompassing the area.
"Our reports did not mention you to be hard of hearing, however I shall oblige you; child of the duke."
"You think I'm the daughter of a snake?!"
"I do not, I know you are the daughter of the snake duke. Your irritation and anger changes nothing, as entertaining as it is."
Talulah spat in the guard's direction, her anger boiling as the snow beneath her feet turned to steam.
"'Blade of the Emperor'...? You came all the way here to mock me? Or are you here to kill me?"
The Royal Guard huffed as he detected the new hesitation in the fighters, as well as the shield guard's attempt to rally them. The executioner's distorted chuckle sent chills down the infected fighters' spines.
"You see, little duchess, I can do both."
The ground beneath the royal guard's feet exploded as his figure charged towards Talulah, their swords clashing and Talulah almost buckling under the strength of the executioner. His hand roughly grabbed her neck before he threw her away from the shield wall, appearing in front of her before she could stand up.
Talulah rolled to the side as the royal guard's boot slammed the place her head was in and uplifted the snow. The Emperor's Sword casually intercepted the crossbow bolts with his dominion, black spikes blocking the projectiles before they came close. Flames filled his field of vision, yet he fearlessly slammed his foot against Talulah's sword, completely blocking her diagonal slash.
"I am intrigued, was hiding your identity from them a part of your plan?"
Talulah's muscles rippled under her skin as she finally broke her sword free and slashed at the pipes attached to his mask. She frowned at the sight of Lazarus berating the doubtful fighters, the Royal Guard's words evidently delivering the intended effect.
"You better watch who you are talking to before you try to provoke her and turn people against her, murderer. My identity has nothing to do with our goal."
"How endearing. But little snake, I can only turn people against each other if trust didn't exist between them in the first place. Or is it perhaps.."
Their blades clashed once again, Talulah's feet leaving a trail despite pouring all her strength against the executioner's might, each step he took pushing her back.
"..You believe the faith they have in you wouldn't be tarnished after they find out the truth. Quite the naive assumption."
He pushed her back, still ignoring the projectiles fired his way. His blade lashed out before he stepped out of the way of Lazarus's sword, the blade cutting a bit of the royal guard's overcoat.
"As if she has any need for criticism from any of your kind."
"I didn't expect you to be foolish enough to interfere in my dominion, sarkaz."
"I'd beg to differ, Sword. The guerrillas have never feared murderers like you."
The two attacked the Royal Guard simultaneously. Lazarus rolled out of the way of a black spike emerging from the ground, the runes on his blade glowing as he cut through the emerging constructs while Talulah's flames burned through the oppressive dominion.
"Don't allow their words to distract you! Do everything you can to stay alive! If they kill us here, everything we accomplished would become meaningless! Live!"
The Royal Guard observed them leisurely, remaining calm and unconcerned even as they flanked him. He noticed some of the lesser fighters snapping out of their panic, Talulah's words igniting their resolve once more.
"You would have made a better duchess than your predecessor. Killing you is such a shame."
Steam blew out of the mask with a hiss, the Royal Guard's arm covered in black miasma grabbed Talulah's blade, as his boot slammed against the sarkaz soldier's chest. With practiced ease, he slammed Talulah on the ground before throwing her next to the recovering Lazarus.
Before Lazarus could regain his bearings, the royal guard's boot collided with his shin, knocking him out cold. He picked the sarkaz warrior before throwing him towards the approaching formation, his comrades quickly examining his injuries.
"There is one thing you've got wrong, sarkaz. I'm not alone."
Everyone beheld a brilliant flash of light sailing through the air with blinding speed towards the emperor's blade. Akin to a shooting star, it slammed into the blight of his dominion, purifying the snowy landscape and revealing itself as the familiar halberd of Buldrokkas'tee, the royal guard's sword almost breaking as his arms were burned horribly, a deep, long trail from where he stood before the explosive attack reached them. The spear flew back to the outstretched hand of the approaching Patriot.
"To think your spear would break through the full dominion powers of three Royal Guards so easily. I'm honored to meet you, Wendigo."
Everyone looked in horror at the two royal guards standing in front of their comrade, their hands outstretched and covered in dark aura. They hissed as their demonic powers healed the burns from the wendigo's attack.
"The captain is here! Shields forward, boys! Push!"
The Guerrillas cheered as their shields moved behind their leader, the inspiring figure of their leader washing away any hesitation.
"Five Royal Guards. Two of which are keeping my daughter and my son occupied, while three of you are here. You've come prepared, Swords."
"We did not come to fight you, Buldrokkas'tee."
"I find it hard to believe as one of my children lies behind me, bleeding out. The Royal Guards her ladyship nurtured would never waver or pussyfoot around like this! You dare dishonor her in front of me!"
"She spoke quite highly of you. You are a legend among us, as well as our seniors. You have our respect!"
Buldrokkas'tee advanced, his weapon engulfed in flames as it tore through the wind. The two new royal guards intercepted his swing, the wendigo's sheer strength driving them both back in the process.
"Two Royal Guards on their own will never be my match. If you wish to make an enemy of me, you better come at me together."
"As we have said, you are not our enemy today."
The two Royal Guards remained on the defensive, keeping Patriot occupied as their comrade turned his attention to Talulah once more.
Talulah flinched from the pain flaring everywhere in her body, grabbing her sword beside her as her right arm dangled limply. Her shoulder was dislocated, and she could tell two of her ribs were broken. Fear gripped her heart as the crunching sound of the executioner's steps across the snow drew closer.
"Get the hell away from me!"
A wave of heat filled their surroundings as Talulah pushed her arts to its limits, her fire hitting the royal guard head on. She coughed, pain piercing into her brain as her oripathy acted up.
The flames died as darkness consumed both heat and flames. Chills traveled down the draco's spine as the executioner's figure, unaffected, came into view once more, unknown symbols shining on his mask and overcoat.
He stopped clapping once he received a series of code words from his comrades, the casual attitude disappearing in an instant.
"Splendid performance, daughter of Kaschey. If I had my hat, I'd tip it to you. However as a protector of the nation, it is high time I perform my duty."
"You dare call yourself a protector? You who committed more crimes than anyone could imagine. It was you who drove Simonch City into the lakes, and decimated that Elafia village. I can name all the atrocities you've committed one by one and let the whole world know what you've done!"
"You speak of matters you have no real grasp on but the knowledge you've acquired from a snake. It is such short sightedness and insolence which led your father into the pathetic corner he is in now, as he and his rats attempted to lay all his Majesty's efforts to waste."
A dark spike pierced through her leg without warning, her scream cut off by the guard's hand grabbing her head and sealing her mouth, while his other hand held her arm in place before she could use her sword.
She could hear Buldrokkas'tee and the others calling out to her, but her eyes could only focus on the black mask filling her vision.
"A nation cannot be measured by good or evil. Ursus's benevolence is equal to its devilries, and such evil is necessary for the continued progress of the nation and its people, a natural cycle of prosperity and strife which fuels the constant evolution of the collective. To fight and stand up against the evils of today to build a better Ursus tomorrow."
He hissed, his grip growing tighter. She kicked and flailed at his body, ignoring the pain as her bones collided against his armor. Any flames she attempted to conjure were thoroughly extinguished by his power.
"I suppose it was unrealistic of me to expect you to grasp His Majesty's wisdom when you have yet to surpass the inconsequential duke. You said you'd let the world know of our actions, which tells me you're unable to face us, not to mention the futility of such an action. If I were to approach you, I suppose you would retreat? No matter, your path ends here, may you find freedom from your tormentor in death, little duchess."
"Talulah!"
Buldrokkas'tee grunted as he pushed the two Royal Guards off him, his enemies not giving him time to throw his spear. The Royal Guards tensed once they noticed him shifting to a defensive stance.
"You have made an exceptional error in judgment by entrusting a single one of you to handle my son, Royal Guards."
The two became alarmed and attempted to intercept the figure charging into the dominion, but found themselves halted by Patriot's immovable figure.
Coded messages reached the occupied Royal Guard holding Talulah, but it was too late. A fist slammed into his mask, the sound of an explosion going off ringing loud and clear as everyone bore witness to the sight of the Royal Guard's figure slamming right through the trees.
Talulah tried to remain standing, but her injured leg gave out on her. Her eyes landed on the familiar back of her dearest companion, before he turned towards her and assisted her. A warmth seeped into her body, her injuries recovering at a visible rate before she snapped out of her dazed state when Edward fixed her dislocated shoulder.
"You could have warned-"
Her eyes widened upon seeing the blood seeping from the diagonal wound reaching from Edward's right shoulder to his left hip.
"Retreat to the Shield Guards, I'll deal with the rest."
Edward ignored his state, his hand patting Talulah's head before he once again stood between her and the approaching Royal Guard, his pitch black sword covered in blood.
"I didn't expect you to be able to land a shot in such little time, monster."
"I am genuinely impressed you managed to bypass one of us, Akhmatov heir."
Edward stiffened at the title, Kanshou and Bakuya appearing in his hand as he kept his eyes on his foe. The Royal Guard hummed in thought as he noticed Edward's wound no longer bleeding, a closer look increasing his intrigue.
"How peculiar. To close your wound with such unnatural means, you would have made for a special Royal Guard."
Talulah wasn't able to understand what the Emperor's Blade was talking about, but Edward's eyes narrowed at the implication. After all, he knew how his healing Magecraft was affected by the class card.
Miniature blades had closed his wound shut, effectively stopping the bleeding. His every move brought him pain, and caused his injuries to worsen. He needed to finish the fight and dismiss the class card for his healing methods to not be affected by Shirou's reality marble.
"'If I were to approach you, I suppose you would retreat?' was it? I'd like to take you up on that challenge, sword."
"You would protect her, Akhmatov?"
"I would die for her."
"Even if I tell you her father was responsible for your family's fall? Or is your care for her some sort of way to make up for your sin?"
"I wouldn't be worried about that if I were you. Tell me, were you the one who did that to my brother?"
"You speak of the little scout? Yes."
"Then your life ends today, Emperor's Blade."
Edward charged forward, his arts colliding with his opponent's dominion. Everyone braced as violent shockwaves threatened to send them flying, every collision between the fighters' weapons uplifting the snow and tearing the ground.
"Crossbowmen and casters in position! support them! Don't get too close!"
"We can't get a clear shot! They're moving too fast!"
Edward crossed his blades just as the Royal Guard's sword collided against them, the magus getting progressively pushed back with every step his enemy took.
'How strong is this guy!?'
'Estimated physical parameters to be between C+ to B. I don't recommend close combat due to the disparity between your physical capabilities.'
'Gee, thanks a lot. I'll tell him to give me a Kilometer head start next time they sneak up on us.'
'I believe it would be highly inefficient and would lead to your imminent demise.'
'You don't say.'
The Royal Guard backed off as a barrage of weapons bombarded his earlier position. Edward reached out using his arts, the weapons levitating beside him. Once more the two warriors clashed, the Royal Guard leaned to the side to avoid the ax heading his way, his blade still entangled with Edward's own. His hand caught a spear before it could gut him, and winced as a sword pierced through the dark spike he shielded himself with and stabbed his shoulder.
Disengaging once more, Edward frowned upon feeling his control over the blade vanishing, his arts nullified by some sort of power. The Emperor's Blade removed the sword from his shoulder and broke it, as if his injury wasn't of any hindrance.
"Such potential! I can feel it in you, young Akhmatov! An honorable nation worthy of its purpose!"
The executioner's dominion continued to collide against Edward's arts, the black aura smashing against an invisible wall akin to waves. Edward jumped as his enemy's sword aimed for his legs, before he stomped on it, pinning it under his weight. In less than a second, the Royal Guard found himself surrounded by all manner of weapons from all sides.
Letting go of his sword, he ducked and weaved through the flurry of arms attacking him. He snatched a sword out of the air before he broke it against a halberd attempting to split his skull. Black appendages rose from the desecrated earth and caught the other weapons while the Royal Guard's blade returned to his grip.
Once more the two of them swung against each other, Edward's fake openings allowing him to make use of his foe's ingrained instincts to attack such blatant openings in order to reduce the pressure the disparity in their physical powers placed.
The Royal Guard broke his guard with brute force, a kick knocking all the air from his lungs, fatigue already affecting his reaction speed. His fight against the other Royal Guard already took a toll on him, and his magical energy grew smaller with each weapon he traced. Should he run out of energy, his head would roll before he could react.
The Emperor's Blade slashed at the ground, snow covering Edward's field of vision for a few moments. Reacting on instinct, Edward tried to dodge the sword aiming for his gut, but found himself unable to move.
The sword stabbed deep in his gut, barely avoiding his spine as it exited through his back. Edward groaned in pain as the Emperor's Blade gripped his neck.
"It was well fought, but it seems you're not ready yet."
However, he now had an opportunity. One he wasn't willing to waste.
"You talk too much."
His hands grasped the Royal Guard's arms, a smirk appearing on his face.
"Gehen."
It took but a moment for blue lines to appear on the Royal Guard's arms, before they exploded in a show of blood, muscle and bones. Before his opponent could regain his composure, Kanshou and Bakuya stabbed through the Royal Guard's armor and into his heart and liver.
"It is my victory."
"Hardly. Had I wished to kill you, your head would be rolling right about now. Your safety was requested, and thus it was imperative to incapacitate you rather than eliminate you."
"What?"
The Emperor's Blade grunted as he backed away from Edward, ignoring his question. Seemingly unaffected by the blood loss nor the pain, he simply gazed intently at the magus.
"Regardless, you've done well, Akhmatov heir. I wish to ask you; Are you aware of her condition?"
"I am."
"And you would protect her regardless of the danger she presents, both to herself and all of you?"
"I would, as for the snake, I shall deal with him using my own methods."
The Emperor's Blade gazed at the rest of the people around, his eyes stopping once he met Buldrokkas'tee gaze, the man shielding Talulah from the other two Guards as though she was his family.
"Have you chosen her, Patriot?"
"I have."
"Then allow me to impart a final piece of advice; Ursus is headed towards great change, as it moves back from this era of strife back to an era of prosperity. The infected are also of Ursus, and by his Majesty's will, their pain will come to a close. Choose your actions well moving forward, so you may gain a real chance to become the vanguard for our homeland's prosperity."
Dignified, the man uttered a few code words into his transmitter, his companions disengaging from their confrontation. Turning back to Edward, there was a knowing glint in the soldier's mask as the magus barely made out the sound of codewords from the transmitter.
"So that's how it is. You have gained an invaluable ally, daughter of Kaschey. It is a great shame I won't be able to see it, my precious homeland in its full splendor."
The Emperor's Blade went silent, Edward gripped his blades tightly, fearing a surprise attack.
'He has passed.'
His eyes widened as he stared at the bloodied figure of the man before him. He backed away as the other two picked up their comrade's body, before disappearing without a word. Relief washed over everyone, many of the lesser fighters falling on their asses as they took deep breaths.
Edward nodded towards the soldiers, his feet carrying him to Kondrasha. The young one's labored breaths and unfocused eyes were not the only bad signs of his current condition. As soon as he tried injecting him with magical energy using structural grasp, the dominion would consume it, as it continued to ravage his organs.
There is nothing he could do.
Silently, the magus picked the young yeti up and slowly walked away into a secluded corner in the woods. Setting him down, Edward noticed his brother looking in his direction.
"Brother? Is that you? Everything's dark."
"It's me, Kondrasha. Don't worry, everything's fine now."
"It hurts everywhere, I'm going to die, aren't I?"
Edward couldn't think of anything to say which would assuage Kondrasha's worries. He grasped his hands tightly, hoping he still had his sense of touch.
"Yes. I'm sorry, Kondrasha."
"It's ok, brother. You did your best. Could you…play your tune for me? I'm getting sleepy, but I'd like to hear it before I sleep."
"Of course."
Gentle flute notes broke the somber silence, the echo of the soothing melody dispelling. Kondrasha hummed along with the notes, a smile on his face. Soon enough, the humming stopped, the melody breaking once Edward placed his flute back in his inventory.
He closed Kondrasha's eyes, his finger shaking as he tried to draw the anzuz rune. He failed again, and again, until flames engulfed the body. He turned to the approaching Talulah, before silently focusing on the burning body for a few moments and then leaving with her.
They stopped half way back to camp, Talulah sat herself next to Edward, her eyes watching him. Edward felt his magical energy running out soon, and his class card install was close to dissipating.
"Talulah, I need your help."
Talulah watched as he took off his top, her eyes taking in the scars across his torso. She gazed intently at the wounds caused by the Royal Guard, disturbed by the miniature blades keeping the wound closed.
"I'm running out of energy, and when I do, the wound will reopen. I need you to cauterize it."
Placing a piece of cloth in his mouth, Edward took deep breaths as Talulah conjured a flame on her middle and index fingers. He bit on the cloth as the scent of burning flesh invaded his nostrils, Talulah herself gritting her teeth as she traced the diagonal wound and continued to close it. After finishing the first wound, she moved to the stab wound, cauterizing both sides.
Edward laid down on the ice as his magical energy ran dry. Talulah laid beside him, her unnerving silence eventually urging him to talk.
"What's on your mind?"
"I was raised by the nobles to take over."
"And?"
"What do you mean 'And?'?"
"What made you think such a thing would matter to me?"
"I guess it was something I wanted to get off my chest."
Taking a deep breath, Edward pushed himself up and placed himself on top of Talulah, his hands on either side of the draco.
"Regardless of fortune or misfortune, I will always believe in you. I hope you understand that you are never alone. It doesn't matter what your enemies say, it doesn't matter what your allies believe, because I'll conquer all obstacles in your way."
"Even if I'm cursed?"
"If I can be by your side, why would I fear the dangers of a life filled with hardships?"
He leaned towards her, his forehead touching hers as his pair of gentlest eyes stared unblinkingly at hers, exposing all his sincerity to her. Talulah smiled, her hand gently caressing his cheek before she sighed.
"You know, it's hard to stay down when you say such things."
"I aim to please."
"Well, I can say you succeeded. Here's a small reward."
Her hands gently moved his face, her lips leaving a gentle kiss on his forehead. He smiled brightly as he got up and helped her up. The two turned around only to find FrostNova looking at them with annoyance, her eyes giving a brief glance to Talulah's hands.
"I've been looking everywhere for you, brother. I was worried."
"I'm sorry."
Yelena huffed, her nose itching once the scent of his cauterized wound reached her. She quickly examined it, before dragging both of them back to camp. Edward could see the cut across her nose, which must have come from her battle against the Royal Guard.
"You need to rest and recover, we'll take care of everything else."
"Yelena, Kondrasha is-"
"We know, but your safety and health is more important now. Later we can mourn together."
The three returned to the camp, and entered Edward's resting area. Talulah helped clean his wounds while Yelena assured her siblings about his condition.
"All done. You should rest well now, I'm going to see how everybody's doing before going to bed."
"Keep my words in mind, Talulah, and be careful."
"Don't worry, I can handle it. I can't leave all the work to my nagging reaper, can I?"
"You can."
Talulah deadpanned as Edward winked with a smirk, before she chuckled and left. Immediately she found herself cornered by the yetis led by Yelena, seemingly very interested in something.
"How far did you go?"
"What?"
"You know, sticking the crystal halberd into the gaping dragon as it were."
"Are you serious?"
"Which base did you get to? Did you get to second base at least?"
"Well no, we got to no base."
Talulah found the collective groan, cursing and yelling of the yetis to be somewhat amusing, even as Yelena kept observing her. Their eyes met for a long moment, the other yetis feeling slightly awkward as they looked on from the side.
Yelena huffed, before she gave Talulah some candy. The draco eyed the rabbit with suspicion, having never received such a thing before. Most of the yetis were surprised by the action, knowing a certain context the action held which Talulah wasn't privy of.
"I guess you're just barely enough to make the cut. Eat it. It's good."
Deciding to trust Yelena, Talulah ate the candy. It took a few seconds for her to regret such a thing, as she felt the unnaturally spicy abomination ravage her throat. She took deep breaths as Ofnir gave her some water to help a bit.
Seeing Yelena casually walking away, Talulah groaned and decided to be the bigger person for today. She continued on her way, mumbling Lungmen profanities as her tongue stung.
Yelena and the rest of the Yetis watched her from a distance, a peculiar glint in their eyes. Petrova approached her big sister, a big smile on her face.
"Big sis, is she the one?"
"Yes."
All the Yetis knew the significance of Yelena giving candy to a woman not of their group. It was a decision agreed upon ever since they passed puberty and understood a lot about romance and relationship.
'You're caught now, Sister-in-Law.'
Talulah spent the remainder of her day constantly getting shivers and looking over her shoulder.
Night came, and most of the camp went to sleep after a most terrifying day. Edward walked out of the perimeter and into the darkness, he continued to walk away from the camp, until he sensed the presence he came to meet.
Before him stood a Royal Guard, his hands crossed as he blended with the shadows. In his current condition, Edward could certainly sense the domineering weight of the dominion bearing down on him, but held through.
"I let you through to save your friends but we never agreed to you killing my comrade, Akhmatov heir."
"Neither was the murder of one of my brothers, you win some, you lose some."
He hissed threateningly, moving to stand before the magus.
"What is the proposal you spoke of?"
"His Majesty is dealing with the old Aristocracy, right?"
"Indeed, it's only a matter of time before his Majesty brings them to heel."
"I'm willing to help with his goal, if you can help us with ours."
"What is it you seek?"
"A home for the infected, a starting point through which our movement could show the nation and the world the folly they've been made to believe and the first step in His Majesty's efforts for the infected."
"No agreement will be discussed so long as the duke lives."
"I shall deal with the duke very soon, you can sit back and watch until then."
The Royal Guard spoke a number of code words with his brethren, his aura completely retracting as he contemplated on the approach they should make.
"A sword makes no promises, Akhmatov heir. We shall report your proposal of allegiance to His Majesty and return with his response."
He turned around to the pitch black darkness of the tundras, steadily disappearing into obscurity. He stopped, as if having remembered something.
"I suggest you hurry, for I doubt the next visitor of our kind would be accomodating should you fail to deliver on your offer."
"Sure thing, asshole."
"Given your social standing, I also suggest improving your vocabulary."
"I was judged by Ursus as a criminal. I have no social standing now."
"Wrong. You were judged by Count Boris and his ilk, unfit to be cattle of Ursus, let alone nobles. Keep your head high, for we believe you are the bringer of change."
Edward ignored his words, returning to camp with a sad look on his face. Observing the moon, he sighed and lamented his powerlessness in the face of the obstacles in front of them.
Ursus Empire's City of Chernobog / February 22nd, Year 1094 / Sunny...
Rose casually inspected the bouquet of Rosemaries in front of her, before she bought it. She casually traversed the road and walked on to the manor as usual, moving into the garden. There laid a memorial, the names Victor Akhmatov and Claudia Akhmatov inscribed upon it.
The woman carefully replaced the old flowers decorating the memorial with the fresh ones. She remained unperturbed when an unknown woman in dark clothing appeared behind her.
"I trust you have news?"
"I do, sister. I'm here to inform you the Akhmatov heir survived the confrontation with our brethren, as promised."
"I am relieved, thank you for letting me know, sister."
The lady nodded before she disappeared without a word, leaving Rose alone in the garden. The elegant feline gazed upon the sky, her pink eyes reflecting tranquility and peace.
"The young lord is growing well, my Lord, Madam. I wish I could travel to the tundras to take care of him, but alas, duty chains me as always."
She sighed, memories of the past bringing her unending melancholy. For once in her life, Rose began to feel impatience, the wait for the day His Majesty would judge the filth of this nation taxing even her patience.
When the time comes though, she shall make sure to thoroughly clean up the place and rid it of the parasites.
"I bid you good day, my Lord and Madam. I'll be heading out."
Omake: Wild "Tales" of Eden 1: To Chase a Flame...
Edward smiled as he finished recounting one of the tales Eden was kind enough to give him to the children. Suffice to say after spending two hours of storytelling, he was approaching his wits' end.
"I think we'll stop here today."
"But the crew haven't even reached the kingdom!"
"It's why we should save it for next time, so I can cover both the arrival of our merry crew and their first town."
Reluctantly, the kids accepted his reasoning and began to disperse. Edward let out a long sigh as he nursed the growing headache he got from answering their many questions during his storytelling. Talulah smirked as she stood beside him.
"You always come up with the wildest stories."
"If you say so."
"So when are you going to continue the story of King Arthur?"
"You really can't handle a cliffhanger, can you?"
He laughed as she pouted at his teasing, the woman storming off in childish indignation. Once he finally found himself alone, Edward began to think back on the story Eden told him about.
It was mostly fun and games, about a crew called the flame chasers in a place called Grand Line. The level of detail Eden supplied was very disconcerting, it was almost as if he was watching it unfold in real time like a show or something.
'It's best to not think that hard about it, it's just Eden being nice to the kids.'
There's no way the story was a real thing…right?
Grand Line...
Along the waves of the Grand Line, a lone ship approached the shores of the Kingdom of Arabasta. It didn't have much in terms of appearance, and it's size wasn't that big either, at best enough to accomodate two dozen people.
Within such a ship, one Fire Fist Ace was currently regretting much of his life choices. He sat in the crow's nest along with the reason for his suffering and arguably the most narcissistic piece of work he's seen in his life.
The woman's long pink hair swayed in the wind as she happily took in the refreshing breeze, her hair clip reflecting the sunshine. Her mesmerizing eyes looked on to the horizon with eagerness more befitting a child than a grown-up.
The woman, Elysia, was the reason his ship got hijacked, and he was kidnapped along with it! He just got the ship and she already took it over along with her associates!
It's not like he didn't fight back either, but she just toyed with him. Not even his recent gain of fire power thanks to the flare flare fruit helped him overcome her. Only thing it managed to do was help him avoid the bruises afterward.
"Oh! I see land in front of us, Ace!"
He stood up and looked through the spyglass to make sure she wasn't seeing another sea king, even though he could use a nice meal right about now. Seeing the shore, Ace decided to inform their wheelman.
"Hua, land-ho."
The crew's resident martial artist nodded and directed the ship, the short Klein beside her organizing the charts and keeping watch over the compass on her arm.
Jumping down from the crow's nest, Ace walked up to the front of the ship. He stood next to the leader of the crew and ignored the silent Kalpas observing the sea for any creature he could provoke into a fight.
"I suppose exploring this kingdom might prove beneficial before we move on." Kevin commented offhandedly, eyes narrowing at the land in front of them with his usual stoic face.
"Yeah, it should be interesting." MEI smiled, her attention focused on the papers she was looking over.
"I want to fight you again when we land." Ace issued his challenge, his brow twitching when he caught Kalpas snickering on the side.
"The current you cannot defeat me, Ace." Kevin turned to his crewmate, his words cold and direct as one would expect. Ace knew all too well how true his words were, having tasted defeat many a time at his hands without so much as laying a scratch on the Hero.
"It won't stop me from trying, that's for sure. I can't achieve my dream if I can't beat you!"
Kevin sighed as he shook his head, unable to count the number of times they've fought since Elysia recruited him into their group. His eyes measured him up as usual, a certain feeling about him separated him from the rest of the people they've met ever since their group found themselves in this world.
"Then we shall spar once we've reached a suitable location."
"Hell yeah! Now I'm fired up!"
Suddenly, Ace felt a chill run down his spine. He recognized this feeling as it usually meant an extremely dangerous snake caught sight of him.
"Flame rat~, it's time for a new experiment~"
"You'll never take me alive!"
Chaos reigned in the ship as Ace scrambled at every corner to escape the green menace hunting him down with a plethora of equipment to test on his fire body. His escape had him accidentally cut by one Yae Sakura once, and he was wise to avoid her corner of the ship this time.
Neither Felis, Aponia nor the others were particularly interested in helping him lest they face the ire of the immortal snake. Su was sleeping as usual, so he's useless even as a meatshield.
Yeah, just another day in the ship of the Flame Chasers and their (un)fortunate flame man.
Name: Ahkmatov Edward Viktorovish. (Formerly Edward Miles)
Race: Ursus.
Age: 23 years old.
Element: Fire, Air, Earth.
Originium-Cell Assimilation: 7%.
Originium blood concentration: 0.12 u/L.
Arts: Telekinesis.
Current condition: Slightly injured, fatigued.
Inventory:
-" Introduction to the field of Alchemy. "
-" Intricacies of Transmutation. "
-" Advanced Bounded Fields. "
-" Advanced Runes and the engraving process. "
-" The paths of Healing magecraft and Spiritual healing. "
-" Holy sacraments "
-" Puppets. "
-Ursus weapons and Equipment.
-Food and Rations.
-Flute
-Class card( Archer class heroic spirit designation: "Nameless" )
-Holy shroud.
-Carbon (20Kg)
-Ammonia(4L)
-Lime(1.5Kg)
-Phosphorus(800g)
-Salt(250g)
-Niter(100g)
-5000 LMD.
Points: 5000.
Thank you for reading.
Have a Nice Day and Stay Safe.