Chapter 15
In a port-side city, buildings are destroyed, and others are burning. There is rubble everywhere and dead people on the ground; blood runs down the streets, and mud creatures kill many more people. Human soldiers clash with these creatures. Various elemental spells are cast as they defend the citizens of this town. Larger creatures begin to appear and push the soldiers back. Adventurers helped fight the enemy forces.
Running through the battlefield, Adolpha, battered and bleeding, ran towards the inn. Adolpha was crying. Soldiers were telling people to leave. One soldier saw her and shouted at her. "Where are you going? It is dangerous over there." Adolpha ignored him and continued running. A fire hit a building next to her.
Adolpha stopped in fear and saw the rubble falling towards her. Suddenly, someone saved her. It was an adventurer, "Are you alright?" Adolpha was visibly shaken. Adolpha looked at him. The adventurer, an older man, smiled and told her she was safe; he then urged her to flee. Adolpha tried to say something but couldn't.
There were more cries for help, and the adventurer said he needed to help others. He left Adolpha, telling her to get away and left. Adolpha slowly rose and continued to the inn, muttering Beowulf's name. Pathways were blocked, and the enemy was moving upwards from the docks.
The captain of the first line orders troops to move back. The enemy also attacks from behind, encircling them. The forces clash, and it becomes chaotic. The fighting has spread all over the town. "Push through; we can't let them keep us trapped!" the captain shouted. He pulled out his sword and charged at the enemy.
Adolpha had just run out of the city. She was then in shock at the site of the inn burning. Adolpha immediately ran towards it, her emotions in chaos. Without a second thought, she ran inside. The inside was already engulfed in flames. Adolpha shed tears as she saw the people she worked with dead and burning.
Adolpha couldn't mourn as she went looking for Adolphus. As she looked frantically, she couldn't find him. The smoke became suffocating, and Adolpha coughed. Adolpha heard creaking, and the building was coming down. Adolpha ran and managed to get out of the building.
Adolpha on the ground cried; the building wasdestroyed. The sound of an explosion echoed in the distance. Adolpha then picked up a scent, looked up, and followed. She was going back to the city. Adolpha, no longer in control, began to howl. "Beowulf, please, I need you!" she howled even louder.
The howling could be heard throughout the city. Harris smiled and ordered two soldiers to find where the sound was coming from. Adolpha entered the town following the scent. Smoke made it hard to see; she howled again. Adolpha ran as fast as she could. "Adolphus, where are you?"
Adolpha coughed from inhaling smoke. Suddenly, a shadow appeared, and Adolpha was sent flying. Her body bounced and hit a wall. From the smoke, a large mud creature resembling a troll appeared. The troll creature looked at Adolpha and then turned around to leave. The troll had a mud club.
The troll creature was about to leave when it heard movement. Adolpha, barely conscious,wanted to move. The troll creature turned and walked towards her, the ground shaking. The creature stood over her and raised its club. The beast swung its club, and suddenly, a black whip latched on.
"Bastardo [bastard, attacking a defenseless senorita [little girl," a man's voice with a deep Latin accent said. The whip was pulled, and the troll creature stammered. A man in dark clothes with light leather armor appeared. He resembled the Mexican legend known as Zorro. He readied his sword and, in an instant, sliced the creature.
He approached Adolphaand said, "Senorita [little girl, please hang on." A few soldiers appeared after him. "General, we…" The masked man stopped him and told one of the soldiers to treat Adolpha. A soldier approached and took out a blue crystal. He then cast healing magic, but suddenly, Adolpha's collar began to glow.
"Sir, the Mana…" The masked man noticed the collar and became angry. "Poor girl," he whispered. He then ordered them to take her and treat her as best they could. The soldiers hurried and helped Adolpha. The masked manlooked at the destroyed city and frowned. He turned around, his cape fluttered behind and left the area.
The enemy was gaining ground. A new group of soldiers showed up and helped hold the enemy back. "How did this happen?" the people in charge of the town force heard a man with an accent say. They turned and saw the masked man; their bodies trembled. The captains bowed and apologized to him. "General Cortez!"
The masked man before them was General Phelipe Cortez. General Cortez was a fit man of average height. He had light skin and brown eyes. He wore a black mask, hat, black clothes, and leather armor. "Basta[stop," he scolded. He again asked about the enemy. "Why were you prepared? King John warned you, didn't he?"
The two soldiers lowered their heads. "I will take charge. This town is finished—Salva a la gente [save the people]." He saidhe then ordered the troops to regroup and hold until they were sure all the peoplecould escape. "Where is Capitan [captain] Harris?" The other captain shrugged their shoulders. Then his voice was heard.
"General Cortez, my forces were intercepted, and we just arrived." Harris had sweat dripping from his head. He then apologized; General Cortez ordered him to his forces tojoin the operation. Harris quickly ordered his troops to move. Slowly, the human forces left the portside town of Ivory Springs. General Cortez could see as the enemy roared in victory.
More ships arrived, and the enemy disembarked. The enemy searched the town for any survivors. In a warehouse, several dead bodies lay; among them was Fisher, slumped by the wall. As the fires slowly died out, the enemy cleaned up and began to rebuild. Another ship docked, and a figure dressed like a ronin with a straw hat disembarked.
A soldier approached him, "General Musashi, we have again successfully taken over another human town." The man didn't say anything and began walking toward town. The soldier saw him and stopped working to salute him. The man in Ronin's clothes stopped; it looked like he felt something. He then continued walking.
It had been several days since Ivory Springs fell. The Umbridge force was escorting the refugees to a safe place. The injured and elderly were taken by wagon. Those who could walk stayed close following the caravan. General Cortez allowed them after some time, as some people wanted to go on their own.
"We have too many to take care of. If they think they can manage, let them. I will take the blame," he said in disappointment. As soon as his words spread, many families left. General Cortez could only see them andthank them before leaving. They continued moving, stopping only at night to sleep or rest. Soon, the news reached others all over the world.
In the Umbridge Kingdom, King John, a broad-shoulder man with slick blonde hair and blue eyes, was sitting in his chair in an office. He unleashed a killing aura and slammed his hand onhis desk. His eyes arebloodshot, and hisveins are popping, "Those damn old bastards, because of them, another city lost!" King John released his aura and leaned back on his chair.
The door to his study opened, and a maid walked in. "Sir, Miss Annabeth has called for you. She felt you were upset." King John's expression relaxed. "How is she?" he asked. "The doctor had left, and there is no change," she replied. King John turned and looked out the window; he then got up and left.
In another part of the world, in a desert camp, beastmen soldiers with Roman-looking armor were relaxing. A large figure seemed to be bathing in a large tent behind curtains. Soon, someone entered. This was a dog, ahumanoid creature. He resembled a Saint Bernard dog witha large beer belly and wearing a toga. "What news do you bring me?" said a hoarse voice.
The Saint Bernard beastman chuckled. "As you said,the humans have lost another city." "Did our emperor do anything for his people living there?" "No, there was no word." The sound of water splashing was heard. "Kujoo, I think it is time for a change." The Saint Bernard beastman perked up. "Are you truly doing this?" The person behind the curtains said nothing.
The Saint Bernard Beastman's expression became excited. "I will inform those who have waited for you to decide. The Ark Empire will stand behind you. I, Kujoo, will be the first to follow you until my life ends." Laughter was heard from behind the curtains. "Prepare the troops; we still fight to win," he said.
More time passed since Ivory Springs fell, and the news reached another group. In a large tree, inside the trunk, a dark room illumined by what looked like spotlights, several figures stood. The figures were coveredhead to toe in a silk ceremonial outfit. They spoke in a foreign language, "How could this happen?" said a man's elderly voice. "What have you been doing?" said another man's elderly voice.
"Have we sent people to investigate?" said an elderly woman. They began to argue with each other. "Enough," a louder, younger voice shouted. "The matter is that they have returned. We shall look into it. In the meantime, we must watch out for my uncle; he will surely use this to make a move."
The other stayed silent; one turned their head to an empty spot. "He has skipped the meeting again." "Leave him; he rarely talks about politics. He wouldrather spend time locked in his tower." There was a disappointed mood in the room. They finish the meeting by agreeing to see what would happen. They were waiting for the Umbridge Kingdom to make a move.
The lights turned off and then back on. Only one person was in the spacious room, which was a throne room. The person walked to the throne and sat down. A hidden door opened, and a young butler walked in. The young boy had short blonde hair and red eyes. He was a fit, handsome elf.
"My Queen, how did the meeting go?" he asked. The person removed the face cover, revealing a beautiful elven woman with long blonde hair, delicate white skin, and blue eyes. "The demons have returned, and it will only become complicated. The other realms will surely rally towards their side. I must be wary of my uncle," she said coldly. The elven butler served her some tea. "I will always be by your side," he said. The elven woman turned to him and smiled.
The Umbridge forces were resting on a night of rest. Many refugees ate around campfires, and a few soldiers patrolled the area. Near a wagon, a baby was crying. A female soldier from a medical team approached because an elderly couple had trouble calming the baby down. "What is wrong?" she asked. The elderly woman looked at the female soldier.
"The child, he needs some food." The female soldier looked at the baby. "Are you this child's grandparents?" she asked them. The elderly couple shook their heads. "During our escape, we heard him crying. When we found him, a young girl had him. She must have been his mother, but she was dead," the elderly woman said, holding back tears.
The female soldier felt a pain in her chest. She asked them if theycould care for him until they reached their destination. "I will help you as much as possible, so please look after him until then." The couple looked at each other and agreed. "This poor child," the elderly woman said, sobbing. The elderly man hugged her, comforting her.
After finding something to give the baby to eat, he quieted down. The female soldier left, going to attend tomore patients. A group of soldiers look inside a wagon. Many injured soldiers and refugees were inside resting. A soldier opened the flapsand looked inside. He saw a medic soldier helping someone. The guard looked at everyone inside and then left.
The medic soldier didn't react much and returned to helping a patient. He held their head and slowly removed part of their bandage. It was Adolpha; besides her injury to her body, she had a head injury. Adolpha was unconscious. Another medic soldier arrived and helped treat Adolpha.
"How is she?" the second medic soldier asked. "She has calm," repliedthe medic. The first medic then recalls what had happened. Adolpha was brought to him, and he began treating her. Her life was in danger, but they couldn't use magic. They did all they could to stabilize her.
"This war has shaken all of us. King John did what he could, but it was still insufficient." The medics looked at the patients in the wagon. "Adolphus," Adolpha began mummering. The patient's body wastrembling, and the medic tried to calm her. It took a while before she relaxed. The medic shook his head. "Poor girl," he said. The medics then continue to work.
After a few more days and encountering danger, they reach a crossroads. General Cortez began splitting the refugees. A group asks him why. "The Umbridge Kingdom can't handle all of you, so we are sending some to King's Land." The people looked at each other. Some asked if they could choose. General Cortez agreed.
Soon, they went their separate ways. The elder couple watched as their group went to Kings Land. The baby was sleeping soundly in the elderly couple's arms. "What will we do with him?" the elderly woman said. "We are too old to care for him," the elderly man said. The elderly woman looked at the baby with a sad expression. The baby moved, andhis face was revealed; it was Adolphus.
In an almost dark throne room, a figure sat on a throne. The doors open, and a woman with long hair covering her face and wearing a long white dress entered. She looked like she was gliding; she moved towards the sitting figure. Once in front, she bowed. "My king, Musashi, has secured the land. We are ready for the next phase of the plan."
A fierce aura emanated from him. The woman trembled, but she felt excitement. "Do what must be done," he said commandingly. "Yes, my king." The woman stood up and left the room. The figure remained sitting. "It is time to show those who banished us how terrifying we are. We will reclaim what belongs to us."
As time passes, the world has moved towards an unknown future. The sun was high above, and the heat waves were visible. Summer 854, an older man looking like he is in his late sixties or seventies stands in the middle of a grass field. He has a tan complexionand a samurai hairstyle but lets his long white hair down. His face showed an angry expression, and he had a well-maintained long goatee.
The older man wore clothes resembling Roninand was missing an arm. He stood in the open field, a mountain off in the distance beyond a forest. He looked in a particular direction, at the top of a hill. A group appeared; they were preparing for something. The group pulled out weapons.
Upon closer inspection, they were children or young teens. The older man raised his hand, "Begin," he shouted. The group hesitated but then began charging. They ran towards the older man. "Let's see how many have improved." He drew Mana and unleashed a powerful aura. The aura wave hit them, and they slowed down.
The older man shook his head in disappointment. Then, two figures continued running forward. The first to attack was a young, slender boy with hair covering his eyes. He has green hair with red highlights. The young boy wore brown training clothes with leather armor. He wielded a sword.
The young attacked; the older man dodged every single swing. The young boy didn't stop and continued his relentless attack. The older man suddenly made a wooden sword from in place on his missing arm. He blocked the young boy's attack. "Your attacks are too straightforward." The older man easily pushed the young boy, sending him flying back.
Suddenly, a huge figure appeared. They swung a sword. The older man blocked and stared at the attacker. He was a tall, burly teen boy with short brown hair. He showed no expression and used his strength. The teen boy had ears resembling bears. He also wore brown training clothes and leather armor. The older man stepped back.
The teen boy attacked; the older man pretended to struggle, leaving an opening. The teen boy hesitated. The older man attacked and again left an opening. The teen boy again hesitated. "A moment of hesitation will get you killed." The older man then parried the next attack. He drew energy and hit the teen's stomach, causing him to fall to the ground.
The older man then looked at the other children, who now reached him; they were of different races and wore training clothes. The children surrounded him and readied their weapons. "Disappointing, you again have forgotten your training," he shouted angrily. The children hesitated. The teens drew Mana, and their weapons glowed. They attacked together. The older man drew Mana and cast an earth spell. The ground rose, pulling him up. The teens stopped, but then magic circles appeared on the rose pillar; they were hit by an earth spell, causing them to fall back.
The older man released the spell and came crashing down. The powerful force hit the children, sending them flying back. Dust covered the area where the older man was standing. As the children struggled to stand, a figure ran past them. All they saw was a gray and black tail. The figure ran into the dust.
The older man felt something. He dodged a sword aimed at his head and swung his wooden sword, only to see that no one was there. Another attack, and the older man sidestepped; he countered, and again, there was no one. The older man finally unleashed a mighty swing, clearing the dustfrom behind a figure attacked.
The older man quickly turned and blocked. He pushed him back. A young boy about ten or eleven landed a few steps back. The boy had long, messy gray and black hair. He showed no emotions. His ears, those of a wolf, twitched. "Even with your disadvantage, you could still come and attack. Wonderful, " the older man said.
The wolf boy attacked again, unleashing a series of swings. "Excellent; he has truly mastered the basics." The older man blocked the wolf boy's attack and pushed him back. "Your back is open, sir," the young green-haired boy said, going for an attack. The older man turned and blocked. The green-haired boy then smiled and revealed another sword. He attacked but was also blocked.
"You need to work out more. There is a difference in your arm strength." Suddenly, there was a shout, "Shia, move!" In the distance, another young boy stood. He was also about ten or eleven; he had short black hair, light green skin, blue eyes, and pointy ears. There were also two small horns on his forehead.
The boy pulled on the string of his bow. He nervously aimed at the older man and then released the arrow. The green-haired boy ignored him and continued attacking. The shot was nowhere near the target. The older man compressed air and shot it at the archer boy. The archer boy got hit and was thrown to the ground.
The green-haired boy saw another opening and attacked. The older man was grazed but countered, sending the green-haired boy flying back. "Excellent," the older man said. Before he could say anything else, another sword appeared before him. The older man blocked.
The wolf boy immediately followed by a punch. The older man dodged and, with force, disarmed the wolf boy. The wolf boy let go of his sword, making an opening. He ducked and went for a leg sweep. The older man's body glowed. The wolf boy hit his leg but immediately felt a shocking pain.
The wolf boy held his shin in pain. The older man looked around, and all the children were down, groaning in pain. The older man had a disappointed expression. A few people with colored skin, pointy ears, and horns appeared. "General Musashi, there is a message waiting for you." One spoke.
The people who appeared were also dressed likechildren. The older man's name was Musashi. He told the people to heal the children; he turned to them and spoke. "Return to base and think about where you went wrong. Get treated first, dismiss." Musashi turned and walked towards a fort not far from where they were.
After treatment, the children walked towards the fort. The tall, burly boy with the bear ears had a different expression. He was sad. Suddenly, the green-haired boy jumped on him. "Barret, don't feel sad. Master is just too good. Let's go get something to eat," he said in a slow, hippy tone. The bear boy said nothing and shook his head.
"Why not? After having your stomach full, it will make you forget what happened today." The bear boy's name was Barret. Barret remained silent. He then looked at the wolf boy in front of them. "Fillan, say something, will you." The green-haired boy said. "Shia, wait for dinner," he replied. The wolf boy's name was Fillan, and the green-haired boy was Shia.
Shia said nothing more and let Barret carry him back. Then, some discontent came from behind. "Fillan, are you not upset?" The remark came from the boy who used the bow. Fillan ignored it and continued walking. "Shia, Fillan is just jealous because you were able to land a hit, but you could only dothis because I distracted him." "Yeah, yeah, yeah, thank you, Fearty," he said sarcastically.
"That is not my name," he coldly replied. "Finley," Fillan said in a cold tone. Finley was the archer boy; he got scared hearing Fillan call him. "What," Finley replied with fear in his tone. "You are on cleaning duty today, don't forget." Hearing this made Finley angry, but theysuppressed it. "I almost forgot," he replied.
The other children behind him whispered and laughed. Finley became upset but didn't show it. The children walked into the fort. This stronghold seemed to be still under construction. The children were headed back to their rooms. Inside, a race with colored skin, hair, pointy ears, and horns was working. Some were soldiers. Among them were large troll mud creatures.
It has been ten years since Ivory Springs fell. At the same time, there had been some conflicts in other territories. The world had learned thatthe demon race existed. Many believe they were a fairy tale, butnow they are the enemy that appeared.
King John was in a large room in the Umbridge Kingdom, the territory of the humans. A large table in the middle had several dishes. A few elderly people sat around looking at him. King John stared at them. "Ten years, it has beenten years, and you still refused to support going to war." The elderly men look at him angrily.
"My King, you are upset, but think about it. We have lost many villages and towns. We still haven't any clue about the enemy. Please have more patience. Remember what happened five years ago." King John remains silent. After several failed discussions, they all leave.
King John went to his office and sat on this chair. He turns and looks out the window. The capital could be seen from his office. "So much has passed; many of my citizens outside these walls have lost so much. I wanted to show my late father my way of ruling. Now, I can't even get past those old geezers. He might be laughing at me right now." King John was lost in thought.
There was a knock on his door. "Sir, Miss wants to see you." King John's expression changed, and he got up. "I'm coming," he replied. Before he left, he looked at some documents on his desk. He sighs and walks out. Plans to increase the military were on his desk, witha note next to it. Peace is over.