Arc 4: What families entail
Knights, soldiers, and guards of all ages were chasing after Gray with blades and shields drawn. It was still early in the morning, and the snow slowly fell upon Greenvale. A handful of archers took to the roofs, but failed to keep Gray in their sightlines while he burst through the air. Snagging onto rooftop edges and ledges with the Cloak before yanking to pull himself up and onward.
Gray {Just keep moving just keep moving!}
After a month with Musashi, Gordon, and now Ryo. Filled with so many fights, bruises, failures, and absolute losses, all to create the boy ready for the long road ahead. He could hardly breathe through the fear. Charging through Greenvale faster than ever, soaring past knights trying to catch him as he arched down, and then swung all the way back up.
Gray {Breath! In out I'm out!}
While trying not to hyperventilate, he pushed mana out with his breath, and pulled spirit mana back in. Just in time to slam his legs into a knight's guarding blade, throwing up back across the large dirt road and into his teammates. Since he canceled out his momentum and injured his ankle, he rolled across the earth and jolted his foot through the dirt to stand. Only to sense something behind him and duck a punch. He couldn't stop, because he was kicked forward into even more guards ready to swarm him.
Gray: "CENIC!"
Gray exploded with a burst of mana, sending it toward the spirits before casting his spell to quickly drop a thick cloud of black smoke around them. With a bit more spirit mana pulled into his body, his eyes finally managed to see through the fog and register each person as a light. A light he punched, kicked, swooped the leg, until a loud scream called out.
"Gisnis"
A random knight cast a wind spell, turning the wind spirits a bright green before shooting out a dense stream of pressure to blow all of the smoke away. Just in time for a Demi-human Spirit hound to sniff out Gray's position and bite onto his vambrace.
Gray: "EEEEEK!"
Ryo watched from above the roofs with Gordon, on the tops of his toes and full of worry. Gordon however was interested to see how Gray did, and how many knights he could drop before they captured him.
Gray {Can't kill them can't accidentally kill them! But I have to use my sword if they're willing to use theirs!}
He flowed mana around his blade just as he did with every other limb in his body, before taking in Spirit mana to turn his entire aura a light blue. Making him move faster, take in the world slower, think more clearly; with the spirits he could do everything easier. So he could block with his blade and carry it to smack another away, dash straight forward and slam his shoulder into a thick cow Demi-human, dodging a fire ball spiraling toward his head, never stopping, carrying his momentum through it all. But he was still punched across the face, hit I'm the back with kicks, slashed against his chest plate with swords, knocking the wind out of him and leaving in scratching for freedom.
Gordon: "Musashi's right. He always fights like a cornered animal. All those kids do."
Ryo: "That's why he acts so quickly. But if he moves without thinking clearly for too long he always reaches a breaking point."
To get out of the crowing stress Gray grabbed toward a ledge and rolled over, only to dodge a kick to the face from a handful of archers. He stood and tried to kick one in the gut, only to have his leg grabbed and his body flung into the hands of the other archers. With his arms bound and an archer preparing to draw his bow, Gray exploded in mana before jumping forward with all his might. In the next second he and the archer went off the building and down to the roof of a cottage. Gray instantly went sliding down the tiles and off the roof, where his face planted into the snow and stood again.
Gray {This is impossible! This village isn't tall enough for me to swing all around or get height to glide, and these dudes actually know how to fight! I'm toast!}
Every other second there was a new face in light armor holding a blade, clashing against Grays shoulder guard and pushing him into another swing. His blade and vambraces gave enough protection to protect his arm from getting slashed off, but with the constant pressure Gray intensely struggled to maintain a constant proper flow with his mana held in. Leaving his armor as his only protection, aside from his rather weak constitution. Although it was growing far more than it was three months ago.
Gray {Just flow mana! It's not that hard! I've done it a thousand times. I can do it one more time! ONE MORE TIME ONE MORE TIME!}
To push past the fear he let his rage, his despair, hold his blade. Flushing mana crosses his body to slash against, and then send a guard flying, before flipping to dodge a cleaving smash and kick him across his armored face. Mid-air, he let his Cloak expand to stop the momentum of a volley of arrows, regrowing over the holes and splashing against more guards to his side. With his arms of mana, he grabbed hold and slammed them face to face.
Gray {I SHOULD PROBABLY DODGE!}
With sheer intuition he kept moving and leaping, just as Ryo instructed, and managed to dodge a stealthy snake Demi-humans dagger. A race mainly found in Walgonia due to Valatrocitus' distrust of the specific species. While rolling he pushed out his mana, before taking as much spirit mana in as possible.
Gray {Now like I practiced, BREAKER!}
And he threw it out - nothing. Just a burst of Spirit pressure instead of the construct he was hoping for. Leaving him open to a kick right across his face from a soldier. That, along with his entire body, burst into what felt like flames due to the sheer pain. He had pushed too far, he wasn't careful, and now he was feeling the results. But he still had mana, he could still move, and he hadn't proved himself. Instead he was doing the opposite.
Gray {WHAT AM I DOING!}
He slapped his face over and over with his palms before jumping onto his feet, staring at the guards slowly circling him on the streets and rooftops. He acted to act, he just had to. In a real battle he'd die instantly. In a real war ground, in Athens, he would never be able to truly survive. Like Soku, Rosemary, Julius, and Edward were countered and defeated, Gray would reach the same fate. But he would never allow that. Even if they thought the same thing.
Gray: "So uh, how long have you guys been knights?"
Nobody answered, a few chuckled, but others stepped forward with smirks. Behind him, to the right, to the left, a head, overhead -
Gray: "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH LOOK OH MY GOD WHAT IN THE HELL!? A HIGH TIER BEAST IN THE VILLAGE!?"
Most of their parents, and all of them on edge, triggered all of their eyes a second long enough for Gray to flow mana and burst through the home ahead. He heard screams of a couple kissing on the couch before he tripped on their rug, fell into their kitchen, and jumped toward their backdoor.
Ryo: "Did they really just fall for that?"
Gordon: "I'll make sure to scold them later."
As he headed into the wide backyard he faced people yet again. This time some stood back, holding out their hands, wands, and staff before screaming into the air.
"IGNUM!" "IGNIS!" "WIGNIS!" "DIGVIC!"
From the left. -
"Igina!" "Wiglet!" "Wiggum!" "Dighal!"
A ball of fire and water, a stream of fire, a spike of stone, a small flaming snake, a barrage of sharp water droplets, a concentrated frosty breeze, and lastly a ball of erupting dust. All of the magic all at once would have been impossible for any fresh knight, maybe even a fresh Leviathan soldier, but Gray's eyes jotted everywhere. There were a few seconds between each cast, due to how long it took to form and say, giving him microseconds to move. His Cloak protected itself on his own, whipping with his body as he pivoted through the snow. Leaned squeaked and swooped down to miss the spike, through his body to the side to dodge the fire ball, before falling to the ground to duck the water ball. With mana around his body he lifted himself on his hands, and then pushed off the ground to get into the air just in time for the flaming snake to burst against the ball of frost. The blast pushed the dust away, while Gray threw his Cloak toward a tree branch and began to swing.
Gray {I can't run forever, I have to fight!}
As he swung, he flipped all the way around, throwing his momentum into his next spiraling punch. It broke the knights nose and sent them to the floor, swiftly dodged a few slashes of a dagger before smashing his leg against their gut to propel them through a wooden gate, blocked a hammer with his vambrace and kicked the Demi-human hound in his groined, before finally grabbing his body to use as a shield against a massive fist.
Gray {I felt it through that dude!}
The armor squished against his face as the knight rolled over, before they both hit the floor. However only Gray looked up at the knight flexing his muscles. A Demi-human, a large Spirit Wolf with a humanoid build and thick armor. Cheered on by the remaining knights all around the couples home. Which left them confused as they peered out the window.
"Stupid Gordon doin' his crazy tests again."
"Didn't he do something like this down the street last Wednesday?"
Further up Gordon and Ryo watched, with Ryo chipping at his nails at the sight of the Demi-human. Gray dove forward, toward the knights still in the backyard running toward him. The knight went in for a sliding slash, so Gray ran and didn't touch the ground, simply gliding over, before slamming his left foot into the snow for his right foot the slam against the knights head.
Gray {Yes! Hope you saw that Ryo!}
And he did, giving out a cheer that Gordon scoffed at. But Gray kept running as fast as he could, with a Wolf right on his tail. He swung his claws right before Gray rolled to the side, into more knights. However all he was forced to freeze when another massive surge of pain set in.
Gray {NO NO! I HAVE MORE MANA! IF I HAVE MANA THEN I HAVE TO MOVE!}
Three knights, two went to swing, and the other sat back with her flame staff pushing out mana.
Gray {USE EVERYTHING!}
Gray threw out his Cloak in two directions into their faces to shove them back, and immediately went toward the mage.
"Igal!"
She created a shield of fire, which Gray could pierce if he wanted to be encompassed in flames. Instead of using an overload of mana, he pushed his mana out to the spirits to destabilize the spell, while wrapping himself in the Cloak to consume the fire. It turned to ash while his fist flung through it, right into her face, all so he could stare back at the Wolf Demi-human pulling in Spirit mana. Ryo went to step in but Gordon's firm wrinkled grip stopped him, letting him see just how far Gray will go.
Gordon: "THIS DOESN'T END UNTIL YOU'RE KNOCKED OUT OR I CALL IT OVER! UNDERSTAND!?"
Gray was shaking and chattering and crying in pain and his blood was boiling and -
Gray: "YEAH I GOT IT LOUD AND CLEAR!!"
He put on the biggest smile he could muster, and stared longingly at the man leaping into the air with a fully charged howl. Ryo pushed Gordon away, but Gray moved faster, throwing out his Cloak as a thick blob into the Knight's mouth that filled his lungs in an instant. It caused him to fall and Gray to pull back, but the sudden shock from the experience had him vomiting, out of the game. In the process he bit the Cloak off with him, but the charm only surged purple. Out of power, unable to regenerate, left to flow half torn in the wind. Charging and cheering were all the knights, guards, and soldiers he had left. It started at a hundred, and after thirty minutes, it was at about eighty, but Gray only had enough energy to stand and run like hell. He didn't look back, he didn't fight, he just ran and ran. Letting mana leak out as he did. To push through the snow, past the on looking children, past the large Spirit animals in their pens, past all the injured on the roads, to the outskirts of the village. He didn't know how long it took him, but he did know there were Dire Wolves on his tail. A Specific type of stronger, more familial Mid-Tier Spirit Beast. Grouping with other wolves and their knights to hunt Gray down with his massive amount of mana.
So Gray laid in the snow, letting it layer over him under a large tree. Before covering himself in the Cloak.
Gray {The Sect used their Cloaks and mask to hide their presence. Only fair to assume one of their leaders' powers did the same thing. Or at least their gear.}
He would be right. It did have a faint corrupted scent, but because it was out of power and not anywhere close to full strength, it was enough to let the crowds rush past and eventually go back to the village to live their lives. Yet Gray would wait. He would wait until nightfall and make his move, before continuing again the next day. Until he would prove himself worthy, without shortcuts.
Gray {When marched up the mountain the first time I failed. I pushed myself too hard and I failed. But when I paced myself, took breaks and slowed down, I made it all the way to the peak. I just have to breathe, wait, be smart about it. No matter how boring and cold it gets. Just use mana, use this surprisingly warm Cloak, use your breath, think about Rosemary.}
He was fighting, but the stakes were far different compared to all the fighting happening. In Walgonia, in Athens, and what was going down right at the Tower.
Irsa: "Come on you useless pig."
In the dungeon, outside of Soku and Rosemary's cell, giving them a disgusting glare.
Irsa: "Why are you smirkin?"
She peered toward Soku, before grabbing her by the collar and smashing her against the wall.
Irsa: "I should impale you right here. Rid your scum from my Country."
Just as Irsa noticed Sokus' chains weren't attached to the wall, Rosemary flung her fist against Irsa's skull with the forth stage charge. Slamming her head against the stone, leaving a bloody imprint and crack on the wall as she slowly moved down.
Soku: "We need to kill her!"
Rosemary: "Come on! We don't have time!"
Rosemary jerked Soku by the collar before leaping out of their cell, off the balcony, and three floors down to kick against the floor. Before she could think, Soku twisted around Rosemary and threw a ball of wind baseball style against the lever to lock the Dragon stone door on the guards running forward.
Soku: "What now!?"
Rosemary: "GO!"
Rosemary blasted toward the large drawer in the right side of the room most of the pipes were flowing into, before grabbing hold and pulling with all of her might. It didn't budge, so she pulled harder, screaming with tears in her eyes. But the fourth stage wasn't enough. So she did something she had never done before, and tried to go even further beyond her current limitations.
Rosemary {The Golden Knights said to never dare, only if you wanted to die, but either way she's gonna die, so I don't see any harm in trying!}
Using the Stages felt like breathing out. The higher the stage the more strained and constrained it was, but she had to push out. Throwing everything out, her pain, her anguish, the weeks of feeling like a failure. Every second since the day on Solon Bay. Every look Calgary gave her. Every time she forced her to fight. Putting it into a pain indestructible, but not as weak as the pain from losing so many so quickly. It was enough to crack the bolts before sending the grate flying off into the third floor. Rosemary was left in tattered clothes with a tattered body, barely able to breathe, but Soku was standing with a small pipe to freedom ahead.
Soku: "What the hell is wrong with you!?"
Rosemary: "GOOOOOOOOO!"
Soku shook to her core, and the doors quickly began to open, so Soku took a gulp. Rosemary saved her at the bay, but Soku squandered it by trying to look past her own hardship. This was it. This was the light, the chance to redeem herself, and Rosemary handed it to her on a silver platter. So she jumped down while the guards rushed Rosemary, but she surrendered, smirking at Irsa and Calgary as they walked forward. Irsa was holding her bleeding head, unable to be mad at Rosemary due to the sense of absolute failure in her soul. Something that just forced her away.
Calgary: "This isn't gonna be good for you y'know. I can't protect you from what happens next."
Rosemary: "I don't matter. I've already won."
Calgary bashed her across the face, but her smile remained, through her bloody teeth. She held the Spirit. The Spirit that forced Soku to charge through the small water ways, let Gray stealthy take down the Knights in the forest, that let Edward break the skulls of Spirit Beasts with his stone made weapons, and lead the force to take back the leader of that lightning. Red Arrows all dressed in regular attire, within buildings. Slowly they slit the throats of Athens guards, helped mostly by Toll, who used her powerful hooves to cave their faces in. To take the few buildings around Leo's gated post. With the Castle of Athens right there to stare over them, watching forever. Beauregard was too busy running off to see what Rosemary was doing to notice the flaming arrows burning Leo's bindings.
"THEY'RE -
The guards keeping him contained, along with the many other prisoners being rapidly freed, attempted to take Leo's head right there. He was a husk, beaten, unable to stand, but now so was the Guard. As his leg was knocked out from under him by a small burst, sent by Peter, from outside the gate with his slingshot. The other Red Arrows cleaved through the gate, using their Demi-human ranks to outpower the guards. The sheer numbers, how fast they were moving, how little time Athens got to act, made it all feel instant. Then came Toll like a cannon, charging faster than a Spirit Horse before leaving them as erupting bundles of blood. Her massive, powerful legs didn't break through the Dragon stone, but instead left their bones shattering inside its cage. With her stature she easily bashed them away, flipped them over her, or threw them like pebbles, while screaming with pride. They all did, while Athens screamed with rage and fury.
All across the road horns went off, calling forth all the guards they could. But Toll already had Leo in her arms with tears in her eyes, and the Red Arrows were cleaving a path for Toll to vanish forward. The world warped, the ground broke, and she went on, snagging people while flashing down the street. To the maximum, to freedom, yelling at the top of her lungs with joy for the first time in what felt like four, long, long years.
Peter: "Welcome home!"
Leo: "...Glad to be…home…"
Peter's plan: Appear, take, and vanish before anything could happen. Completely Successful. Soku jumped out of the drain pipe and onto the shore of the island, unchained as fast as she was chained. Rosemary was put into captivity, far worse captivity. Beaten into submission over and over, but it would never hurt as bad as her stages, as her life. But for now, she was happy, with hope once again. Even more so due to the instantly spread word of Leo's freedom, and Bearguards absolute rage. Calling forth mass burnings all across the capital, of any building that may hold Red Arrows. Just thirty minutes after Leo was saved.
A few hours after he was saved, Gray stepped into Gordon's home. He hadn't defeated them all, but for now he didn't feel like he had to. So he walked in and shut the door to the freezing cold, seeing the many armors across the walls. And Gordon right ahead.
Gordon: "Ballsy to come here, no?"
Gray: "That's for the morning. Now, I just want to talk."
Gray runs up to a set of Musashi's Armor placed under a portrait of his face.
Gray: "Dark blue and black armor, what's with the mouth guards? They look like something a samurai would wear."
Gordon: "It is a symbolic peace. All Leviathan soldiers get a design made for them by their trainers…and it's a pain in the ass. But what did you wanna ask me? So I can call the guards to kick your ass."
Gray: "Can you tell me about the Demi-human war?"
Gordon was instantly surprised, but chose to speak while leading him out into the training field. Under the falling snow, the bright beautiful stars, all alone.
Gordon: "Why?"
Gray: "I keep hearing people mention it and I'm tired of being left out of the loop."
Gordon: "Oh, I guess you said you don't know about anything, well then, of course.."
Gray: "Really?"
Gordon: "Yes, but I'll tell you more whilst we train. Now pick up a sword and grab some training armor from over there, I'll be waiting outside with Ryo."
So Gray does as Gordon explains, taking out a wooden broad sword before he walks back, this time seeing Ryo waiting as well, standing out as always.
Gordon: "Now I'm not the best swordsman but neither is Ryo. Unlike Ryo, I'm not a prodigy, and I learned from past Leviathan army soldiers, so I might be a better teacher."
Ryo: "You both made it! Now what will we be teaching?"
Gordon: "I want to get the basics down first."
Gray: "Basics? I need to get to Athens FAST! I learned the basics with Musashi and again with you and Ryo! I don't need them again!"
Gordon: "Okay, if you say so. START NOW!"
Gordon and Gray quickly jump into action and start to practice while Gordon begins his story.
Gordon: "Around seventy years ago a group of Demi-humans in Valatrocitus escaped from their enslavement in Petal Forest. That led to an explosion of similar rebellions across the countries and quickly led to a continent-wide war. They freed other demi-humans to grow their army, so by the time other countries stepped in the demi-humans had a sizable army."
They were words purely taken from History, not his own recollection. Something Gray found himself strangely picking up on. Relating to another fish out of water, even if that fish was in his sixties.
Gray: "MM, how long have you been working for Walgonia?
Gordon: "Me? Twenty years, I'm from Oni-mas. I didn't even get here until after the war ended, so honestly I'm not the best source. But that was just an overview, we can't waste time on specifics."
Gray swings his sword, clashing against Gordons over and over. Gray struggled to focus a low powered flow around the blade, sliding to the side in an attempt to catch his focus, and his breath.
Gordon: "After a while The Blackbeard pirates got involved, sending out the Gravestone pirates to help with the Demi-human side. Sending ripples across the Southern Islands for years. Walgonia and Athens wanted to give demi-humans the rights they wanted, while Ravoria and Valatrocitus wanted to kill them all. After a while Valatrocitus left the war, leaving Ravoria and forcing them to leave the war as well. And then Musashi and Gotsu killed the rebellion's last leaders, ending the physical side of the conflict, and in the eyes of the masses it ended the war entirely."
Gordon didn't let up, slamming the wooden sword against Gray's body with a volley of quick hits. Gray let out a burst of mana, sending a shiver through every muscle in his body, but forcing Gordon to back off.
Gordon: "That was just a quick overview, I didn't go into the details, especially with Valatrocitus, but that's not what matters right now. What does matter is you getting ready to head to Athens and help end that damn civil war."
Gray: "And you can't help me out with that?"
Gordon: "I have to prepare these soldiers. After the war ended twenty years ago, the Leviathan army became soft, and since I've come here I have become soft too. But most importantly, I have faith in you and for friends."
Gray smiled, refining his flow for a brief moment. He returned the favor and let out his own volley of strikes, overpowering Gordon's weaker flow and causing his sword to splinter. However he slid under Gray, sliding his legs beneath him and dropping him to the ground. His focus was lost and his flow fizzled away, leaving him rolling across the snowy ground in a panic to dodge a direct hit to the face.
Ryo: "Gray, would you show Gordon what you've been learning."
Gordon: "Yeah show me, so we know it was worth it after all."
Gray takes a deep breath, pulls the spirits into his body, and enters the spirit sense. He then gets into position while his eyes darkened, with a bit of white light shining from within.
Gordon: "You taught him the proper stance and the technique, good. Now let's see if you taught him how to use it too."
Gray {He isn't a sword master, and he's old so I can use that. I can use this to really show off! And get back at him for all the times he hit me.}
Gray flows mana throughout his body and starts to move forward.
Gordon {He's fast!}
Gray performs a flurry of fast strikes, all blocked or dodged by Gordon. But Gray is fast enough to block any of Gordon's counter attacks.
Gordon (Good, he's keeping up.}
Gray jumps back and then right toward Gordon, which Gordon promptly blocks, but Gray wants this and he uses Gordon's sword to flip himself into the air. Whilst in the air he sends the cloak into two pieces and grabs onto the ground, stretching like a slingshot. He flings himself towards Gordon's back while spinning like a wheel, but Gordon swiftly moves out of the way. This allows Gray to land and prepare a special move.
Gordon: "THAT WAS A GOOD SHOWING OF HOW CREATIVE YOU CAN BE!"
Gray: "THANKS! NOW WATCH THIS!"
Gray slides one foot back and one foot forward raises his sword in the air and flows the maximum amount of mana he can handle throughout his body. He lastly pulls in and slows the spirit mana around the wooden sword and swings it down as hard as he can, launching a spiritual blade at Gordon.
Gray: "BREAKER!"
Gordon swings his sword at the attack, barely being able to stop it, being pushed back into the snow.
Gray: "See? Strong right?"
Gordon: "That was good, but I waited for you to charge up that move. A real enemy wouldn't let that happen."
Gray: "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll get back to that, and can you make my amour, please. I'm itching to meet up with everybody, kinda so I can show off."
Gordon: "I've already had it prepared, so it should be ready shortly."
With that, the battle ends, Gordon and Gray stopping their mana and patting the snow off of themselves. Under the warm sun and the freezing winds they walk from the outside training grounds and into the main building. With Ryo following right behind them.
Ryo: "I'll go take care of that. You need light, darker armor that fits your fighting style. It's reactive and nimble, so you need to have enough freedom to do that. Will you be wearing that mask?"
Gray: "I think so. It hides my mana sense so it has actual use other than a personal meaning. And I think the cloak does that as well, so it's like a double boost!"
Ryo: "I can make you a metal one for headgear if you would like?"
Gray: "I'm good, I would rather use this one. I'll take you up on that offer if this one breaks though."
Gordon: "Alright already!"
When Gray looked around all he saw were guards, chasing him off into the night. Screaming, half asleep, and freezing cold.
Gray {I was able to fight Gordon, push myself, and keep up! I didn't break myself trying or run out of gas instantly either! I know Gordon isn't a super strong dude, but he's on par with advanced soldiers! If I can be on par with them, then I'll be a real knight! Better even! But I have to get through this first! And then I'll see you, I promise, Rosemary!}