“Atta girl.” Hwalín smiled back.
Alma clenched her fist in determination and nodded before turning to the gods in human form. “It doesn’t matter who’s watching me or trying to control me. It’s just another goal added to my list. If anyone gets in my way, I’ll kill them. Now, what were you two saying about those lost knights?”
“The enemy in your way,” answered Derleth. He raised a clawed hand. “If you’re truly ready to hunt them down, you can start by clearing the entrance of the rest of these parasites. I hear tell you can also perceive a method to slay them, something I was witness to first hand during our little skirmish earlier. When you deem them sufficiently eradicated, return to me and I will brief you on everything you need to know about this forthcoming mission.”
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“That’s five at once, Alm! That’s bloody insane!” Hwalín was swinging at what seemed like empty air. In reality, dozens of those wormlike creatures were being cut up with ease by a pair of glowing blue swords as she and Alma cleaned up the threshold of the eldritch barrier. “I'm barely able to slice two at a time.”
“It’s easy once I line up a perfect shot,” replied Alma cooly. She had been lying on the ground, peering through the scope of her rifle and lining up as many of those strange wriggling creatures in her sight as she could. They were thick, uncanny looking pests that continued writhing around the snow in front of her with an especially fragile looking line running down their middle. A sufficiently powerful projectile would tear right through it, but only if driven right into this localized mark within them. This crooked, fleshy channel was their apparent weakness. “How could you tell it was that many, anyway? Thought you couldn’t see these things.”
“I could hear your bullet piercing their little bodies. It’s a really dreadful sound. Almost enough to make you wretch. Tell me, do these little shits even have eyes or faces?”
“They don’t, actually.” Alma relaxed and took her eye off the scope. “They look more like fingers, crawling around without a hand. They even have a hard little shell on their head that looks like a nail. No actual face, though. But I swear it still feels like these things are staring right at me. Still, not even in my top 10 creepiest things I’ve been able to see.” The ex-soldier lined up another shot and pierced through three at once, blowing their alien innards into a fine paste.
“It’s kinda funny, I’ll admit. Sorta looks like you’re firing at empty air.”
“Right back at you.”
The Hecatian took another swing, and a disappointed expression flashed across her face. “Oi, Alm. What do you think about these Lost Knights anyway? Another bog-standard cult or…?”
“Sounds like your typical cult to me.” Alma sat up and moved a bit further down the barrier’s edge. “At least according to what the geezer told us.”
Hwalín chuckled.
“But a strong one. And with the kind of resources to end the world? Well, I’ve been trained to point my gun at the enemy and shoot. Might as well not let that go to waste. At least these people are human enemies. That I can deal with.”
“You ever shoot your fellow man, mate?” Hwalín thrust a sword into the ground and leaned on its pommel. “Killing a monster from the void’s one thing, but a member of your species? Ain’t pretty, I can tell you that.”
“Just… once. I was on a hunt with Heli and another friend, Ash. He asked if I wanted to come along with him on a bounty hunt and Heli, being the nosy witch that she is, decided to tag along. She didn't even bring her staff, she just wanted to hang out. Anyway, the three of us got together for the job. Figured it wouldn’t be too difficult, just point a gun, look threatening and bag our vagrant. I was young and hungry and eager to prove I had what it took to join the Crusaders. It was supposed to be a walk in the park. Wasn’t the case at all unfortunately.”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“What happened?”
“Turns out our target was a young girl, escaped from the orphanage. Why there was a bounty on a poor orphan girl? The only reason stated on the contract was ‘defector.’ Bit odd for an orphan, right? This all happened a couple years ago; I was only nineteen and the target was seventeen. Heh. Look at me, still calling her a target after all these years. But that's what she was. I was too naive then, to not realize what people could be capable of. Didn't take seriously her babbling about her new god. Didn't notice the desperate look in her eyes. Didn't see her reach for that knife until she lunged at Heli. Ash shot first—only winged her. She kept rushing forward. I didn't think twice after that. Aimed my pistol and shot her right in the head. Couldn't stop Heli from getting stabbed though—not many people will tell you that a blade beats a gun if they're close enough to you. I still remember the way she screamed… I was so scared. Heli was fine in the end, of course. Didn't even scar thanks to those concoctions she makes up using her plants. It was just so surprising the way things went down that day. Ash couldn't believe it either. No one thought we would have to defend ourselves against one girl. And even though she was killed, the Church seemed to have no problem with it. I guess that was better preparation than any for joining the army.”
“Awful lotta trauma when it comes to you, Alm.”
Alma pursed her lips in response. “I’d prefer to call it building character.” She lined up another couple of those freakish creatures in her line of sight, another loud crack of her rifle firing shattered the silence of the forest once again. “Would it be disgusting to say that I feel like a born soldier? I wasn’t even worried about the girl I killed. All I cared about was my friend not bleeding out and dying.”
“It was either her or the witch. Don’t blame ya, mate. What remorse are you gonna have for a deranged lunatic? She mighta had something to feel sorry for, but she lost it the moment she jumped at you guys. She didn’t even jump at you, the girl with the gun.”
“I dunno, Hwal. That lunatic was willing to lose her life for freedom. Did I really have the right to take that away from her?”
“Come off it, mate. You already mentioned she was talkin’ nonsense. There was no reasoning with her, clearly.”
“I guess you’re right. If the Church was after her, she must’ve been a danger to the people around her.”
“Aye… I guess. Reckon the experience did you good in the end. I mean, look at you now! A natural markswoman with sensible judgment.”
Alma chuckled, clearing away another row of eldritch worms across from her. “What? You mean because I’m taking solace in the fact that I’m out here supposedly saving the world instead of fulfilling my dream of serving in my army? Hey, you know what? I think I’m still a bit drunk. Surprised I can keep aiming so good.”
“Sounds about right. I suppose you wouldn’t be quite sober yet.” Hwalín swung her blade like a golf club, cutting a swath through a pile of worms. “I was kinda curious about something you said earlier though. You mentioned having felt like something was watching you. Did that… Did that ever happen when you were with us?”
“Yes. A few times actually. The last time it happened was when I was at my sister’s… tomb.”
“This might sound odd, but I swear I felt it once too.”
Alma shot up like a lightning bolt and immediately ran up to Hwalín, grabbing her by the shoulders. “When?! What did you see?!”
“H-Hey! Calm down, mate! I'm not even sure if it was something substantial or not.” The Hecatian looked into Alma's widened eyes, spotting the frenzied fear behind them. “It was right before we got here from your sister's house. I thought I had heard someone at the window, but it turned out to be nothing. Just a weird feeling is all.”
“Are you sure? How can you be sure?”
“Relax, Alm. It was probably just a bird.”
“Did it sound like a bird?”
“Well, no… It didn’t. I guess I would’ve known if it were a bird.”
Alma finally let her go and looked around, deep in thought. “I’m starting to notice a pattern. It’s a small one, but significant enough that I happen to notice. Every time I’ve had this feeling of being watched… it was always during intense moments when my powers were active. That was the notion I had anyway. But you saying this kind of confirms it for me. Do you think maybe I could lure him that way…?”
Hwalín was about to go back to exterminating worms but stopped mid-step at Alma’s proposition. “Don’t be bloody daft. You heard what they said. These things are evil. Their concepts of things are on a whole ‘nother level.”
“Yeah. And ol’ Derl also called me a dangerous element. They’re scared of me. Just like everyone else. I’m tired of it, Hwal. I need answers.”
“And I’m sure you’ll get ‘em eventually.” Hwalín slung a blade over her shoulder casually. “For now, let’s just focus on one thing at a time.”