Bellicostic

[Flamebird]

"We're moving against every resource Arius Mephisto has that we know about. We're going to start by hunting down any remaining familiars, and simultaneously hit his pocket by severing his ties to Corone's criminals.

With everything that's happened with Arius, right now, I need her out there, with me, with the men."




Bellicostic.

[Flamebird]

General.

She was a general.

Felicity Rhyolite pulled her hair back, trotting as confidently as she could through the hallway. A general! Lord Osiris, her teacher, had promoted her to general. Outside, she tightly pulled her back back and lowered her arms in a stride. Yet, what the soldiers throughout this stone hallways could not tell what, she was insanely nervous.

What if she did not add up? What if she truly was not ready for this? Felicity never lead anything before, let alone the military! She knew you had to be "proper," she knew a thing or two about discipline, thanks to watching her late cousin of the Coronian Rangers. It was ironic, really, that her long lost dream of being a ranger had a strange fruition. She was now a general of the Brotherhood of Castigars, which too stood against the injustice of the Imperial Empire.

Still, the empire was far from the the forefront of Whitevale's problems. Another issue was at hand. Felicity had not been a member of the Brotherhood then, but a wizard named Arius Mephisto betrayed the Brotherhood when it was weak. Now, the number one priority of the Brotherhood was to end him. However, there were steps to take. As Felicity approached the double wooden doors leading to the briefing room, she knew that the first step was to trace and take out Arius' numerous familiars. Drexel, an ice dragon, had only been one of them...

Felicity paused at the door. As the chatter of the soldiers around her clamored in her ears, Felicity stopped to take a deep breath. Today was her first day as general, she needed to make a good impression. She currently wore brown pants, a white shirt, and a green coat which buttoned across the chest and reached down to her knees on all sides. She straightened out her outfit, the pin with the symbol of the Brotherhood on her suit, one more time. Then... she entered.

[Flamebird]

Three stone steps led down to the round room, held up by sturdy pillars in the edges of the room. In the center, a wonderful woodwork table, bright red, had numerous maps and papers scattered across them. The fireplaces at the end of the room, across from the doors, which roaring with rich flames. The torches on the pillars also gave the room a slim smog of smoke. It smelled of burnt wood and dust in here. It was honestly hard not to cough. However, more than the red carpets, Brotherhood and Whitevale Banners, or one or two pints of hot beverages laying around; the single thing that struck Felicity the most was... was...

How all head instantly snapped towards her, like cats in the night casting their glowing eyes on a target. It felt like ten million people were watching, even though the numbered people here were a meager six. Felicity gulped as she tried to stand straighter, observing the people here. An elderly man, remarkably fit for his age, had his grey hair short and neat. Andrew Column, a loyal member of the Brotherhood from the very beginning. His perfectly aligned military outfit was without a wrinkle of stain as he stood straight up, giving her a look of raw distrust. Felicity had to tear herself away from his glare as she noticed the dark elf woman who had looked up from brooding over the maps. Her earthy green skin was contrasted by her white uniform. Her long, black hair was loose and down, tangled. Yet, her face was one of raw determination, even if her eyes had circles under them. Leaning against one of the pillars was a younger human male; a brown haired young man who was also physically fit. Of course, the others in the room also had remarkable features, yet Felicity knew that Andrew Column and this elf, Celebmoriel Gemshine, were the second two highest ranking officials in the 95th Legion.

Forcing herself to hold her head up high, Felicity descended the stairs in a swift job, stalking towards the table. "Ladies and gentlemen." She internally winced when her voice cracked. As she stopped next to the table, she cleared her throat and continued.

"Lord Osiris has appointed me the new general of this legion. As such, I promise to do my very best in leading you." She was subconsciously avoiding Column's gaze as she crossed her arms, looking at Commander Gemshine. "Our current mission is to track and destroy Arius Mephisto' familiars and bases."

[Flamebird]

Silence flooded the room, save the crackling of the fires, as Felicity tried her best to maintain eye contact with Gemshine. The dark elf looked over to the person next to Felicity, Andrew Column...

His footsteps echoed across the stone room as he switched from one side of Felicity to the other. "He honestly appointed a child to lead us..."

Felicity could not hide her visible wince this time.

"You are probably not even in your twenties. I bet you are a virgin too!" The old man scoffed as Felicity turned her head to one of the fireplace's, face feeling hot. "What on earth was he-"

"-Andrew."

Both individuals turned to see Gemshine glaring at Column with her hands on her hips. She shook her head, messy hair moving like water. "This is still your general, who Lord Osiris himself appointed. Remember, respect."

Her slurred words were still stern, and Andrew looked sheepishly away from them both. From the other end of the table, the dark elf sighed. She looked to Felicity as she anxiously watched her. The woman tapped a part of the map with her finger. "I already sent Morloth to scout the region west of Whitevale, entering the deeper parts of the river. We have herd strange rumors from there..."

Happy to move on from the ridicule, Felicity looked up again, no longer squeezing her crossed arms. "What rumors?"

The elf leaned against the table, resting on her arm. "Well, the ash clouds have been quite a hindrance to crops. Very little food to go around. Yet, in a portion of land by the river, there has been worse than the loss of crops..."

Felicity leaned in closer.

Gemshine started playing with her split hair, "Even the remains of grasses and plants are gone. Nothing but dirt, even the trees are somehow completely rotted away. A foul stench has been reported, and most people abandoned the stretch. It's not natural. However, if a wizard were involved..."

Felicity raised an eyebrow. looking down at where sh had pointed on the map. "I feel awful about this, believe me, but this portion of land is not controlled by Whitevale. Why is this a concern to us?"

"Oh!" the elf pushed herself up, a strange smile across her exhausted face. "Well, you see!" She grabbed a red pen from the table and drew a line on the map of the reported area. "It has been expanding - the area that is, and look where it is headed!"

Indeed, tracing the lines, Felicity could see that the current direction of the pestilence lead straight to Whitevale's agricultural area. Sudden shock flooded her as she realized that this was a potential attack on her new home's resources!

"So..." Felicity asked aloud, "You think Arius is responsible for this?"

"What else!" The elf rasped, dropping the pen. As the pen rolled off the table and pattered on the floor, the messy elf wiped her nose with her sleeve. "If a dragon could not work, why not a drought during another drought! If he can get rid of our food supplies, there is no need for an attack!"

"So," Felicity spoke her thoughts aloud, "Arius could be trying to be subtle with his attacks..." Felicity eyed the elf, "How long until your scout, Morloth, is back?"

Just when she asked, the door slammed open without warning behind them.

[Flamebird]

Dashing through the doors was a tall dark elf, way taller than anyone else in this room. His long, white hair was dotted with sweat beads, his clothes smelling of a horrific stench that forced Felicity to pull her fingers over her nose. As all turned to the elf, Gemshine jogged past the table and besides Column. "Morloth?"

The man bent over, panting, as his heavy breaths echoed across the room. After several moments, he caught his breath and turned. Closing the doors, he stumbled down the stairs with a look of haunted terror. "Only- only Arius could conjure a beast that horrid..."

Column took a step forward, "You found a familiar of his?"

Morloth nodded as he staggered towards the nearest pillar. "And Celebmoriel was right!"

Celebmoriel raised her fist in the air, thumping it. "I told them I wasn't crazy!"

Column wrinkled his nose in disgust as Morloth leaned against the pillar. "What is it already!"

Morloth wiped his forehead, "A creature of legen-"

"-The name!" Column barked.

Morloth winced, then reported. "A Nuckelavee."

Felicity gasped. A Nuckelavee? In Corone? She heard of these creatures haunting Raiaera's rivers and lakes, but Corone? She looked to the officers as Column shook his head. "Not in Corone! No way!"

Morloth nodded, "I fought in the wars against Raiaera, I traveled the mountains between our lands, and I saw several of these abominations in my years. What I saw was a blast from the past right there..."

Starting to get oer her excitment over being right, Gemshine nodded grimly. "Those creatures bring death wherever they go. And Arius must of taken advantage of the climate change, ensnaring one that migrated from its home."

"From across the ocean?" Column spat.

Morloth nodded. "They may trot upon shores, but they are sea dwellers at heart."

Column scoffed, "Okay, since nobody listens to reason around here-" Felicity had to force herself to stay stoic as he turned to her with a sneer, "What does our new general say we do?"

Felicity was aware of all eyes turning on her. Her orders were awaited. Felicity's fingers tingled as she swallowed. She turned to look at the map. Yes, a Nuckelavee in Corone was rare. However, climate change was indeed changing and from what she heard, Arius was a crafty one. Looking upon the map, she observed the red line as well. Regardless of the cause, she knew some kind of pestilence was headed towards Whitevale. A Nuckelavee's cause or not, the unnatural occurrence was worth investigating for the town's safety. Felicity turned towards them and stood tall.

"We follow orders."

She lifted her hands. Slamming a fist into a palm, she smirked. "Who wants to hunt some Nuckelavee?"

[Flamebird]

~~~

The pounding of hooves against cracked road thundered. Felicity had taken a small squad with her to explore the side of the river where this pestilence was coming from. The three commanders who had been in the room with her, as well as three more soldiers - two men and a woman, all human. As their horses charged down the isolated, parched road, Felicity frowned at the withered trees and brown grasses. "I'll never get used to this..."

From beside her, a male voice chimed in, "Get used to what?"

Felicity turned her head to see Morloth riding a black steed. Felicity's own horse, Chamomile, greeted the stallion with the bop of her head as they roaced together. Felicity felt bitterness swell up in her. Was he suggesting she would not make a good general? Just as she was about the lash out though, she noticed his face. He was genuinely curious. Cursing her swiftness to anger, Felicity jerked her head towards a tree they were passing. "The drought..."

Morloth's nodded in understanding, eyes squinted against the harsh winds of this cruel countryside. "I grew up hearing nothing but Alerar's propaganda about Raiaera. How proud and folly they were, and how they deserved the undead destroying them for believing in magic."

Morloth lowered his head as bitterness swirled in his eyes, "But when I finally stepped on Raiaeran soil for the first time, and saw how terrible it looked, I realized that no land deserved such a fate..."

Felicity lifted one of her hands, pulling her loose hair out of her face. "Why did you leave Alerar? Come here?"

"Join the Brotherhood?" Morloth scoffed, turning towards the road with a smile on his face. "I guess I was tired of the war between elves. I had retired several years before moving to Corone, but even then I desired something outside of the smog of the cities or pestilence of the undead fields..."

Morloth sighed as he turned to Felicity with a sad face, "Yet, here I am again, under a dark sky..."

Felicity was about to respond, but the sound of a spooked steed sounded ahead of them. Felicity and Morloth slowed to a stop as Celebmoriel's bay horse spooked, kicking and rearing its head, blocking the rest of the riders from continuing.

As the horse cried in fright, Felicity noticed her own horse, Chamomile, was deathly silent. This was far unlike the spunky steed Felicity had grown affectionate for, and she realized that whatever war scaring these horses was affecting the others as well.

"Archet?" One of the soldiers in the back of the line started patting his nervous horse, "Are you alright, boy?"

Felicity sniffed the air, realizing what she had not before. She turned to see that Morloth's face with writhed with disgust. Andrew Column, who was struggling to control his speckled grey and white steed, spoke up. "Whatever is causing the patch of death, it's close!"

Felicity could not feel any foul magic in the air, yet she could definitely taste the bile summoning reek on her mouth. She coukd tell, even without her magic affinity acting up, that this smell was not natural. As Chamomile sharply jerked her head back the way they came, Felicity shouted, "Dismount! We continue on foot!"

She turned to the rather timid looking lad in the back, trying desperately to calm his horse. Felicity smiled, remembering a time she was that sensitive too. "You there!" She called. As the boy looked up to her, Felicity nodded, "Keep the horses safe. Draw them back to a place they'll calm down."

"Finn!" Felicity turned to see Gemshine, already dismounting her horse, calling to the young man, "Don't let the horses drink the water!"

[Flamebird]

The further the group traveled down the road, the darker the aura. The ling abandoned, cracked stone road was leading off the main path, near where a small pond would of sustained any villagers, if they still lived here. The clear landscape was flooded the a sense of foreboding, as the group of six were the only living beings here. Not even a bird chirped in the distance as Morloth took over as navigator of the pack.

Felicity's magic affinity was definitely flaring now. She shuddered as the magic in the air flooded her with discomfort and anxiety. She pulled her hands behind her back and fiddled with her fingers. From beside her, Column scowled, "It's too quiet..."

Felicity nodded in agreement. Column sighed an exasperated sigh, turning to Felicity with a weary frown. "I admit, you were right to bring just a small squad."

Felicity turned directly towards him, walking sideways, with a tilted head. Column let out a brief, dry laugh, "A small group is far better for a situation like this than an army."

Felicity nodded slowly, hopeful that she had gained this officer's respect. Still, as he turned away, his eyes regained their bitter tint. "Still, I will have to see you in command during battle to know you were the right choice."

Hot anger exploded in Felicity's chest, "Lord Osiris himself chose me!"

"He made mistakes in the past," Column said, "He lead us into an entire war that wound up wasted. He could of made a mistake with you."

The words stung. They stung like the bite of a bullet ant, and Felicity seethed in the pain. "I'm doing everything I can to make this work!"

"You may," Column turned to her with a jaded look, "But not everyone is made to lead. I know I'm not..." With that, he jogged up to where Gemshine was, behind Morloth. Felicity shook her head ins dismay. How could he!

Before Felicity could delve too much in the revenge fantasies in her mind, Morloth called from ahead. "Check this out!"

Instantly, the entire group was crowded around Morloth. Being the shortest, Felicity had to push between the two remaining foot-soldiers to see what Morloth was pointing at. On the ground, wasting away in the open, was a decaying cow.

"Oh!" The human woman pulled back, lunging over with a bout of nausea. Felicity had to admit, the cow was disgusting. The raw, already rotted meat was churning as they watched in some sort of acid reaction. This was far, far from normal. With no bugs around to decompose the corpse, a much faster curse was doing it instead. And oh, the odor! Felicity pulled back, stepping away from where the male soldier was helping the female stand while she emptied her stomach's contents. Felicity felt rather sick as well, her magic affinity screaming is displeasure.

"That," Felicity called to the three commanders, "That is magic! I can feel it!"

"I'm right!" Gemshine turned with a mixture of joy and horror in her eyes, "But why did I have to be right about this!"

"This Nuckelavee," Column grimly drew his arming sword, "It needs to die."

Morloth stepped away from the carnage, pointing towards the direction of the nearby pond, "See that?"

All eyes turned to see a strange, green mist in the distance. Felicity's eyes widened as Morloth spoke, "That is where I last saw it."

[Flamebird]

Felicity felt her magic affinity starting to tightly grip her as the group drew closer and closer, from the raw dirt that coated the undressed ground, towards the mist. That terrible smell was rising, ad it was the worst thing Felicity ever smelled in her life. Felicity's hands were both on an arming sword hilt as Morloth pulled his zweihander sheath off his back, pulling the sword out and casting the sheath down. The Celebmoriel Gemshine's hand fell over a mace on her waist as the two soldiers in the back clutched their pole-arms. They knew that any second, an abomination could appear. Still, as they stepped closer to the green mist, Felicity was determined to live up to everyone's expectations here. She turned to Morloth, "What can kill these things?"

Morloth turned to Felicity, resting his sword on his shoulder. "Any trauma to vital organs. The brain is located on that massive head, the heart is in its chest. I truly think this thing is humanoid in nature because of this."

Gemshine scoffed from where she was repetitively pulling her hair behind her ear. "They usually appear in or near Raiaera. Were they elves once?"

"Doesn't matter," Morloth growled, "It is a bane to the survival of Whitevale now."

Felicity grimly nodded, letting go of her swords and reaching back to her bow, "I take it these things can't just be shot?"

Morloth outright laughed, "Of course not! They have agile limbs and a thick hide. They can easily block."

Felicity pulled her bow out. "Then here's the plan. You all hold it down, I shoot a vital organ with my bow."

"Talymar!" The boy in the back called, "Nice!"

"But what about the arrows?" Column asked, pointing to the iron arrows in Felicity's quiver, "Those things would just shatter and get caught up in the hide, even with a bow that good. The bow is only as good as the arrow shot."

Felicity turned to Column with fire in her eyes, "I'm getting tired of you putting me down, Column! I am still your general!"

Column lifted his head, grim, "Yes, you are. But as the third in command of the 95th, I am suggesting to the general that you come up with a different plan."

Felicity stalked closer to him, even as the mist began to envelope them, "Oh? Like these flimsy steel pikes can do anything either! Who put you in charge?"

Neither of the bickering lieutenants heard the dragging of flesh upon dirt, or the slow sound of hooves crushing the mud beneath them...

[Flamebird]

"It's here!"

The two turned to see Morloth pointing as a terrifying creature, a silhouette in hazy green coming into light. The girl screamed and dropped her spear, and Column was choked in agony over what he beheld. Felicity had to admit, not even in Raiaera or Eiskalt did she see something as putrid as this?

Bare skin, coated in red blood, was sweating with green acid. The horse had a single eye on its forehead, a terrible green, as opposed the natural two eye of an average steed. Springing out of its back was a thing with the form of a humanoid, but far for frightening. The long arms were dragged on the ground, trailing behind the back legs of the monster. The head of the hominid was at least the size of a giant's as opposed to your average person. All the times Felicity cursed having a big forehead was nothing compared to the head dangling off the body like a tongue dangling from a dog's mouth. Even more horrifying, despite the bare red skin, tightly clung to bones, the head did indeed have eyes that seem to peer right through your soul. Indeed, Felicity was quite scared, and her magic affinity recoiling in pain did not help either.

If this truly was a familiar of Arius', then this was a crooked man.

The long arm slowly pulled itself up, Despite lacking muscle, the arm was lifted in the air. Morloth shouted, "It's going to attack! Dodge!"

With the speed of a viper, the arm lunged forward, muscle wrapped arm open to grab. Everyone dodged, however, as the man grabbed the bare ground. Felicity looked up, holding her bow, and noted how easy of a target the head was, especially through those massive eyes. However, as Felicity looked down at her bow, Column's words echoed in her mind. Truly, it was true that her arrows were not nearly as good as her bow. Her arrows shattered on impact before, they could again. She watched as Morloth's zweihander did nothing to pierce the thin arm as it retracted. With a jolt, Felicity realized this would not work.

"General Rhyolite!" Gemshine ran up to her clenching her mace, "What's the plan!"

Felicity gaped as the arm was lifted again, ready to aim. From the corner of her eye, Felicity spotted the frightened girl caught in such a dumb fear, she was obviously unable to dodge. Casting her bow aside, Felicity darted towards her and pushed her aside in time for the hand to grasp at nothingness. As the girl fell to the ground, Felicity skidded to halt. She barely managed to do that based on the speed of that arm. How long until the Nuckelavee started using other methods too?

Felicity turned to see Column was nearby, desperately clinging to his sword as the Nuckelavee reared for another blow. Felicity reached behind her back to pull another weapon out, darting to the cynical soldier. "Column!"

[Flamebird]

The old man turned to her, Felicity pulled her prevalida katana, still in its sheath, off her back and extended it to him. "This should be able to piece between the eyes, to its brain! I'll distract it."

Felicity tossed it to him and she drew her two arming swords, lifting her voice, "Everyone, save me and Column, fall back! Gemshine-"

"-I prefer Celebmoriel-"

"-Celebmoriel, get the girl out of here!"

Everyone snapped into action as Felicity darted towards the monster. This thing needed to be taken down, now, before its sickness reached Whitevale. As the green mist swirled around her, Felicity opened her mouth to chant. "Ego mutuari temporis et spatii!"

Her eyes changed. The image of a clock formed in her green orbs, the hands rapidly ticking way faster than the average person. Around her, everything slowed. Even as the vast majority of the squad fell back, Felicity entered the position of a mobile cutter. Using her prevalida sword, Splicer, as a main hand, and using her delyn sword, Heart, as her secondary. Processing speed in a different time frame, she lunged forth, aiming to repeatedly cut the half extended arm.

In a series of a couple blows, the arm was sliced into two. Without wasting the fraction of a moment, moving at insane speeds, Felicity raced to the chest and used both swords to cut along it. Swerving aside with a twirl to maintain momentum, she aimed for the upper, unused arm still recoiled. Splicer's black blade vibrated, and Heart sung true. Blow after blow, Felicity aimed for the limbs and legs. bringing it down in a distracting flurry that would leave it unaware of the man currently charging forth with a larger sword just as strong as Splicer.

She witnessed in painful slow motion, the way Column, who appeared way younger than h actually was, lunged his sword into the Nuckelavee's eye. A screech was emitted from the creature, and Column was thrust back with the lung of its head. Felicity bolted forth, gripping Splicer in a reverse grip and jamming it into the monster's other eye. She turned around, grabbing Column to prevent hi from falling. As she lowered him, the Nuckelavee's was still recoiling in slow motion. Felicity then yanked the katana, Copycat, and shoved it between the scrawny ribs, into the heart. Then, she let go of the weapons and flung Column over her shoulder. She did not know what happened when these things died, and she did not want to be too close when finding out...