“Citizens, today is a dark day, a disaster has befallen our people and our home. But let not the darkness of the pain paralyze you into fear. For you can be assured, the city guard and the church are working hand in hand to contain any and all threats. Well militias and adventurers have all reached out to offer their assistance as well. So citizens, I ask you once more, do not give in to despair. Do not let the forces that assail us take you in their grasp. The city of Arteria has weathered many crisis in the past, and will continue to do so well into the future. Stand together, stand united! Only together, will we weather this storm. But together, we will emerge stronger! For we stand proud, we stand tall, and we will stand eternal.”
- Primus Councillor Sigismund Oppullus, Appointed Leader of Arteria, “Speech At Saint Lucia Plaza, Noscali Gates Northern Section”
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Krenonian Arena, Arteria
“Gotcha.” Hanabi’s voice barely reached Mila’s ringing ear.
Mila gasped and blinked away the blinding light that had debilitated her. She felt a strange lightness in her chest and her hand was cramping. Looking down, she could make out the fuzzy details of her hand still gripping the holy sword, unable to let go as her fingers were seemingly locked in place. Her body seemed physically fine, though her face twisted into one of concern at the sight of torn fabric by her sides.
Ahead of her, she slowly pieced together what had happened. Divine magic mixed with fire had unintentionally caused the blackened pus within the demon to ignite and explode. Blood and pus covered the area around her while still somehow shining with little tiny twinkles of divine light, the purity of the Goddess unable to be stifled even against the liquid onslaught.
From within the bulbous mass of flesh, she could see the ever familiar figure of Sophie the half elf, clawing her way out of the mound bit by bit. Something had taken hold of her friend, the rage contorting her usually kind features into one of hatred and fury. As her friend physically dug her way out of the demon’s innards, their eyes finally met and something in Sophie reached a level of recognition as the elf let out a weary sigh.
Their moment of peace was shattered as the trio collectively winced when the demon shrieked in pain and Sophie’s calming expression turned to one of desperation as she looked to Mila and the sword before shouting something and gesturing wildly.
“What?!” Mila shouted.
Only when hearing a few muffled words did she realize her earlier strike had also made the demon cry out. Only that she had been temporarily deafened as a result of the explosion and noise. Still, seeing Sophie point at something relatively specific had gotten the message across. Hit this.
Obliging, Mila got back on her feet and hefted the blade above her head. With a ferocious swing, she brought it down and watched as muscle and bone were torn apart through divine fire. Preemptively shielding herself from the bright flash to follow, she clenched her eyes shut as she hacked away,, the warmth of the dying demon radiating off of it in pulses as it tried desperately to survive.
Ignoring the deafening cries, she continued slashing until the flesh had parted away enough to reveal what Sophie had pointed to. Amidst a swirling vortex of purple and red, a large, almost geometrically too perfect crystal sat. Erratic energy pulses washed over her as it sensed danger, releasing what mana it could in a last ditch attempt to ward off its foes.
Letting out her own battlecry, Mila brought her blade to bear and then swung it one last time. The infused divine energy surging forth to intertwine itself against the demonic corruption spewing forth from the portal and crystal. As the different mana flows fought for dominance, the demon roared in agony. Its core was under attack and its portal was disrupted.
Yet in spite of its movements, she noticed something odd. Still covered in viscera but alive, Sophie stood still after she had emerged. Her eyes narrowed and looked towards the area above the demon. But when Mila followed her gaze, she found nothing but more of the demon’s writhing flesh. However, the hatred she saw in Sophie’s eyes felt far more distant. As if she was looking somewhere completely different.
Rallying the last of its strength to try and dislodge the attacks, the multi-limbed demon moved to swipe at them. To take out whomever it could in its death throes. But the damage it could do was over, the templars saw to that. Silver armored warriors with divine blades, hacked away its limbs and appendages. The inquisitors and witch hunter finished the rest of the monster’s body off with their magic.
One of the monster’s absorbed heads looked over at them, the person that it once was, now entirely fused into the being. Yet in their dying moments, a trace of humanity had returned. A flicker of brief recognition. Mila almost moved to defend her friend as it stared squarely at Sophie, but the elf was faster. She walked up and closed her eyes before taking a deep breath.
“Sorry… Keely” Sophie whispered, a quiver in her voice.
Stars above. That’s the girl we met, isn’t it? Hanabi fought to stifle a gasp. By the Goddess. The demon…
The half elf drew her own blade and stabbed it down, one hand pressed against the demonflesh as the other thrust the blade deeper and deeper. What was once a human seemed to try and move but failed. The rest of the body was shutting and it too, was dying. But Mila saw its mouth move, a message delivered only for the elf. One that seemed to only drive its recipient’s resolve ever stronger.
As it croaked its last and the rest of the monster fell, so too did the the corrupted horde. Denied their mana and the life source that sustains them, they crumbled to the ground one by one in a horrifying amalgamation of twisted flesh and body parts. It was almost as if they had no more bones, and only the mana within their bodies kept them in their humanoid forms.
There was a growing silence as the last of the demonic survivors were moped up. The few who didn’t crumble on their own accord being cut down by the templars and guards present. Just like that, a chaotic but abrupt fight was finally over.
As silence descended upon the arena with only labored breaths and the squelching of boots on corpses echoing around them. The somber reality had finally had time to sink in. The battle was over. The demon had collapsed, perhaps as unceremoniously as it deserved. Nothing but a blob of twisted flesh, its corruption already being purged by the few senior templars here.
At least as far as she knew, Arteria was. The day’s events have come to an end even if she herself could scarcely believe it. Hanabi too, looked poised for more action. The outlander’s blade still raised in anticipation of an attack that never came. Only Sophie’s increasingly disgruntled expression was able to shake Mila back to reality. It’s over.
“We did it, huh? It just... died the moment the core was broken. Hah.” She found herself inexplicably saying.
“Hmm.” Sophie mumbled absently.
“We did it!” Mila exclaimed a little louder, moreso trying to convince herself than an attempt to make the fact known.
But she did. She had spoken loud enough that the message carried to the guards that had helped them. Disbelieving faces were met with those that had relieved expressions on them. A few nervous chuckles were then joined by a cheer, then two, then more.
“Victory!”
Came the first chant.
“Victory!!”
More joined the chorus this time.
“Victory!!!”
The rest joined in. A cheer now erupted from the combatants. The survivors of an encounter with a demon, one infused with so much mana that it had simply ceased to be the moment its supply was cut off.
“We did it.” Mila chuckled to herself, the ever present scowl on her face disappearing for a time.
Hanabi clasped her shoulder and grinned, “We did.” She acknowledged, “We did.”
The two then turned to Sophie. The half elf was still standing unmoving from where she had been.
“Sophie?” Hanabi asked.
Seemingly startled out of her stupor, Sophie jumped a little before turning to face them. Her expression was one of surprise, delight, and confusion as she then glanced at the arena around them. Only the forces of Arteria and the church had remained standing, the monsters were no more. A quiet realisation seemed to dawn on her as she let out a small snigger of her own.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
“Yeah, I’m here.” Sophie flashed them a pained smile.
“You alright?” Mila asked.
Sophie frowned and looked back towards where the monster had been. She shook her head.
“No. But I’m alright for now. Nice work.” She stated plainly.
It was a concerning statement. But seeing as her friend appeared relatively unharmed, Mila decided to drop the matter for now. There’d be time for a debriefing and chat later. A time to reunite with their friends back on campus. Glancing around them, Mila suspected that there were still more struggles for them to brave before they could rest a little.
She shot Sophie a look, one that seemed to puzzle the half elf as Sophie cocked her head sideways in an attempt to decipher her expression.
She didn’t get the time however, for before any of the trio could react. They found that Inquisitor Korvin had already walked over to them. A sly grin on his face that made Mila uneasy. He nodded his congratulations at the group before opening a palm towards Sophie. To Mila’s surprise, the elf pulled out a small mana crystal from her pocket and handed it over, much to the senior inquisitor's delight.
His task accomplished, he made ready to retreat when their second guest arrived, much to Mila’s annoyance and Sophie’s dismay. Arnold and the other adventurers had walked up, most in good spirits even if Runebound seemed a little more expressionless. He whispered something to the Inquisitor, who although he was prepared to leave, instead took on an intrigued expression.
They then nodded appreciatively at Mila before beckoning Sophie over, the half elf already wearing a scowl on her face.
Hanabi and Mila exchanged curious glances, both wondering what their party leader was up to. Whatever was said, they could only guess beyond the ashen expression on Sophie’s face. Yet the girl still shook the conspirator’s hands, whatever had offended her didn’t seem to matter to the accord that had been reached. Nor did Korvin seem to be a part of the exchange, but rather remaining on the sidelines as an observer. What is he even after? And what was that crystal that Sophie gave him?
Sophie finally left them and returned to the duo, letting out a big sigh before muttering, “Sorry for the trouble.”
As Hanabi moved over to reassure her that everything was fine. Arnold walked over and jumped onto the demon’s corpse, now standing over the people in the pits.
“Glory to the heroes of Arteria!” He announced to the world, his voice thundering across the arena, cutting through even the jubilant cheers of the soldiers that had fought against a demon and survived.
They all cheered once more, unsure where the praise was coming from but feeling merry nonetheless.
Arnold then motioned for Sophie to join him, who in turn, reluctantly dragged the duo along. A bad feeling welled up in Mila’s chest as they clambered onto the corpse.
“To a new generation of heroes! For Arteria! We did it! Huzzah!” Arnold cheered and grabbed Sophie’s arm, raising it in the air triumphantly, “Huzzah!”
“To heroes! Huzzah!” Captain Urden joined in.
“Huzzah!” The rest of the soldiers echoed.
As the jubilant cheers echoed around the arena despite the grim task of purifying the corrupted corpses still lay ahead. It was a signal. A signal that order had been restored, and that for now, Arteria would be at peace, for now. That they would live to fight another day.
Mila clicked her tongue. She tried to hide her scowl at the crowd. She understood that she should be happy, that she should celebrate their victory. But she couldn’t help feeling as if something rotten was festering, that this victory only meant that it could continue growing. It was a feeling that made her shudder. At the same time, seeing the relief on both of her comrades, despite their tenseness, was enough to at least hold back her doubts. For now. We rest, if only a little. And she sighed.
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Grand Library of Arteria, Arteria
Sigrid enjoyed the human drink. It was fruity yet bitter, a strange taste but nice. She tried to shuffle her tail in a display of delight but quickly remembered that she was in her human form and had no tail. Disappointed, she frowned and clicked her tongue at the faerie.
“I understand the reasons, but I am still bothered by this form. It is hard to get used to. I quite liked my tail.”
The faerie fluttered over from Aryana’s head and landed on her shoulder.
“Be glad you can assume that form, for it is society’s norm. It is me that most cannot see, but those that do oft covet me. My powers they seek, for havoc they’ll wreak. What you can do is a boon, one you’ll get used to soon.” Yana replied.
Sigrid narrowed her eyes and stared at the fae, putting on a childish pout. Yana rolled her eyes but allowed it. Her message conveyed, Sigrid relaxed her expression and returned to sipping at her drink. She enjoyed the company of these strange humans and elves with pointy ears. In particular the one who had found her in her home. She had rarely interacted with their kind before and even back home, she only occasionally saw one, let alone have so much contact with them.
She mused on the last conversation she had before she had met this group of people, back when the sea shore had been greater and the mountains younger. She unintentionally shivered. Her existence had been lonely. She was glad for the noise, even if she had to put up with hiding her tail. She was especially glad for the faerie, the creatures of the woods that had often been so carefree. Though this one was, curiously, oddly attached to the red haired human called Aryana. Not that she minded. For as much fun she had talking with the people around her, she was relieved that at least the fae could accurately parse her words.
Having reached a natural conclusion to her thoughts, she turned her mind to other immediate matters. So it was that she now pondered a different question. What were they to do now?
They had been joined by two more of Sophie’s friends alongside Aryana; the red haired who seemed morose, if not outright somber, and Eva; the older human continued pacing around, her face wrinkled into a near permanent frown as they continued waiting. There was now also the elf of the underground Raylani; whom Sigrid could tell was almost constantly vigilant. Followed by their last companion who was Sophie but not Sophie but looked like Sophie who was called Sophia.
The two new arrivals had informed them that most of the others were safe, including Sophie’s sister and the other elves that had been with them at the meeting. Sigrid’s group meanwhile, talked to them about their talks with the dwarves, though Sigrid noticed how both Eva and Aryana had avoided bringing up the robed dwarves or the confirmation of Aryana’s death.
That was a fact that saddened her. The girl seemed so cheery and lively, yet when Sigrid looked at her, she couldn’t help but remember the utter despair and helplessness that had been on the girl’s face when she had returned from speaking with the robed dwarves. Sigrid decided that she could offer some comfort and did what she had seen Sophie and Aryana do, as the girl’s expression was clearly one of delight when they had done it.
She wandered over and wrapped the pensive Aryana in a hug. This not only startled the girl but also the group. But knowing that it was a gesture that seemed to soothe others, she reached up and gently began petting the girl’s surprisingly soft hair. Everyone seemed to watch this display for a moment before Sophia chuckled. Then everyone seemed to laugh a little as the tension dissipated. Even Aryana seemed to relax a little and the red haired girl shot Sigrid a smile.
Sigrid was pleased with herself. She had done the right thing.
“Heheh, it’s like she’s petting a dog.” Sophia laughed.
Aryana responded with a joking growl. The frowns and sorrow that hung in the air was replaced by smiles or grins. A fitting response that only prompted Sigrid to continue, clicking her tongue in self congratulation.
“What a pleasant moment despite the chaos outside.” She bobbed her own head in conjunction with the others.
“Such quiet moments can lead to much doubt, but I am glad your joy has won this bout.” Yana replied using the tongue of the fae.
Surprised by the change of dialect, Sigrid almost paused before glancing over to the faerie and managed to eek out a question.
“Even now, you must rhyme?” She asked.
Yana’s joy seemed to fade a little and the faerie settled down, just out of reach of the hands petting Aryana’s head.
A wistful sigh escaped from the fae and she looked up at Sigrid, a pained smile on her face as she considered her words. Sigrid patiently waited until Yana was ready, the little faerie taking a few more moments before looking away from her.
“It helps me remember things. Nowadays, I barely remember much about the past at all. Maybe one day, I’ll tell Aryana and the others or explain a bit more," She sighed once more, "But not today.”
“Oh.” Sigrid replied with a single solitary click.
So out of place was her singular noise that Aryana looked up at her.
“Something wrong?” The girl asked.
Sigrid looked towards Yana, who shook her head, so therefore she also shook her head. Aryana seemed a little disappointed by the answer. Yet, the girl still smiled up at the two.
“Well if there’s anything you need, just let me know.”
At that, Sigrid nodded enthusiastically, much to the girl’s delight.
The peaceful moment was interrupted by the heavy thumping of dwarven boots. The portly and stocky figure of a dwarf the others called Karzan tromped over to the group, sweat dripping from his brow as he took a moment to pant and catch his breath.
“Sir Karzan?”
Eva and Aryana both inquired about him. The two fighters standing a little more ready for an emergency.
The dwarf raised a meaty finger before letting out a deep sigh and recollecting himself.
“Tis the others. Southern Art’s secured and they’ve trotted out the heroes. Just saw it myself down by Saint Lucia Square. Impromptu celebrations and honoring 'the defenders o' Arteria'. The three o’ them amongst others.” Karzan informed them.
Hearing this, the entire group seemed to be filled with a sense of purpose. All pretense of calm and rest now thrown to the side as they found an objective once more. So contagious was the feeling that even Aryana had stood up, practically jumping out of Sigrid’s arms. Though she understood why. It was now time for a big reunion. It seemed everyone was excited for it in one way or another. Knowing first hand how hectic today had been, Sigrid could understand why. Seeing the others get up, she supposed it was time they moved on from resting anyways. Though she'd like more of the fruity bitter drink.