Matriarch's Wish

[SirArtemis]

“Holy shit, it’s fucking Ghemorah!” Jackal shouted as we all peered over the edge.

We had followed the old roads to a massive bridge of stone that seemed infused with magic. As Erieia and her crew drove us onto it, we felt the vehicle surge forward rapidly as though accelerated by some unknown force. Nearly half way through, to our left, a massive frozen lake peppered with glowing specks started to thud. In that moment, I had shifted my vision into the infra red spectrum, wondering what was making the sound.

It was then that I saw two small red dots moving quickly along the icy surface, and an absolutely massive shape twisting and turning, serpent-like, beneath the frozen crust. It wasn’t long thereafter that the beast burst through to show itself, and it appeared Jackal recognized it from the legends he knew.

“Guys,” I began, “I think Sophia is being chased by that thing. Pretty sure that’s her on the ice!” I shifted my vision back and pointed out toward her.

“Erieai, get us to the opposite shore!” Oswald shouted. I could sense the desperation in his voice. I doubt any of us would have anticipated seeing such a monstrosity.

“What do you think I’m trying to do!? We’re almost there damn it, there’s nothing I can do to go any faster!” Erieai returned with even more anxiety in her voice.

“The seal must have weakened after all this time,” Inta began quietly, everyone turning to her in confusion. The woman didn’t speak much so I was just as confused as the rest appeared to be by her knowing what the hell was going on. “Those small specks in the water are talismans,” she continued. “They’ve probably weakened over time since it’s been nearly two millennia. They are leftover from when Mahana used her magic to seal the demons of old, but I suspect it’s reawakening due to the surging mana flux happening in Se’lutia.”

“I didn’t think Ghemora the Devourer would reawaken in my lifetime. Hell, I was never sure it was even real, from how my mother told the story,” Pell said, his hand grabbing the handle of his blade so hard that the whites of his knuckles were showing.

The moments that passed between then and when we got to shore, despite being little more than a minute, felt like a lifetime to everyone aboard the MGP. We were all helpless. And worse, we had to watch Sophia running from what appeared to be a godlike entity chasing her across what felt like an endless pool of ice that stretched miles across.

When we finally got to the other shore, the MGP was turned sharply, bumping and skidding along the rocky and frozen ground to aim toward the creature. I jumped out, getting ready to run out toward Sophia before Maybel’s hand fell upon my shoulder. “Don’t be a fool. You’ll be dead before you know it. This is a demon god of old, not something you even stand a chance against.”

“But we have to do something!” I shouted, turning toward him with concern all across my face.

“We are. Erieai and her crew will try to delay it long enough for Sophia to reach shore. Despite its strength, it’s a creature of the water. If we can get her on land, then we can save her. For now, just be available in case anyone needs something.”

I clenched my jaw in frustration, stepping back and turning toward the MGP, watching the crew inside scurry to load and aim the massive barrel of the gun toward the creature. Across the water the serpent continued to jump in and out of the water, crashing through ice that seemed unimaginably thick with the ease of a swimmer breaking through the surface of unfrozen water as he swam.

“What are you waiting for?” I yelled at Erieai, seeing that the movements had stopped and yet they hadn’t fired.

“It’s still out of range!” she replied hastily. “It’s almost . . . close enough . . .” Seconds ticked by, we watched, the wind howled and blew past us, and as the beast came up again: “FIRE!” the eluvian shouted. The MGP rocked back as the explosion shot forth a projectile of massive size. Our eyes followed it as it flew through the air, praying to whatever thaynes we believed in that we wouldn’t miss. We couldn’t afford to miss.

Thankfully, we didn’t. As the projectile struck Ghemorah in the front, a small explosion on its chest rocked the creature back. It let out an overwhelming howl of rage, causing us all to cover our ears as the shriek rolled over the endless ice and blasted us. “Jesus, that thing is pissed,” Jackal laughed.

“We’re not done yet!” Erieai answered, and her crew was already working on reloading and preparing another shot. “We can’t let it catch her!”

As the smoke and dust cleared, looking out, I noticed that the shot hadn’t even left a mark on the creature, and as it dropped back into the water and came out again, it was as though nothing had happened. The explosion had done nothing more than make it angrier, though it did slow it briefly.

’Good thing Maybel held me back, or I’d be dead,’ I thought to myself. I could sense that Judicis agreed.

[orphans]

Thunder sounded from the shore ahead of us and a moment later something struck the beast, then exploded. Immediately after the air blasted with the monster's rage as it continued its rampage. Looking ahead, I could see figures on the shore and what looked like a machine... to Coil's breath if I knew what it looked like, but a boom followed by a another explosion landing on the creature behind us confirmed that those on shore were on our side.

Glancing down, I could see that Kau was straining as he continued his fevered pace. I was no stranger to individuals with extremely robust stamina, but even I was astonished at Kau's continued endurance. Perhaps the restoration spell I weaved before had other effects I wasn't aware of. Or maybe having the world's weight lifted from him was all he needed to become prodigious in his ability to just keep running. Whichever the case, the near constant spray of water and flecks of raining ice was a reminder that the monster chasing us wasn't far behind.

Soon, we neared enough that I could make out those on shore, but I felt Kau hesitate and slow for a moment. <"They're friends!"> I managed to shout as a howl echoed from the shore as if to confirm my claim. To my horror, the ice beneath us surged upwards and the world began to pitch forward rapidly. Even so, Kau managed to stay upright and did his best to continue running.

Looking forward, I was surprised to see Holly and Oswald run out onto the ice with Oswald stopping a few meters from shore. Holly dashed out slightly further with her sword draw. In two swift motions she cleaved the ice in both directions before she withdrew. Pell was shouting something at whoever was on the machine firing at the monster behind us while Jackal, Inta and Artemis were drawing large shapes in the snow with Maybel directing the three of them. Whatever it was they were doing, I hoped that it was going to help. So far, the machine firing at the monster only seemed to enrage it more and more while buying fractions of a second each time.

But the shore came closer and closer. The sudden thought of whether or not the creature could come onto land sent panic through my mind. Soon enough though, we crossed the line that Holly had cleaved in the ice and I heard Oswald yell, "NOW!"

The machine fired and instead of a projectile, there was a beam of light cutting through the air and into the monster. I could only guess that was the reason for the beast to shriek in agony. On shore, the drawn glyphs began to glow as Kau ran past Oswald. Turning back, I could see the monster writhing in place as it towered over the water. With a shout, Oswald dropped to his knees and forced his hands through the thick ice. A second later, the entire section past where Holly had cleaved erupted in what I felt as pure mana. Another screech sounded from the monster as if it was being scalded. Then everything became silent.

Kau had stopped running and as I hopped down from his back onto unsteady legs, he collapsed and rolled onto his back, panting, before shoving a handful of snow into his maw. "Well, now there's a story for our kids later." Looking up, I saw Jackal with an extremely pleased grin as he looked out towards the monster. Following his gaze, I saw the giant serpentine creature encased in blackened ice. In front of it, Oswald was moving slowly back towards the group with Holly supporting him. If it had been possible, the man looked even older than the last time I saw him.

"We're moving within the minute, everyone get in the MGP. Pell, help our friend on the ground, please." Pell hesitated with a salute before moving to help Kau up to his feet while everyone else filed towards the machine. "Maybel, continue siphoning power to the stasis, but stop when you feel Ghemorah shifting."

Maybel grimaced and grunted out, "It's already starting to shift, but I'll hold as long as I can." Oswald only nodded to Maybel. When he and Holly passed near, Holly only offered me a small grin that tugged at the corner of her lip - something she had done often in the orphanage when she wanted to talk in private later.

That was enough to bring me to my senses and as I walked beside Holly, Erieai popped up from over the edge of the MGP and spotted me. Turning her head to those who had already made it inside, I could hear her yelling, "Mahana slay all you idiots! None of you thought to cover Sophia with something?!"

Jackal's laughter sailed to me as I climbed up into the machine after Holly and Oswald. I turned when I heard the crunching of snow behind me to see Maybel running to catch up. Pell and Kau were following closely behind him. Immediately upon seeing me watching him, Maybel's face turned scarlet as he averted his eyes. "After you, Sophia."

To my surprise, another wulven was already sitting inside. I suppose that explained the howl from earlier. Before I could get a better look around, Erieai grabbed a wrist of mine and led me towards the front of the contraption. Without preamble, she kicked open a footlocker against the wall and pulled out a uniform for me. "Should be around your size, one of my spares."

"Thank you..." was all I managed to mumble while pulling on the clothing. I had barely finished dressing when the machine rumbled to life.

"Just find a seat so you don't get tossed around. Might be a bit cramped though."

"We're all on now," someone shouted. If I had to guess, it sounded like Pell and it was all Erieai needed to start the machine. It shuddered briefly and began to move away from the frozen lake as I joined the others to find a spot for myself. Not a minute later, we could all hear the roar of the monster we left behind. I really hoped it couldn't come on land.

[SirArtemis]

“So we’re done, right?” I asked. “I mean, we did do what we came here to do. We were coming for Sophia. We have her. We can go home, right?” The silence that followed told me that this mission was all a lie. And not even because peopled lied to me, but because they didn’t even realize what they were getting into. I looked around at the anxious faces, and looking down with a deep sigh, I felt like there was only one thing left to say: “Fuck.” This was beginning to be an insanely stupid pattern in my life. In that moment I promised myself that I’d see a seer when I got back to the main land.

“I really appreciate you all coming out to save me, I really do. But I can’t go back even if I wanted to. I need to go to Arfezeria.” Sophia’s words carried a conviction that most of us weren’t used to.

“Can you tell us why?” Oswald asked. It was clear he was quite concerned about this, and it makes sense with what Judicis and I had sorted through earlier.

“I just know I have to be there. I have to stop a coming calamity.” She looked away as though she wished she could say more.

“What calamity?” Oswald prodded.

“The rebirth of the city.”

“The what?!” Jackal exclaimed.

“Well if the legends are what they are . . .” Maybel added.

“You all feel it, don’t you,” Inta asked, “the pull toward the city? Pell? Oswald?” The two men exchanged looks at her comment but didn’t deny it. Admittedly I could feel something similar to what they were saying as well, but I hadn’t been giving it much thought or attention. Oswald then gave a nod to Holly who returned the gesture.

“We must go to the city,” Ing chimed in, along with the other wulven beside him. “We must aid the Skalu in whatever she needs. If the city is where she must be then we must go. The prophecy needs to be fulfilled.”

“Seriously?” Jackal piped in, a look of irritation on his face – mind you, he was the only one. Everyone else in the MGP simply looked nervous and anxious. “Hold on, I don’t know what fucking feeling you’re talking about Inta. The only thing I feel right now is the desire to go home. Artemis is right, we came here for the girl. We found her. She wants to go die? Fine. That’s her business, but I don’t plan on doing the same. And I’d rather avoid needlessly doing so. Despite what you all may think, I rather enjoy having the option to do things I like or not to. I don’t have that choice if I’m a fucking corpse.”

“If we don’t reach the city, everyone will die,” Sophia added with a serious expression across her face.

At that, Jackal simply slumped back, looking around as though hoping for an ally in the group. Seeing he was all alone, he sighed deeply before letting out a resounding “Well fuck.”

“Now that we have that settled, let’s get moving,” Pell began.

“You’re right,” Oswald began. “Despite how much I’d hate to say it, this may be our only course of action. Erieai, let’s get this thing moving. The city isn’t far at this point. Use the road – it should speed things up quite a bit.”

He was right. The trip toward the city took less than an hour from that point, and there was utter silence in the MGP as we moved onward. This was it. Everyone knew it. Everyone could feel it. This entire journey was approaching its end, for better or for worse, and this may be the last peaceful moment we’d ever have together as a group. There was a good chance at least one of us would be dead by the end of this.

As we got closer, I could hear a faint whispering sound, though I couldn’t quite make it out. It was too quiet, but I knew it was words. When we finally did reach the outskirts of the city, it was clear we weren’t the only ones who sensed this pull – not that we expected to be. Fighting had already broken out. The beast tribes had begun what looked to be an all out civil war. And we had just arrived in the middle of it.

[orphans]

"You know, not that I mind that the beastmen are fighting one another, but how the hell did so many get here so quickly?"

"We answered Mahana's call half a moon ago." Jackal shot a glance to Ing before surveying the field before us again. "Elders heard it first and ordered all tribes to assemble here."

Inta gave a disgusted snort and muttered, "That explains why our excavation parties went silent..." to which I assumed Ing sighed and shook his head.

Had I never experienced war in my previous life, the sight of the world nearly all ablaze would have sent me running. Even now, there was a tinge of fear tugging at my feet. "How close can we get to the city in this, Erieai?" Oswald asked as his brows narrowed.

"How the hells do I know? I can't exactly make this invisible!" Bringing the machine to a stop, Erieai motioned something quickly to the eluvian crew and in turn they began to arm themselves.

Somewhere off in the distance, howls rose above the din of the battlefield and both Kau and Ing stood to answer with one of their own. <"We must join our brethren to spread the word of your arrival, Skalu. The faithful will help you reach the city."> Turning to me, Ing gave a small nod as he and his brother leapt over the side onto the snow below.

"On foot then. We'll need their help if we want to get close." Oswald stood stiffly. "Erieai, can I count on you to handle the rear and communications? I know Reginald said he wouldn't give support, but he'll change his mind with new information."

"Course. Give me Maybel and Inta though, I'll need their help. Otherwise I can't reach your mana stone," was her quick reply as she headed towards the front of the MGP.

"Very well, Maybel, Inta, you two are with Erieai." Maybel gave a quick salute as he hurried back to join the eluvian. There was only a moment of hesitation from Inta before she saluted and turned as well. "Let's get going then."

To my relief, plants didn't sprout the moment I landed on the snow with my boots. Ing was waiting for us a short distance away while Kau was already on the move several paces ahead. Oswald, Pell, Jackal, Artemis and I followed quickly enough while Holly bound past us all to keep stride with Kau. All the while, I could barely keep myself from shaking. The voices from the city grew louder and more distinct, familiar, as we marched on.

A sudden crackle across the sky caused us to look towards Arfezeria. Inky wisps of night began spreading rapidly overhead and obscured the sunlight passing through the veil that shrouded the land. "Oh come on!" Jackal exclaimed as he rounded his attention to me. "Are we racing against time too?!"

No one said a word as all eyes fell upon me to offer an explanation that I didn't have. Instead, I looked towards Ing. <"How long until we reach the faithful.">

He gave the winds a quick sniff and what I assumed was a grin as he pointed up ahead. <"We are near. Over the ridge.">

<"Let's pick up the pace then,"> was all Oswald said as we trudged on.



Soon enough, we reached the wulven encampment. Ing immediately departed towards the heart of it while Kau motioned for us to wait with him by an unoccupied fire. Wounded were being brought into the camp at a steady stream and every time, suspicious glares would be directed our way until they caught sight of my wings and horns. Several eventually approached me and offered a prayer to me. When I looked to my companions for help, Jackal and Artemis only shrugged while Pell poked at the fire slowly. Holly and Oswald were resting their eyes and Kau only grinned.

<"When the songs of Mahana are heard once more darkness will spread from the city eternal, reborn. A Skalu Hudie will come then and pilgrimage to Arfezeria and give release from our ancestral crimes."> A gruff but feminine voice greeted us. All of us looked to the approaching group of wulven followed by several tulartar and Ing. Leading them was a wulven with a slight limp and dark fur. Even so, she was dressed for battle as told by the armor and sword she wore. <"So say the legends of old. How we are released is the question. Children of the East have experienced something of that kind, yes?"> Looking to Holly and Oswald, the wulven bared its teeth in a grin. <"So say those who witnessed the kindling of Pretalia.">

Turning her eyes to me, the wulven ceased her pleasantries and for a moment I could feel sorrow pouring from her eyes. <"The answer of how has all but torn those of Roncoro apart, Skalu. I may be of the faithful, but I am no fool. Why are you truly here?">

Those who were following began to mutter among themselves, some in surprise, as I heard the sounds of careful movement from my companions. <"Lady Ruska -"> Ing began, to which the dark-furred wulven only raised a hand to silence him and the others as the tension in the air thickened.

<"The Skalu can answer.">

How could I answer? I had come to a forgotten land torn by war for countless generations chasing after shreds of information given to me by a woman I barely knew! All for the sake of seeking answers of who I was. I couldn't lie. I never could and it wouldn't do me any good now. <"I seek to know what I am. You've called me Skalu Hudie, wish-bearer, yet I'm not sure of what this wish is. However, like you, I too must answer the call of the one you call Mahana.">

Ruska's eyes peered into mine and for how long we stared, I did not know. Finally, she smiled slowly and spoke much more softly than before. <"Such a strange and yet direct translation of the meaning of Skalu."> Turning to those that followed her, the woman suddenly barked out loudly and clearly, <"Make ready to march on Arfezeria!">

[SirArtemis]

Something felt off. And honestly, it isn’t hard to imagine why. Everything was going crazy around me. This entire escape from Victor Callahan, time and again, kept coming back in my mind as possibly the worst choice I had ever made in my short life. I may have been better off staying in Corone. I felt simply overwhelmed. The scale of fighting around me was unfathomable and impossible to articulate. It made the supposed “war” of Vardta look like a skirmish. My body felt out of balance, though understanding what that could even begin to mean didn’t yet register. And all the while, here I was, with a group of strangers who had become like family, with a magical little girl who was of an unknown race, rushing into the heart of a battle that stretched the horizon in every direction to fulfill a prophecy for a faith I knew nothing about.

Just another day of the week I guess.

Either way, I was starting to pick up on the language being spoken around me. Surprising really, as I wouldn’t say I’m your typical linguist. But all the same, I felt like I was getting a general understanding.

<“The unbelievers have taken the city proper,”> Ruska said. <“It’s time for us to march everyone toward the city. Battle is our only option.”>

<“How do you even know who to fight? They all look the same?”> I asked. Oswald lifted an eye at my question, but I didn't understand why. It seemed valid enough to me.

<”Your scent will let us know,”> Ruska answered. <”We all carry a scent from our fires that sticks to us, to fur, to scales, to flesh.”>

<“It is why we gathered around the flames before,”> Ing added.

<”As for the humans,”> Ruska grinned, or at least that's what I think a grin looks like on a wulven, <”anything trying to kill you, kill them back.”> Pell snorted at the comment, and even Oswald managed a grin.

<“Time to go,”> Oswald said, beginning a paced jog toward the gates. Everyone followed, no questions asked. There were no questions left to ask. Just a job to finish.

What happened next is hazy to this day. As we moved on toward the gates, my consciousness almost felt like it slipped in and out of me. I don’t know if it had anything to do with what was going on around me, but everything remains fragmented. What I do remember are just flashes of faces, of moments, as we cut our way to the gates. I remember the shouting from all over, from Ruska’s men, from Sophia, from Oswald, and from the roaring ocean of warfare going on. I’m not sure the sounds will ever leave my mind.

By the time we had reached the gate, or what was left of it, I was covered in blood; all I know is that it wasn’t my own. Bodies were strewn about everywhere, and from what looked like every side involved: the reptilian skegulls, the feline cattyans, the canine wulven, the rodent ioaii, and even some of the minotaur-like tulartar. No one had been left out.

<“Are we too late?”> Pell asked, looking around and hoping someone had an answer.

<“We must keep going,”> Sophia answered, continuing through the gates. <“We have to.”>

<“Wait,”> Oswald said, raising an arm. <“Just give it one moment.”>

<“What is it?”> Pell asked, his eyes hopeful.

<“Ruska, can you and your men hold the gates?”> Oswald asked, turning to the dark-furred wulven.

<“If need be, yes, I believe we can.”>

<“I just heard from Inta; reinforcements are on their way, but they will take time. Hold this position. We will use it as a rally point for the faithful. We have to keep moving.”> With that, Oswald turned and followed Sophia’s footsteps, through the gate and on toward the city. Our team followed, leaving Ruska and the wulven behind, including Kau and … wait…

<“Wait, where’s Ing?”> I asked, looking around. The others followed, noticing his absence.

<”He fell during battle,”> a wulven from Ruska’s troop added. <”He will not be joining us.”> Ing wasn’t exactly one of us, but allies were falling. Allies would continue to fall. I could feel it. There was nothing to say, so no one spoke. One by one, we all just moved on with our task. Ruska began organizing her remaining troops, Kau included. And our small group followed Sophia. Pell, Jackal, Holly, Oswald, Sophia, and myself; we six walked on toward the city, toward whatever that meant.

[orphans]

From a distance, we had all assumed the city to be restored. We see now that was not the case. Buildings were still crumbled and charred while the strange road we trod upon was shattered in countless places. However, the damage looked recent with a strange lack of fire that had been consistent with our journey here. Shouts and the sounds of combat continued to resound in the air in what was beginning to resemble a grim orchestra.

There was a strange comfort for me knowing that my former den mother was here beside me. A quick glance in Holly's direction told me she didn't exactly relish the situation. For a brief moment our eyes met and she gave an encouraging smile before returning to scouring for signs of imminent danger. I would have never guessed her to have another life away from the orphanage and one that was so violent. Odd how my past life was nearly the same reflection.

<"The hells are we even going?"> Jackal hissed.

Pell flicked a look at Jackal. <"First Artemis and now you? Or did you two always speak fluent Farien?">

<"Never mind that,"> Oswald muttered quickly. <"We can figure that out later, eyes ahead."> Truth be told, I didn't know where I was going and the very thought weighed upon me. Was I blindly leading everyone to their deaths? I had little to guide them with aside from the odd sensation of where I should be heading. A terrible thought and one that I chased away quickly as I took Oswald's words to heart.

I don't know how long we walked until Holly suddenly flung out her arm to stop us. <"Hold."> No sooner had she said that, a cattyan limped into view from a nearby alley clutching what was left of its torn arm. Blood matted its fur and upon seeing us, hope and will fled the creature as it sank to its knees to slump against the nearby wall.

My feet moved by themselves before my mind could react and before anyone could stop me. Kneeling next to the gasping creature, I drew quickly upon the land as I had done with Kau and pressed my hands upon the feline's chest. My power was weak though, as if the pull of the city was drawing it away from me. Still, the cattyan's breathing steadied and its gaze focused as the rest of my companions rushed to my side. <"Children of the East?">

<"What happened?"> There was no answer as it looked at my companions slowly before settling its eyes upon me.

<"I don't think it'll tell us anything,"> Jackal spat as he skulked silently into the alley the feline had come from.

Ignoring Jackal, I looked to the cattyan. <"What happened, please.">

Staring at me, it nodded once. <"If you truly are here to save us... the tower ahead. At the center square. The faithful and those of the elders... and something else.">

<"What do you mean by something else?"> Pell pressed.

The cattyan looked to Pell and shook its head. <"The city still lives.">

<"The ancestral spirits?"> Holly offered with a look to Oswald.

The cattyan shook its head again. <"... I know not.">

<"There's fighting up ahead,"> Jackal's voice and hurried steps approached the group just as the cattyan finished. <"Don't know what the beastmen are fighting but it's not ours and it's not their own.">

<"What did they look like?"> Oswald asked as he looked past Jackal and into the alley.

The frown on Jackal's face didn't suit him very well as he shrugged. <"Armored figures. Lots of them. Couldn't get a good look.">

<"Then that is where I need to go. To the center of the city where this tower is located - I'm sure of it."> But was I? I spoke with such conviction and yet fears made me doubt myself. <"It's where all of us are feeling the pull. It's why these defenders are there."> Everyone gave a nod of confirmation except Jackal who only sighed with another shrug.

<"Fine, but what do we do about him?"> Jackal asked as he looked to the cattyan.

Its head was slumped now at an odd angle and after a quick touch to its neck I shook my head. <"He died in peace instead of pain."> At least I hope he did. I suppose it didn't matter now.

<"Let's get moving then. Pell and I will take point. Holly, Artemis, watch our flanks. Jackal, you're with Sophia."> There were no arguments with Oswald's instructions as everyone nodded quickly.

Except me. <"Please, before we all go on, it's about my name."> All eyes turned to me and despite my hesitation I pushed on. <"My name is, true name is Azza. Sophia is... was... she was...">

<"A name given,"> Holly offered. <"Let's focus on the task at hand. There'll be more than enough time for stories after all this."> Being rescued by my old den mother brought a tentative smile back.

Oswald only nodded and amended his previous order. <"Jackal, with Azza then.">

[SirArtemis]

It was a strange feeling to walk down this broken road. It was a convergence between silence and sound. The crunch of broken stones beneath us, our heels as they struck the patches of unbroken stone, and the occasional squish of actual soil became an almost symphony. Even Judicis had been silent. At the thought, I finally heard his voice in my mind once more.

’I’m sorry Artemis, I just have nothing to add. Everything you are experiencing is as new to me as it is to you, and quite frankly that’s not something I can say of most things given my time in your world.‘

I felt almost child-like. Maybe that’s why children don’t speak when they are young; they are just so overwhelmed and busy taking in information that they are at a loss for words. Maybe they learn to speak once they feel like they’ve absorbed enough information to start to feel at ease.

We found ourselves walking toward a central tower that reached endlessly upward and punched into the gloom filling the sky, leaving me to wonder how far it continued on. It reminded me of Knife’s Edge in a strange way and my early time there, using Saint Denebriel’s Cathedral as a beacon of sorts. Drawing a parallel between the world I knew and this felt almost blasphemous. Things were so vastly different.

As we moved closer, we found ourselves finally entering a massive open plaza at its feet. It looked roughly a hundred and fifty meters across, with much of the ground layered with bodies; some were filled with arrows, some with holes from what I assume were guns, some from blades, and some were charred too badly to discern anything at all. Blood had painted the landscape crimson.

Broken buildings and structured lined the perimeter, their white stone makeup now lined with the dark streaks of recent flame and a bit of the crimson accenting the walls. It felt like the devil’s playground. And as we entered, despite all the signs of a battle having been waged here and destruction and mayhem, it wasn’t even remotely over. The plaza was a massive fighting ring, and we had just joined the battle royale.

<”What the hell are those?”> Jackal shouted, pointing to what appeared to be guardsmen; except these guardsmen weren't living. Instead of flesh, a dark vapor filled countless sets of silver plate armor, even varying in size. There were some among them which looked like civilians in everyday clothing. The armored vapors were helping the non-armored ones escape, or so it seemed; almost like a town guard evacuating their people. But they weren’t people. Among them were the ones we at least had expected to see, with the faithful fighting the . . . non-faithful I guess, which were mostly cattyans and skegulls.

<”Those must be the ancestral spirits. Press on. We have to get through to the tower.”> Oswald’s words were our orders, and so we moved on. We kept our formation and soon found ourselves engaged with a small group of the non-believers. They moved in small skirmish squads, which made them easy to dispatch. The four that came at us were sorely mismatched.

One thing I’ll say was though we were few, we were trained. Oswald and Pell took one each, their hand to hand combat skills eliminating the others in less than a few seconds. Jackal threw a knife from the rear, finding its way deep into the skull of a foe, and an arrow from Judicis put the last to sleep, its black mist matching the shade of the ancestral spirits fighting on.

As we raced toward the entrance of the tower, for whatever reason, the ancestral spirits seemed to avoid us. But as the non-faithful saw Azza, they would always attack. No matter how mismatched, how injured, how disadvantaged, they would tactlessly throw themselves at our unit in an attempt to eliminate her. The fervor was relentless and unnerving. The faithful, mostly wulven with some ioaii, continued to fight the armored ghosts as well as the non-faithful, pressing toward the gate.

<”Move in to join the faithful. With a larger group we’ll make an organized push and get inside. We have to break their defenses. They can’t hold the entrance from us forever.”> With Oswald’s word, we rushed onward. I felt like I was losing my sense of self. The darkness above felt symbolic of what was to come. For now, all I could do was follow orders. I had nothing to add. Nothing of value at least. All I could do was keep fighting and hope that this would all turn out okay. Because if not, I’d be dead.

[orphans]

As we neared the tower looming before us, fragmented thoughts - memories perhaps - assaulted my mind in brief flashes. Scenes of a tranquil day interrupted by a massive explosion of twisting shadows and burning light rushed passed my vision just in time for me to parry an incoming blade. It was all I could do to concentrate on fending off the stabs and slashes before Holly cut the cattyan down from behind.

With every step forward, resistance against us increased as more of those who heeded the elders' words threw themselves against us. The attacks were wild and uncoordinated as if they were beasts consumed by madness. I couldn't help but wonder if the attackers were being affected by the visions too or if my companions saw them as well.

When Oswald issued the order to assist the faithful nearby, we all moved without question. I chanced a quick glance in the direction of the tower's entrance and saw rudimentary fortifications of rubble and numerous figures repelling the efforts of a few armored shadows.

We approached from the flank of the armored ones with all of us shouting a battle cry as we all charged in. There was momentary confusion at what was happening on all sides of the conflict, but soon enough the faithful wulven roared in unison as they surged forward alongside us to drive the armored ones away. From above the din of combat I could hear a clear voice emanating from a figure in subtly more ornate armor. A commander perhaps? <"Enemies on the flank! Hold the line! Get the civilians to safety!">

Did I hear the figure correctly? Civilians? It seems I wasn't the only one who had heard the words as I caught sight of Holly bolt from formation towards what was possibly the commander. At the same time, another crackle rang out from the tower's direction and the whole world became lit up with an iridescent light. For that brief moment, I could see the city's former glory in the structures around us while the faces of our opponents appeared in the places of where vapors had once been. Fear, exhaustion and desperation gripped the features of the multitude of races dressed in the strange armor. Cattyans stood shoulder to shoulder with ioaiis. Eluvian beside wulven. Humans alongside skegulls.

The light faded just as quickly as it had happened and the faces once again were replaced by inky mists. Sounds of battle roared back into my ears as I tried to call out to Holly who was nearly upon the captain. Instead I found the world around me warping as my form was tugged forward and barely a split second later I was facing my former caretaker, shielding the figure of the captain behind me with my own.

<"STOP!"> I screamed out in a frantic hope that my voice would carry to Holly's ears. I was greeted with a shocked stare from my old den mother and watched as it quickly turned to horror. The clashing of steel ceased and I felt all eyes upon me as if my voice had touched all those present.


Odd...


Weakness took hold of my legs as I struggled to remain standing as a sudden sensation of nausea welled up. My stomach felt strangely cold and as I looked down I understood why: Holly's momentum had carried her forward into my sudden appearance. There was the distinct taste of copper in my mouth - blood - as both Holly and I sank to our knees with her blade lodged through me. The clatter of a sword and shield barely registered in my ear as I sensed another kneel beside me.

I touched the blade piercing me with a hand and tried to pull it away. As I did, Holly slid the weapon out and let it fall from her grip. In an effort to stem the flow of blood, her hands replaced where the sword had once been as her tears mixed with the grime and dirt on her face.

<"Guys, I'd hate to ruin the moment but they're advancing on us!"> Jackal's shouts drifted to my ears as one of the armored ones and wulven faithful nearby received a gift of arrows and went down. From my position I could see a group of attackers coming from the direction of the tower's entrance.

<"Pell, Artemis, Jackal, with me!"> Oswald bellowed as he turned to face the oncoming threat.

Then the voice of the captain behind me echoed in a voice I was sure even the dead could hear. <"Battle group, form lines! Auxiliary, reload and open fire!"> The ioaii and wulven faithful gave a shout of their own as they rushed passed to stand beside those they had been fighting but a brief moment ago. It was strange to see my presence having such an influence upon those of this land.

Holly's panicked eyes and muttered pleadings drew my attention back to my own wellbeing. Perhaps it was the strange vortex of energy in this broken ruin of a city, but aside from the pain where the blade had entered, I felt fine. Weakened, but fine. <"Mother Holly, it's okay."> At least that's what I thought I said. Whatever came out gave permission for her tears to begin streaming down her face.

Since when was I lying on the ground?

<"The tower,"> echoed the armored captain. <"The tower is her only hope. Only her kind can treat their wounds.">

<"Her kind? Mahana? She's the cause of all this damn it!"> Holly yelled back.

Maybe it was a good thing that we couldn't see the expressions of those in the strange armor. All the same, it answered back to my hysterical den mother, <"I do not know who this Mahana is, but the mistress of the tower can answer after we save this girl. I will carry her, pray, join the others."> There was hesitation in Holly's movement. Regret even? I could only imagine the shame she might have felt after injuring me. She had always doted upon me more than all the other orphaned children back in Underwood.

The captain lifted my form with little effort and held me in both arms as he continued to direct his own men with his booming voice. Even then, it sounded peculiarly distant. It was nice to be carried though. I was beginning to feel so tired...

[SirArtemis]

My heart was pounding so hard that I finally understood the proverb of feeling one’s heart beat in their throat. That’s exactly what it felt like, and it was immensely unnerving and uncomfortable. In the flash of a moment, the whole central figure that this mission, this entire . . . everything rested upon, lay bleeding in the arms of an armored black mist. But then again, I think I had reached a point on this trip where I no longer resisted the events around me. I just had to do whatever it took to get through this alive, so that’s what I did.

Our party clustered together and moved forward ahead of the captain as he carried Azza, leading the charge with a large group of ethereal soldiers by our sides. As our blades lashed out in every direction, it was as though we were Death and had arrived to take the souls of our enemies to the afterlife. Taking up our rear were the faithful, doing all they could to protect the Skalu Hudie from those who would stop the fulfillment of the prophecy, though who knew what the prophecy really meant?

I’d love to say that we made it unscathed, but bodies fell so quickly that before one had settled upon the ground, another was on its way – from both sides of the battle. And though it wasn’t long before we reached the entrance of the tower, pushing through the pockets of resistance we encountered, it proved to be just the beginning. The entrance had makeshift barricades put in place and as we approached the non-faithful fell back to the confines of the building.

<”On me!”> Oswald shouted as we pressed through, and as many as could fit drew close to him as he created a defensive barrier. <”Move quickly, I won’t be able to hold this long! Prepare for an ambush!”> The protective sphere spanned at most ten meters and we rushed over the rubble that served as a barricade, knowing each moment was precious and that we were immensely vulnerable while traversing that makeshift obstacle. As we crossed the threshold over the waist-high rubble and into the building, at least a score of cattyans let fly a barrage of arrows that ricocheted off the barrier with another dozen or so skegulls charging at us as soon as the arrows were released. As they rushed in with their spears, Oswald dropped the protective magic and a slew of spectral warriors formed a shield wall ahead of us and rushed forward in a tight formation.

The skegulls engaged quickly, dropping their spears as they broke or when they came too close and pulling out their swords and shields. While our force pushed into the large chamber of the first floor of the tower, we moved as quickly and effectively as we could, and the deadly force we exhibited was both impressive and terrifying all the same. Pell and Oswald cut out to the right flank with a handful of ethereal soldiers, while Jackal and I cut out to the left with a group alongside us as well. On both sides, the cattyans had taken what looked like long tables from the room, likely a mess hall or cafeteria of sorts, and flipped them to serve as a barrier; not sure that did them much good as the ethereal soldiers crashed through the weak tables with shields raised and bowled the cattyans over, leaving many of them flat footed or prone on the ground.

Jackal and I had surprisingly similar fighting styles when it came down to it. His two daggers moved quickly, though he was more willing to throw his blades at a target, or one of his many knives, before retrieving a blade and cutting onward. Meanwhile, my weapons proved to make fools of my enemies. With the magic embedded within my blades designed to slice organic material so freely, I needed little strength to cut through fur and flesh and bone, allowing me to conserve energy and stay refreshed. Their bodies fell to wounds I inflicted much more quickly as well. A low slash from me quickly took out a leg from knee down of one cattyan, followed by a quick thrust which found its way in and out of a chest, from both ends, in the blink of an eye. One parry led to the disarming of an enemy by literally relieving him of an arm. I even managed a beheading during the brief skirmish.

There was no thought or planning in my actions, nor was I seeking to cause my opponents to suffer. My only thought at the time, replaying over and over, was a simple one: 'We have to move as quickly as possible.' And that’s exactly how my body behaved. A funny thing about combat is that it often moves far more quickly than one may realize. I imagine only minutes passed and during that time, the bodies of all our foes lay dead, with a handful of wulven at the rear and empty sets of armor lay about where the ethereal warriors had been dispersed so to speak.

<”Follow me to the stairway, we have to reach the third floor and the platform.”> The captain’s voice boomed loudly, unnaturally so, and as he pointed toward the direction we needed to go, another score of enemies awaited us. Our movement was quick and as fierce as before, leaving this less organized pocket of enemies even less threatening. The danger now was bottlenecking ourselves into the tight quarters of the stairway.

[orphans]

I could feel movement all around me and as friend or foe fell, I could see the mana residing in their bodies seeping away and returning to the land. Soon, the pain was becoming noticeable as the battle raged on all around me. Closing my eyes did little to ease the sensation radiating from the wound. At some point, I thought I had stopped bleeding, but truth be told I couldn't really tell. I suppose it didn't really matter now.

Consciousness slipped about just beyond my grasp with my aching wings the only real source of confirmation that I was still alive. Whenever I managed to take hold, I would be greeted by the same cacophony of sounds of screams and striking metal. Opening my eyes after what felt like hours, I could see that we had moved into a building, presumably the tower. The walls here were strange with creeping blue veins that illuminated our surroundings as they webbed across the surfaces upwards towards whatever awaited us. The noise that reverberated off them took on an almost eerie echo as if the same battle was being fought on another plane or from another time.

<"Hold on a bit longer, winged-one. We'll be with the mistress of the tower soon."> The armored captain spoke in what I figured to be an attempt to soothe me. An arrow had lodged itself inside his left shoulder, causing black mist to ooze down from the wound as if it was blood itself. I could see several more arrows protruding from his back. Yet he pressed on, still standing proudly as he carried me in his arms and issued orders to his soldiers.

<"...Where...?"> I began, but lost the ability to finish connecting what I wanted to ask. Even so, the captain spared enough time to answer.

<"Second floor of the tower. The stairs to the third and the platform are across this floor."> Why did we need to go there? My mind fumbled with the reasoning until I remembered. There was a coming calamity, one that would not only threaten Se'lutia, but all of Althanas. We were here to stop it.

A familiar voice was shouting orders. <"Artemis, Jackal, more on the left flank! Holly, see if you can clear the archers from our right. Pell, with me and the vanguard!"> Without warning, the tower shook and trembled, shaking loose dust from the ceiling.