Arc 4: What families entail
"It's been hard for us, for a long time, I still can't believe what Athens has become."
The words of the Demi-human woman in Rosemary's cell, unwilling to say her name, only speaking with what little strength she had in her old body.
"I was born after the war ended. My family came here to escape the harsh words of Walgonia. And here I am. It's crazy right?"
Rosemary: "The world is flipping on its head everywhere. Like something that's been building for a while is finally exploding."
Twenty years ago the Seventy Year Long War Ended. Started by the Enslaved Demi-humans stolen and bought from the Southern Islands a two centuries prior revolting. From camp after camp, home after home, field after field, all across the countries. Building and building into the Demi-human Army. With no real leader. Instead a mass of ideology; they fought for the fallen, and for the chance things might change. And over those seventy years, things slowly shifted.
Rosemary: "There were a lot of groups around Saga, but a lot in Walgonia. Against Demi-humans, for Demi-humans. It was awful to see first hand how Walgonia handled them all. Sending out the Golden Knights, guilds, whatever they had, saving their own strength and their name to silence to chaos."
"It's probably why the Sect has grown so much. And why the extremists are doing whatever they can to stay afloat. To make a statement, and change the world to how they see it. Beauregard, the Sect, kings and queens all around."
It started with banning slavery, and freeing Demi-humans from whatever parts of Walgonia resisted. Setting up borders, districts for only Demi-humans. But still protests, war, and the Demi-human war broke down the walls of the old Walgonians. Leading to mass changing laws and borders, to allow them the same rights as everybody else. Taking a bit longer for all Demi-humans, no matter their species, the same chance.
Rosemary: "I wonder what made Beauregard feel such hatred. He grew up in a land that admired the Demi-humans right? Athens always cared about physical might, so they fit right in once the laws started changing."
"That's what it should be. But it's just not that simple. Even if something happened to make him angry, nothing could excuse what he's done. All the murder, the chaos. He's ruined Athens, maybe forever."
Soon after Walgonia's banning of slavery and changing of laws, Athens followed. But it took Valatroctius a while before anything happened. Only when Cornelius the Third took rein did things instantly turn for the better, but Ravoria never changed. Only growing worse and more secretive. Still slavery was banned all across Saga. As the rights shifted, the Demi-human army lessened, and the Gravestone pirates forces were defeated, Saga had begun to settle and shift toward a better land. But that was still a dream by many to this day.
"I was a kid, but I'll never forget the looks I got. How my mother couldn't get jobs, how my father was treated like trash. Getting thrown out of housing, not being able to eat at restaurants or shop at stores. Athens was like a dream. But now those eyes are accompanied with blades."
Groups of protestors and armies came and went. Preaching for either unity, rebellion, or destruction. All around. No matter if you lived in Walgonia, Valatroctius, or Ravoria you were screamed at. Those of other skin colors were more rare, but you would only find trouble in Ravoria for the most part. However, before the Demi-humans came over and started appearing around Saga, they had it just as bad. All of them Beaten. Killed. Depending on your size or species you weren't given housing, loans, jobs, a real chance at life. You could be bashed with rocks, beaten and thrown to the street, scared into your home forever and the country wouldn't care.
Rosemary: "Do you really think Athens is doomed?"
"Not yet. But the scars will never leave. Do you think you have the strength to keep fighting? After how far you've seemed to have fallen. Even if you've finally started looking better."
Rosemary: "I'm…I'm trying to fight as hard as my friends. I can't sit and wait for something to happen, to be saved or killed. I have to get ready. I can't fight my way out, so I have to train the only way I can. The way a GoldenKnight should train. Calmly, flowing out my stages like it's a part of me."
"Will willpower and hope be enough to defeat an army?"
Rosemary: "it's happened before, many times before. Who says it can't happen again."
Rosemary's smile hadn't returned, but her heart had slowly begun beating again. It wasn't from a grand moment of realization, but a slow crawl through the dark. With the knowledge her escape from the GoldenKnights meant nothing in the end. That their deaths were not her fault, no matter how terrible they were to her.
"Even if you save it. The Demi-humans may never return. They'll leave, like they've been doing for over twenty years. Back to the Southern Islands, to Gaia. Anywhere but here, in a hell that hates us."
Without borders blocking them the Demi-humans moved to the Ever-Biomes, creating the only other race borders in Saga, Ravoria having the others. The Ever-Lagoon in Walgonia, and the Ever-Forest, Ever-Bog, and Ever-Desert in Valatroctius. Still cities, towns, and mainly villages formed where mainly or only Demi-humans lived. To sleep safe at night. Small parties formed only to be crushed. Never letting something like a Demi-human army form again due to a deep, irremovable fear.
"My people may never be able to sleep safely in Saga."
Feeding into anarchy. The largest, most powerful rebel group in the world. The Blackbeard Pirates in the Southern Islands rivaled their size, and the Navy was far larger, but with the Upper Pillars strength, it might make them the most powerful group alive. Unbeatable together. Unifying all the races, to destroy what has weighed them down, the world that seems to hate them so much, and make something worth living in. No matter what it takes. Not absolute anarchy in definition, but a true Sect. However, because of the Sect, groups were forming that would have never gotten together before. Survivors human and Demi-human, using affinities, smarts, or pure will to fight through the Sect to safety. Demi-human parties going around to help anyone, to the same with human groups. Growing larger, begrudgingly or happily working together for a greater hole. The knights that once looked at one another in fear or disgust now relied on them, screaming for their might.
Rosemary: "I think, I hope, that all of this can bring us together. Or at least start to."
"I hope so too."
In a world of magic, of grand power, the hurt and beaten of the world could grow to destroy it. To absolutely hate it with everything in their core. Bearguard felt it, the people of Athens, Walgonia, and especially the Sect. A home for the broken, to house and empower, for them to become true dangers to society. The many camps around Walgonia, big or small, within populated places or Spirit Biomes, faced that rage everyday. The people of Walgonia felt it Constant speeches through the streets, interrogating, stealing, beating touching killing torturing pain -
Walgonia was being broken. Even now, the strongest camp in Walgonia, holding four thousand out of what used to be fifty thousand. Across all the soldiers, guards, knights, elite knights, and royal guards in the country. Taking in a lot of the remaining guilds and militias after the constant wars, battles, and their own hardships through the years. Right now, the alpha camp had the Knights best swordsmen Lanner, the best archer Carlos, the best Earth mage Gabby, the best fire mage Venyet, and the physically strongest knight, Walter. It had a few other stronger knights and healers, like Chris, one of Walgonia's best strategists. However, what set it apart from the others was one glowing difference; Gray Kyojin was temporarily a part of the camp, prepared to fight the incoming army of anarchists.
Chris: "What do you mean she has a tracker?"
They all stood around Red, listening to her laughs while Gray's panic overwhelmed it.
Gray: "I sensed a seal over her OD, and look how she's reacting!"
Chris: "If it's putting off a signal then the dampening crystals have turned it off! But if the corruption went through, the signal may be weak. The Spirit Biome we're in could throw it off enough to make us safe."
Red: "As long as they know I'm in this swamp they'll be here any second! To rip it out of the earth!"
Gabby looked around, desperately trying to figure out what she should do, but Chris got off her shoulder to stand on his crutch proudly.
Chris: "Then we leave. Guren is where Jong is, so it looks like you're coming with us on one last mission, Gray."
Gray: "Guess I am. But what about the tracker!"
Gabby: "We could kill her! That would stop the tracker!"
Gray instantly stopped, unable to, about to scream out in a rage, but he bit his lip to calm himself.
Gray: "No, and even if we do they already know where we are. We have to use the tracker to our advantage."
Gabby: "The fastest way out of the Swamp and to Guren is through the Corrupted swamp growing!"
Gray: "Huh?"
They were in a relatively small Spirit Biome compared to the Ever-Spirit Biomes around, a swamp for a few centuries. However, like a crescent, it has begun to shape and twist into a corrupted swampy forest. Filled with dangerous, all be it mostly Low-Tier beasts, that were only growing and forming into stronger and stronger monsters.
Gray: "Then let me lead them through the forest! I swear!"
Chris: "it's way too dangerous. I don't want to lose all my men before we reach Jong. Guren is a big city, for Walgonia at least. We'll have to go around, and we'll reach Guren by nightfall. We've already been preparing to leave."
Gray: "Then let me take the tracker into the forest! I'll take all the Sect on our tail into the swamp and get them distracted while you leave."
Red: "YOU'D LET ALL MY FRIENDS DIE TO CORRUPTED BEASTS!"
Gray: "No no not like that! I'll talk if I can but it's just to get them away from the swamp! You know I'll try and save as many people as I can!"
Red: "YOU'RE JUST ALL TALK! YOU ALL ARE! RATS RATS DAMMIT! WHY DID I SPEAK TO YOU!? WHY DID I FAIL MY FAMILY!? I NEED TO DIE DIE DIE! I NEED TO! DAMMIT WHY!? WHY DID YOU MAKE ME DO THIS!?"
Gray pulled back, fighting a strong mix of very different emotions, now facing horrific flashes of Jeremiah's death. His blood still on his hands.
Gray: "I'M TRYING TO HELP!"
Red: "ALL YOU'RE DOING IS SLAUGHTERING PEOPLE! DID YOU HELP KIOSHI OR MUSASHI IN THE CASTLE!? NO! THEIR DEAD! WALGONIA STRONGEST, THE WORLDS STRONGEST, FELL LIKE RATS! FROZEN BY FEAR! UNABLE TO BREAK ANY BIT OF THE WORLD THEY FIGHT SO HARD TO PROTECT, EVEN IF IT MEANS TO COMPLETE ERDICATION OF EVERYTHING THEY BUILT!"
Her words struck a cord in everybody. Quickly spreading almost in instant with screams of terror, sadness, and extreme surprise. Learning the truth, that Musashi and Kioshi were really dead.
Red: "YOU'VE DONE NOTHING! ALL THE ANARCHISTS YOU SAVE JUST GET KILLED BY KNIGHTS! WHERE IS CONNA!? WHERE IS MARKER!? WHERE IS MY FAMILY DAMMIT!?"
Chris: "The other Anarchists got away if it makes you feel better! You can't sit here and scream at this kid when you do so much worse! Sending out the dead, your own people, eroding their souls for your bloodlust!"
Gray pushed Chris away, swallowing his guilt with all his might, and stepped toward Red. However her words had already shattered a lot of the hopes in the camp, and would spread through the coming months, from this event and the many others revealing the broader truth. It wouldn't stop them from fighting, it just made the safety net disappear. Making this battle all the more terrifying.
Gray: "Chris, where's Dema?"
Chris: "She's safe, healing nearby."
Gray: "I'm gonna take her, and remove the crystals so they can close in."
Red: "So you're truly going to turn us into lambs for the slaughter. Even low-tier corrupted beasts are as strong as most Mid-tiers, and far, far more terrifying. Harder to kill. Easier to die. You send us off to worse fates than what Ravoria hands out. Truly a spectacle huh? How are you going to live with yourself if you seem to struggle so much already."
Gray pulled back once again. His confidence pushed over. His body was still broken, wrapped in bandages. His face was bruised, scratched, and swollen. The bags that used to hang so heavy are returning once again. Until the weight froze, as a familiar hand held his shoulder.
Lanner: "He's gonna live with himself because he's not gonna do it. I am."
Gray: "Don't try and get yourself killed because of pride! I can do it!"
Lanner: "I won't let you destroy yourself for this! You're beaten up! Even if you're stronger, which you're not, you'd die in seconds in that forest! I'll do it. Let us take the weight. We aren't useless. You don't have to do everything. Ask for help once and a while, understand?"
Gray: "Yeah…sorry…thanks."
Red surged and squeezed with rage. Her small strands of hair painfully waved in the cold wind. Such wind like daggers against her scorched flesh, sand dry lips, bloody gums, snipped ears. Every part of her body, destroyed just because she was a Demi-human trafficked into Ravoria, screaming at Walgonia's breath. At Walgonia itself. And everyone within. Her pain is ever lasting, physically and emotionally. Forced to be taken by Lanner and led into the forest. Gray was forced to watch while Chris and the others called him to help. They were all moving to Guren. But Gray couldn't move. All he could do was look toward Lanner, toward Red, and all the Sect that were most likely going to arrive around him.
Gray {I'm not strong. Musashi was the strongest swordsman, Kioshi the strongest ever, and Ryo the best Spirit Arts user. I've been taught by the greatest, but I've only been here for what, four months!? Even if it feels a whole lot longer I'm so far low on the chopping block is laughable. Why do I think I can help!? Why do I think I can fight!? Why do I keep breaking myself over and over, wasting time, letting my friends get beaten up in Athens while I destroy my body. Killing people. Killing so many people, dammit, even if it's not with my own hands!}
All the heroes in the stories had a grand power. Something that sets them apart. From another planet, given powers from some creature or device. They struggle at first but learn the ropes, they're strong. Fight villains, get a lair, have adventures. Even in the darker stories the hero has something. And Gray did have something, but he didn't get a year of training to learn or prepare for it. His body was adapting quickly, becoming something completely different than the below average human he used to be. But in the end, when he looked in the mirror, he still couldn't help but see the same frail boy he always was. Now he was a bit thicker, but still skinny and lanky. He had actual definition in his muscles but he had no bulk to show off, slowly turning into a muscular skeleton. All he saw was an ugly useless weak sad pitiful -
Carlos: "Dude, panic while you come with me, okay?"
The Archer, the young Owl Demi-human, chipper and motion for Gray to come along.
Gray: "...I can't let him go alone."
Carlos: "Then go help, after you come with me!"
Carlos grabbed Gray by the back of his chestplate and tugged him along, passed the rushing soldiers, up a hill, and into a small empty tent filled with armor.
Carlos: "The stuff you're wearing was nice but it's all bashed up."
Gray: "What! No it isn't! This Leviathan army made Knight gear!"
He had broken his vambraces in the first battle, his shoulder pads in Bruge, and left his chest plate and leg guards covered in scratches, warping spots, and cracks. His chest plates brown straps even snapped, as Carlos' tugs broke it the rest of the way.
Carlos: "The armor fit you but it couldn't handle all of your mana right? Take this, old Walgonian Elite armor. From what Chris tells me you more than deserve it."
Gray: "I don't know about that, but, but I need it if I want to keep going."
Carlos: "Um, yeah. Here, go get your Earth Bound Dragon after."
He waved, tossing a bag into Gray's arms that pulled him to the floor. Surging in pain due to his various injuries.
Gray: "Well let's see what we're working with."
He thought of the outfit he got summoned in as his base costume, his original look, the classic, and one he wore for years. He had his jacket, pants, and shoes placed away for safe keeping in a bag in Demas saddle now. His Alpha outfit was what Al measured him for. The simple light dark chest plate, shoulder and shoulder guards. Along with a torn red cloak, thick brown gloves, over top his original outfit in the Knight Exams. Beta was the lighter silver, slightly heavier, rounder chest plate, vambraces, leg guards, and his Leviathan outfit, belt, and some black shoes. But now was time for the next stage, an outfit that both fit, was good quality, and catered to his style.
Gray: "One more thing."
He took out something from a pocket on the side of his belt, holding some Spirit cherry berries he snagged yesterday, and a needle and thread. Allowing him to quickly use one of his only real skills, and quickly sow the bottom of a broken metal boot onto the bottoms of his black shoes. Acting as metal sholes.
Gray: "Now, for the Mark 1!"
Trying to mask the building anxiety, he took a broad stance. Yet again slightly heavier gear, a chest plate, vambraces, leg guards, and black gloves overtop his Leviathan gear. With his short sword on his back, his Cloak flowing out, and a forced smile on his face, he felt slightly ready. The biggest difference in the armor was that it was plated. Dense plates together allow for more flexible movement, however not allowing the armor to be as thick as the current Elite gear. Held over his shoulders and sides with black straps.
Gray: "Now…Step on!"
But he couldn't leave the tent. So many people rushing it was deafening. Shouts of cheers, sadness, anger. So much commotion and chaos it felt like a war. His heart was beating so much it hurt, far more than in the battles. The town broke when Dema was hurt, again in Bruge. But without a real battle, Lanner's hand, or Carlos' words, he was stuck. Suiting up only made him feel like a loser imposter poser baby instead of the real Knight he thought it would. The armor was a little rusty, scratched, worn. Gray's hair was growing to be a bit shaggy, he was dirt, sweaty, his Leviathan clothes were already covered in small stitches, and his right arm was currently bound in a cast under his armor.
Gray {COME ON! DAMMIT! FOR ROSEMARY! FOR EVERYBODY!"
It was useless.
Gray {COME ON! COME ON COME ON!}
He bit his lip so hard it bled, it was useless.
Gray {PLEASE JUST LET ME MOVE!}
He sweated with mana in his right arm, forcing himself to feel horrid pain while tearing off all the small bandages on his body. It caused the cast to slightly burn under the roaring engine of purple mana, sizzling breaking and turning to ash. Freeing his arm to show the bruising. And stepped out of the tent into the commotion, staring out down toward the bottom of the swamp. Filled with carriage lizards and dire wolves ready to pull wagon after wagon of Knights. Once again trying to swallow his feelings, and step into the known. Staring at Dema awaiting him with Chris and the others.
Gray {Okay. Breathe, and go forward.}
He'd reach his friends. Not today, and probably not tomorrow, but he'd reach them as fast as possible. But they fought as hard as possible to free Athens in the meantime. His appearance wouldn't cause a great shift, and he knew that, but for some reason unbeknownst to him, they all saw him as a light that helped guide them down the road of fear and hardship. He was a man empowered by the world. A man who used the world's energy for strength. To save the world that saved him. While the swamp roared against it.
They moved forward, pushing out of the Swamp as fast as possible, while Lanner pulled Red through the sloshy wet ground by her chain, freeing her of the mana damping crystals for the signal to reach the Sect. But Athens was moving too, more unusual than normal, as they were finally acting on a tradition that was supposed to be yearly. One that hasn't happened in four years, since the beginning of the war. Leading to five Warriors walking up Mount Yelira arguing to one another.
"This is so boring! When was the last time this thing went off!?"
"Like five hundred years ago. But ever since we've had Valor stop it."
"We have to check! That's how we know whether to call it Valor or not!"
The oldest, the most gruff, and the largest of the group stopped them. Smelling the hot air before placing a golden device against the hard ground. It was square, lighting up with blue seals while it pulled in mana from beneath the earth. Pulling toward the round crystal in the center.
"Let me guess, nothing?"
It began to ring like crazy, forcing the old warrior into an intense panic. The others followed suit, running down the mountain as fast as they could. But they were met with some trouble.
"I smell a Spirit Beast!"
"No, it's corrupted -
From the shadows somebody dashed out, slitting the throat of a Warrior between the slits in their Dragon stone armor with just a rusty knife. However the Warrior didn't die without cleaving the man in the stomach with his mace. Only for the guts, skin, and flesh to peel back together in moments. He hit the ground, slowly blinking, everything becoming dark. He watched his friend try and slash with his blade, screaming with vigor, slashing through his arm. His leg. Crushing his face without any help. But it only stood up again and again, slaughtered again and again. They only got slower, but he only got angrier, feeling the pain. All of it. But he only laughed, taking their weapons, their armor, anything he could to defend. To bash their heads in. Stabbing through the slits every time with insane precision, leaving them bloody and hardly able to stand bit by bit. It took a while, but eventually, they all couldn't run anymore, and he was still laughing. The warrior closed his eyes, knowing he had lost, and that their king would never learn the truth.
But the figure took their armor, their device that detected the almost bursting Mount Yelira, and began marching toward Athens castle, ready to do it himself.
Lanner: "Stop holding me back!"
Red: "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!"
Still, as said, the world was moving, and Walgonia pushed through. The Sect were only getting closer, Lanner was only getting deeper into the forest, and Walgonia's forces were going through the disgusting, beast infested water, to exit the bog and head toward the nearby city of Guren.
Lanner {It's great I get to fight off some Sect and Spirit Beasts…But i can't help but feel like that was the last time I'm going to get to speak to my friends.}
Lanner jerked his head to a whisper. Nothing but a bubbling, oozing, smelly swamp. Looking eyes with a small glowing green frog.
Lanner: "Stop messing with me!"
Red: "I didn't speak to you idiot!"
Lanner looked all around, slowly stepping forward. Noticing how the tree bark was bending, getting thicker, more jagged. The leaves are sharper, dead but still on the branch even with the harsh wind and snow melting around. The fog was growing harsher, and the eyes of the swamp were beginning to stare in.
Lanner {This is it. The corrupted swamp. Or forest? Whatever.}
He placed his hand on one of the two blades on his back, gripping the light blue hilt as tightly as he could. Red shuffled closer, holding the chain so it didn't rattle. Until the ground beneath her lashed out.
Red: "AHHHHHHHHHH!"
She squealed like a little girl, jumping toward Lanner as the grass beneath her feet chopped at her feet. A Grass Snatcher, a low tier corrupted Earth Spirit, living shrubbery. It triggered Lanner to quickly dash forward, almost getting his arm caught by a red, slimy, fleshy tendril.
Lanner: "Shit!"
A Behinder, a Low-tier spiritbeast built like a flower. Hiding behind the tree Lanner was staring at, right at its flower-like head of teeth ready to lunge with its four tendrils. Lanner instantly slashed through, tugging Red along as he began to run through the corrupted swamp. Splashing along, slicing through a small Low Tier Latch Crab, screaming DevilBat, angry Stone Snapping Turtle, whilst a Crooked shambled at high speeds toward Red. A humanoid, broken, angled body bleeding and trying to slowly absorb Red's essence. Roaring, sounding like Lanners angry father, while Red heard the Ravorian Soldiers.
Lanner: "They weren't kidding when they said the Low Tiers were tough!"
The might of a Spirit Beast was always filled with variables. In their natural habitat, they were stronger. A beast of any tier, high or low, from a smaller Spirit Biome would always lose to the same tired beast from a bigger biome. Making the Low tier beast of Gaia the strongest Low Tier Beasts in the World, and these Corrupted Beasts relatively weaker compared to others. But through all the biomes, water, fire, earth, the sky, swamps, snow, volcanos, deserts, caves. Different beasts for every kind of biome, no matter how niche it was. The corrupted ones would always be the trickiest, and the scariest. The strongest category of beasts, right above Volcano beasts.
Even still Lanner tightened his legs, twisted his hips, and blasted past, then, back, then past again through the Crooked. Leaving it in pieces trying to ooze back together, but he stabbed its large, exposed, purple glowing heart, and stopped it. He breathed a sigh of relief, trying to mutter a rhyme in his head to overcome the whispers. The fear in every cell, stabbing into him. Red on the other hand was protected. The corrupted temporary seal over her OD allowing the Sect to track her location also required her OD to be blessed. Protecting her from corruption as long as the seal is active, leaving her free from the magical fear. Only for her to fall from real fear.
Red: "Don't stop -
Her eyes perked up, as the seal sizzled. Triggering Lannner to explode up toward the trees.
Red: "DAMMIT STOP IT! HERE HERE HERE!"
But Lanner knew that they were already on top of him. Emerging from the trees like shadows, only their white mask seen through the darkness, along with the glimmer of their blades. Elites, clashing three times in the air before he landed on a branch, Leaving Red swinging and flailing, pulled through the hell screaming and struggling to get free of the chains.
Red {I'M SO STUPID!}
She quickly spit acid toward the chain, weak and little due to her scorched body. So she had to try over and over to muster enough to eat through the chains. But she instantly found the flaw, as when Lanner bolted from tree to tree, the chains snapped one by one. Ready to drop her far below.
Red {I'M EVEN DUMBER!}
Lanner barely managed to step on each branch, swinging like the wind through each anarchist in his path. They fired off shots of fire, water, earth, and arrows. All of which Lanner cleaved through with his duel swords. Round and round, firmly, shaping the momentum to empower his slash before stopping and doing it again. Unlike Gray's technique taught by Musashi, of constantly flowing momentum at all times to maximize everything, relying on your moment to moment reaction time and creativity.
Red: "ASSIST ME NOW! BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!"
Lanner slid across the mud, leaving Red flying around behind him, just out of the way of his duel air slashes. The few Sect big and small changing forth, screaming and weapons in hand, split into pieces in a gory eruption of blood and cries. Fear shuttered through the rest, missing firing arrows and magic, but still they charged in.
"Back up!"
The Sect member aimed his musket, only to scream with pain as it combust in his hands. However he was quickly silenced by a swarm of DevilBats picking away at his flesh.
"OW OW OW! STOP HELP HELP PLEASE!"
Lanner kept running, snagging and swinging Red like a weapon to smash the face of a Demi-human charging forward. The Swamp was calling out, croaking, swelling with fumes. The smell of blood and fear in the air instantly called forth the many monsters in the forest. Calling for an all out war, between the Sect, the monsters, and the lone Duel Swordsmen of Walgonia. A Behinder used its tendril to pull in a young anarchist, cracking its body open like an egg with its wooden teeth to drink the blood like its yolk. An injured Anarchist ran toward a pale figure in the fog, a dagger out just in case, but failed to react in time as the Pale Man's lanky nub for an arm pierced him. Seven foot, skeletal, humanoid, without a face, Why, he felt. A Demi-human that fought so hard for his people's future, screaming his lungs out while he was rapidly stabbed and eaten alive. Children, young men and women, veterans, anybody and everybody, lost to the forest. The dangers of Spirit Beasts, the first rulers of the world.
Through those horrid screams, of will and fear, through the echoes eating into his mind, through the stacking beasts and anarchists, Lanner smirked. A crazed glare that only exists when you truly live for the fight in his eye shined bright through the fog.
Lanner: "Cesnic!"
He used his defensive Spirit arts affinity to flash mana through his eyes, freeing his vision of any illusions. Clearing the fog in an instant, so bring on the fight. Anarchists after anarchists, air slash after air slash, like a bursting tornado. Thrusting, lunging, leaping, twisting, and blitzing forward with all his might every time to take down whatever was in his way. Stopped. And did it all again.
"Ignum!"
A close ball of fire was slashed in two in an instant, while a blast of piercing water almost stabbed through his gauntlet. It was his own mana, as well as Spirit mana, focused and dense that stopped the piercing shot. It was only a sudden stop, going toward the ground with his swords by his back, before exploding all around. Step step step jump off tree slash back dive off ground flip slash air slash air slash drop spin twist air slash ankle kick slash cleave slash slash slash
Lanner: "FOOOOR WALL GOOO III AAAA!!!!!"
Weak arrows and magic continued to erupt around him, grave him, leave him burnt, bleeding and wheezing, but it didn't matter. Red, covered in lashes from being drugged all this way, finally got free of her chains, and lunged toward Lanner. Yet she was met with a swift kick to the back of the face, further broken and thrown back, but rejoining her family.
Lanner {Shit! I'm failing! I need to end her, right now!}
He took a breath, and focused toward the spirits. Bursting into the Spirit Sense before screaming out -
Lanner: "EL-ARMIC!"
His swords glowed brightly with bright blue Spirit mana, empowering every slash. Making his job even easier, through trees, through beasts, and any Sect member in his path.
"EL-IGNIS!"
An enormous stream of fire was sent his way, only to be dodged, left for the swamp to eat away at the flames to protect itself. His charged blades of wind came after, through the mages preparing their spells and archers drawing their bows. Every second he was moving, both away and around the Sect, looking desperately for Red. More spirit beasts began charging forward, taking down the weak. Humanoid shadowy Shade Walkers swarmed the half dead in groups to dismember them. The six eyed, child sized, frail skinned Acid Crawlers sprayed acid from trees to melt them down with vicious precision before taking their feast.
Conna: "Walgonian!"
A voice rang out, before a large slash of surging red mana spiraled through the swamp. Cutting through the many trees, Spirit Beasts, and pools of mud along the way, while Lanner held his swords together.
Lanner: "El-Walnic!"
A dome of bright blue mana formed around Lanner just in time to absorb the rest of the blast. Sending Lanner flying back through shrubs, staring up at a baby's face.
Lanner: "UUUUUUUUUUAG!""
The baby's face was connected to a body to a frail, humanoid, red, oozing, four razor sharp fingered body. A Cupid, giggling while trading a quick flurry of blows with the fearful Lanner, before Lanner's blade cut right through its fingers. Clearing way for Lanner to cleave the baby head right off, into the single hand of Conna. Heavily bandaged, hardly able to stand from the battle of Bruge, throwing her friend some extra clothes. She stepped closer, Red began to put on her black garbs, and the remaining Sect members sleeked out of the shadows with blades, wands, bows, muskets, claws, fangs, horns, and hands ready.
Lanner: "All of you guys against me? Wanna call a few more guys and make it even."
Conna: "Such useless words from a useless man."
Blasting through the trees at rocketing speeds, drizzling out purple mana whilst taking in blue Spirit mana, trying to smile and scream his guts out to mask the fear and regret swarming his gut.
Gray: "COME ON, THAT WAS A GOOD LINE!"
Gray had his sword ready, slashing through an anarchist before sliding off Dema to fully clash against Conna.
Gray: "Now for our short rematch!"
Conna struggled with her single arm. However the smile on Gray's face made her so mad it didn't matter, throwing that anger in to match Gray's semi-strong flow and harsh momentum. Dema kept flying, circling Lanner before flying under his feet to thrust him onto her saddle. Without a thought he took the reins with one hand and held out a blade with another, slicing through what felt like billions of sticks, leaves, and branches. Targeting all the Sect sitting in trees, leaping into action, preparing magic from afar. Screaming and smiling like it was his birthday with Gray's appearance. However he couldn't help but feel confused, a bit aggravated, and call out to Gray amidst the battle.
Lanner: "What are you doing!? Aren't you supposed to be with the others!?"
Gray: "You think I'd let you run off and die by yourself!?"
No, he never would, ever ever again. Even though he's only known him for a few minutes all together. Dashing through the thick mud to clash and cut right through their weapons, before twisting the blade in his hands and swinging back to cut through them instead. Demi-humans slammed, kicked, shot out venom, but Gray got up, blocked, and dodged through it all. The Cloak snatched face after face, before he threw it up at the branches to swing kick people across the face.
Conna: "STOP FLAILING AROUND AND LET ME KILL YOU DAMMIT! I HAVE TO I HAVE TO! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND!? AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO ME! WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!"
Red put the hood over her head. Giving out a pained, twisted, broken smile through the diamond gap around her mouth and nose in the cloak. However when she went to step into the fight, she heard the cries of a child, and she couldn't help but dash out to help.
Red {A child in the Sect, fighting? What is Conna thinking!}
But the moment she turned the corner, she saw the black beady eyes of a Wailer. A dark, slightly green, chubby stubby monster with a pitch black mouth stretching all the way down into its open, hungry stomach.
Red: "NO!"
Lanner, Gray, Conna, and the Sect fought their hearts out. Sending out large blasts of flames, water, earth, and even wind, while two people used Marks of providence to push Gray back. One hardened the air around him in an instant, trapping him while Lanner got grabbed right off Dema. Held in place, without the strength he needed to break her hold. Bleeding in the sky and Gray panicking in a thick invisible box. Conna couldn't be happier, but Red was screaming so hard her throat was bleeding. She couldn't see anything, hear anything, until the deafening cries rang out again. Trapped in its void of a gut forever, without any witnesses. All because she wanted to help.
Conna: "Where's Red!?"
"No idea! Can't smell her!"
"She ran off that way, didn't see her come back."
Conna: "What!?"
She went into a desperate rage while Gray stood back, pulling in as much Spirit mana as possible. It began to shake and even crack the shield, but the anarchist gripped his fists even harder to rebuild the box.
Gray {I've fought more people, but I need to leave with Lanner. My body hurts like hell…I'm not ready! But I can do it! I have to.}
He pulled his arm back while his eyes flickered further into the Spirit Sense, his adrenaline allowing him to pull in so much Spirit mana cracks formed in the black eyes.
Gray: "MANA OVERDRIVE!"
But he didn't punch, he just focused his mana toward both of his fingers for a duel flick against the cage. Thinking of Rosemary even now. But it left his already wounded fingers bleeding and bruised, while the cage shattered in a burst of mana and force.
"Shit!"
Conna: "JUST KILL THE OTHER ONE, WE DON'T NEED THE INFO, IT'S NOT AS IMPORTANT AS OUR LIVES!"
They took aim, screaming out spells and arrows at the frozen Lanner, while Gray remained unable to help. His heart froze, his body froze, his eyes widened, and he almost lost all of the mana he took in. Seeing violent flashes of Al, Musashi, Kioshi, and even his living friends like a never ending film reel.
Lanner: "El-Gravic!"
In an instant the world pulsed blue, before everyone who wasn't a dense Demi-human floated into the air. It caused the Anarchists Mark to be thrown off, while the other blasts surged all around, barely missing as he jumped off the Spirit mana in the air and spun like a whirlwind of slashes to free himself. Letting Gray bite his lip and leap back into battle.
Gray: "I TRAINED WITH MUSASHI AND I NEVER SAW STUFF LIKE THAT!"
Lanner: "THEN WATCH THIS KID!"
He pushed his limits, flashing his eyes white with the Spirit State, before all chaos emerged and stopped. Only with the Spirit Sense did Gray see Lanners flashes and slashes, over and under trees and bushes, throwing out air slashes every moment he could. Before sliding through the mid to Gray while blood ingulfed the atmosphere.
Lanner: "...Cool right?"
Musashi was faster, stronger, smarter, more skilled, by a lot. Many people in this world were. But he was still damn good. Giving one last cocky smile before falling flat on his face.
Gray: "Uh oh."
The remaining anarchists emerged from the shadows, before a Four armed, blue and red furred, six eyed, larger variant of the spirit bat smashed the floor with sonic roars. A corrupted Spirit Bat, along with a herd of Shadow Walkers surrounding smaller groups. Staring with only squeaks with their arms extended and their legs unmoving while they quickly sleek forward. Gray pulled back for a second, locking eyes with Conna, before thrusting his right foot into the mud to ground himself.
Gray {Lanner pushed himself through it all, I can handle the rest, and beat the Knights to Guren! I'll meet up with Jong myself, and get the army ready, so Chris' men can come in and finish the job! Then I'll go to Athens and help them finish their mission! I'm not the center piece, but I'm the glue everybody needs right!? I have to -
Once again Dema burst under the legs of a Knight to drag Gray up through the air, giving him just enough time to latch the Cloak around Lanners back and snap him back onto the saddle.
Lanner: "...Ugh…couldn't be more careful?"
Gray: "Who saved you again?"
Lanner…You didn't…save anybody…"
Gray: "Wait, are you arguing with me in your sleep?"
Lanner: "...shut up…stupid..stupid…"
Gray: "Bruh."
Dema splashed out of the corrupted swamp and into the bright night sky, allowing Gray to stare back down at the battle with heavy contempt in his heart. He didn't know Red had been swallowed whole, he didn't know what the Sect were going to do, and he was worried they'd follow him back to the others. However he was already wounded, and now with the short scuffle, his body was screaming so loud it forced out the Spirit mana he so desperately tried to hold. He had to leave, he had to take Lanner to safety; He had to be a Hero, not a Warrior. So he flew above the trees faster and faster, almost instantly escaping the battle to leave the Anarchists for dead in the swamp.
Gray {I'm sorry.}
Once again seeing Jeremiah's face, his desperate cries, the blood soaking his soul.
Gray {...I'm so so sorry…}
All the Anarchists that died using the faulty muskets to kill him, all the Anarchists that might have died from the slashes he left on them, constantly piling up as he desperately tried to stop it. No, he wasn't trying at all was he? No, he was lying. No, he was terrible. He was as bad as all of them and could never be seen the same again. He had to hide his face; he couldn't let them see he couldn't; he grabbed Jeremiah's mask from Dema's bag to cover his face, looking through the black eyes with tears swelling up. Pulling the hood completely seeps into the hold of the armor, the Cloak, the darkness around them.
Lanner: "Get a grip kid. Just keep going north, once we exit the swamp we'll go down the hill, and see Guren up ahead."
So high in the air, Gray was able to look east. Lights, fire, flickering, filled with smoke stacks. Massive, but almost too far he couldn't see.
Gray: "Is that…."
Lanner: "Yeah, the Capital. When Arthur did his first rampage to clear out all the Knights fightin against him…it was bad."
The morning after the death of Ophelia, Kioshi, and Musashi. When the many Knights, soldiers, Elities, Royal Knights, and aristocrats who lived in the Castle returned to find it completely ravaged from head to toe. Only standing because Musashi and Kioshi managed to hold the Upper Pillars incredible strength to one room. The few knights who escaped that night got word out, enough for a large force all around the capital to storm through the doors. Screaming, magic swords and shields a blazing, lead by Jong Long himself.
Lanner, Carlos, and Gabby all fought like hell with an army behind them. Charging through the floors against the Sect, and Arthur himself.
Lanner: "It was bad. His flames carved through the halls. So black it felt like the sun got eaten away with it. Strangely, it was so cold it burned. But they still turned to ash. We lost that day. We lost a lot of people. The second strongest Fire Mage, my best friend and our best Wind Mage Ulger Fauch, a few of our best swordsmen, actual kind nobles. We barely escaped that day, running like hell out of the Capital like scum. I got separated from Jong, but I'll make it back. I owe it to you for that, my friend."
Gray couldn't help but smile while tears rolled down his face, for once not thinking of the heights he was at as he was barreling through the sky at high speeds. Lanner held on, pulling Spirit mana into his wounds before calling out -
Lanner: "Vortiv."
The bright blue mana turned green, focused into his worst wounds. They faded with steam, causing him pain while his wounds slowly began to slightly close around his body.
Lanner: "There goes the last of my mana."
Gray: "Sorry about what happened. But, are you a Spirit Knight?"
Lanner: "Yeah, not the best in Walgonias Knights, probably in the top five. Tier Two. But you know me, I'm always humble."
Gray: "Yeah, right. Tier Two? Guess that means I'm tier one?"
Lanner: "Can you cast all the level one Spirit Arts Spells? Or a good amount of them?"
Gray: "I'm a Tier Zero then. Damn."
His Cloak quickly fluttered in the wind as Dema dove forward, nuzzling against Gray's hand while he patted her head as always. Giving his thanks anyway he could as she saved his life over and over again. Both because he loved her like a member of their family, and because it felt like a piece of Musashi that always followed them with the same love, care, and harsh affection.
Lanner: "Y'know she kept trying to get to you while we were healin both of yah, took forever to finally get her to calm down in some stables."
Gray: "She's more heroic than me by a long shot, got a lot more saves too."
As the minutes pushed on, they left the swamp, and looked out at the large imposing city ahead. It was the size of Walgonia's district, vast, with many large towers all about. Broken, covered in Sect flags, filled with flames.
Lanner: "Back in the day the Sect attacked it. Musashi led the charge and pushed them out like forty years ago during the Demi-human war. After that it became a safe haven for Demi-humans, until now anyway."
Gray: "That's perfect. It's time to come full circle."
They had made it. And for the Red Arrows preparing down in Athens, they did as well. Because stepping through their tunnels completely undiscovered, was a man dressed in Warriors clothing.
"STAND BACK!"
They finally noticed, as he gave himself away in the heart of their base, quickly taking his helmet off to not get killed instantly
Caesar: "I need to talk to Leo. I talked to Beauregard himself, and I think he'd like to know about it."