A few more hours passed, which then turned into days as they recovered from their losses. They could not settle at one area, however, for they were still weary of if the spirit shaders for they may catch up to them. Their rations were running a little bit low, as their horses were growing tired of the weight and duties laid upon them.
"Karn, we are about 2,500 yards away from the woodlands. Update me on the status of our soldiers, the rations, the quality of our remaining equipment, and the current number of soldiers we have left." Polaris commanded his apostle.
"Yes sir. As it looks right now, morale is really low due to slight hunger, and grogginess due to their inability to rest without paranoia. Our rations have run low, and it is possible that we may only be able to supply our men with two final meals. As for our count, we only have 28 recombinants, 18 instacks, 45 of the first division, and 20 reinforcements remaining, adding up to a total of 111 soldiers left. We have sadly lost 9, my Lord." Karn replied to Polaris honorfu1lly.
"Hm, may they be given eternal rest. Karn, slow your steed down so you may reach the back of the ranks. Announce to everyone that we are 2,000 yards away from the woodlands, and that they must prepare their equipment."
As their horses slowly made their way through the rough terrain, the soldiers finally spotted the entrance to the woodland forests. With this, large cheers and chants erupted from the ranks of Polaris, rejoicing as they would finally be able to rest and forage for more food. Despite the amount of morale, faith, and hope being regained and absorbed by Polaris, empowering him, his instincts couldn't help but worry about a powerful aura blasting through in the form of waves out of the forest. As they dismounted off their steeds, and unloaded their carriages, setting down their chests and crates, a group of five soldiers went foraging for fruits to eat.
"Karn, I shall investigate the area. Set some tables and give the soldiers their second meal for the day."
"Yes my Lord, I shall." Karn bowed down in agreement.
As Polaris walked around the perimeters of the woodlands, we noticed a strange purple-glowing aura from one of the fruits hanging from the numerous trees. It was purple, had the sweetest scent, capable of luring unexpecting travelers to taste its sweet flesh. It had a round yet light structure, making it easy to carry, a judgefruit.
"Our Lord!" Polar heard from the encampment, which slightly startled him. As he made his way back, he realized that the calls were coming from the five foraging soldiers whom he had crossed.
"What is it?' He said, demanding the soldiers for an answer.
"We found this strange pathway, Lord." the responded.
"Refrain from stepping onto that pathway. We shall investigate it when our regiments are ready. We cannot afford any laced traps on that floor. Now, follow me back to the encampment, everyone's meals should be ready. Wash the fruits you have foraged, and pass them around the tables." Polar said as he warned his troops and invited them back.
As they walked back to the encampment, they heard the numerous shrieks of happiness and wheezes of laughter. As they cleared shrubs and bushes to see the way, they saw all the soldiers' hopes filled high as their morale was through the roof, chanting, singing, resting, and rejoicing as they were all eating on folded tables together. As the foragers were handing out normal goods like apples, berries, and bananas, but one particular consumable caught Polaris' eye. It was the judgefruit. Without hesitation, he picked it up from the table before anyone could indulge in it, and hid it in his robes. He was worried on what danger or harm this could've caused to his men since he didn't know.
"Hm, did you lace their foods with some laughing poison Karn?" Polaris chuckled.
"Haha, no my Lord. They just naturally became happy after getting time off from riding their horses and eating a full meal."
After a few minutes, Polaris entered the carriages and helped with taking the remaining chests out of the hull. He commanded his soldiers to feed and nurture the tired horses, set up some tents for those who needed to rest, and investigated the perimeter as Karn looked over the regiments as well. As night fell, he commanded all of these soldiers to gather for rest in their tents, as they would embark and spearhead their skirmish by the next day. He also assigned 15 troops of the But as Polaris was taking up rest in his carriage with a separate mask on to avoid revealing his true face to anyone, he heard three knocks on the hull.
"My Lord! We tried to stop them, but three of us were injured while trying to keep the five foragers at bay! They seem to have been controlled by an omnipotent force! They kept on yelling the word 'pathway' and fought us if we tried to step across their way!" One of the weary guards said to Polaris. Without hesitation, he leaped out of his carriage and went to the direction of the dirt pathway they discovered earlier before. As he made his way, he then heard several arrows whir through the wind, and the groans of his men. There, he stood in disbelief as he noticed that his men at tripped on a wire that he'd been blind to before, and met their ends. But with this, he also noticed something peculiar. He noticed a half-bitten judgefruit next one one of the corpses of his men, and 5 more fresh ones in their bags.
Within the encampment
"Hm, when is it going to be sunrise yet? I'm kind of tired and I want to eat something that'll for sure get me going. A meal perhaps?" Nightguard 1 said to Nightguard 2.
"Well, you could eat one of the fruits the foragers brought in earlier. There were these three sweet-smelling purple fruits left in this sack they brought in." Nightguard 2 offered to his peer.
Right before the nightguard could get his teeth around the skin of the fruit, and indigo slashed right through it, cutting it in half, startling the nightguard, causing for him to drop it before placing his sword in hand.
"Wh-who are you behind the foliage!? Reveal yourself now!" he guard demanded.
"It was the fruit. They're judgefruits. Dispose of any more purple judgefruits around the encampment. They're laced with a curse around this forest, causing for those who choose to consume it to be put under its spell and mind controlled." Polaris came out, commanding his soldiers.
As the sun barely rose, the bells of the encampment rang as the soldiers fixed themselves up and prepared themselves for their first meal of the hour. there, they were served the same food from the day before.
"Ehh??"
"Five graves?"
"What happened here??"
"Did we get attacked?"
"Aren't those the foragers??"
All the soldiers said while reacting to their shock after seeing the graves of five of their comrades.
"It was the judgefruit." Polaris said. "The purple fruit that was being passed around that I disposed of? That was a judgefruit. If any of you had chosen to indulge in that sweet fruit, you all would have met the same fate due to the mind control curse laced into the consumable. Now, I want all of you to finish your rations and ready your equipment. We shall venture into the woodlands and find the area where their prophet resides."
As the soldiers finished their plates and prepared their equipment and went into their formations with their regiments, Polaris reminded them about the importance of the tainted woodland apparel they brought with them. They needed it to cover their bulky armor and fit in with the woodland creatures to infiltrate their base. Polaris then told Karn to restate their plan.
"The reinforcement regiment shall stay here within the camp, making sure that nothing is stolen and staying on their guards just incase they are called to the front lines of the conflict. The Instacks will lurk around their structures destroying and keeping any and all artifacts that may be the woodland trump cards like socalls. The recombinants will carry our Lord, Polaris, up to their 'great prophet' and will fight alongside Polaris when the conflict starts, and the first division will be waiting as the main division. Now I must remind all of you, choose a plot of land fairly distant from any wooden sources like shacks, weapons, trees, or anything. Your steel armor should protect you from the first few blows, but they will find a way to kill you, they always will."
After their preparations were complete, Polaris let them through the forest, until he heard one voice call out to him.
"My Lord! There's a dirt path here! Why don't we just take it?" a soldier asked.
"Because it was laced with traps. Our buried comrades back at camp were killed by them, because the mind-controlling judgefruits made them suicidal."
The word "suicidal" alone was able to keep his men's eyes off of the dirt paths and judgefruits, because, after all, they still had people waiting for them back at Irelurk. Polaris then opened his Karden and sent out indigos into the forest, while some of them swerved through the air, and some hit traps, helping him and his men locate safe paths. Eventually, they came across a deep ravine, which had vines riddled atop of it. They all then used the vines to traverse the forest atop the trees. But they were all shocked when they laid their eyes upon the peak, the summit of the prophet's temple.
As they lowered from the trees and saw the gates to the woodland settlement, they hid behind the foliage as Polaris gave one more reminder.
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"The conflict starts once I say smite."
Without hesitation, Polaris and his regiments, all disguised, robed, and masked on came out of the foliage and went into a line formation as they marched towards the gates. The nymphs guarding the gates rejoiced for their plan to abduct what they thought was the "false deity" which seemed to have worked, or so they thought. They then opened the gates, as all the woodland creatures settling within the gates looked in awe as crowds of them cursed at Polaris.
"You heathen!"
"Why is there a Usurper!"
"You deserve to get punished!"
"How dare you mock our God?!"
"Interloper!!"
The mobs yelled in frustration to Polaris, thinking that he was a disgrace to the religion that the woodlands held. Polaris then realized that he had to make their disguise more believable. He then stopped in the middle of the pathway, initiating the disguised Karn to push him forward to keep the line moving and cuss him out with words like "You are no better than those who spit on your unholiness!"
As Polaris was being escorted up the stairs of the temple, he looked behind him to see the Instacks breaking out of line and dispersing within the crowd to find the woodland armories, before yet again, getting shoved to stop the line from stalling. They walked up a linear staircase as the structure of the temple resembled a pyramid with rooms at the top, so everyone around saw the deity who they presumed was false, quite literally saw him being escorted. As they finally reached the peak of the temple, the large stone doors were then opened by the guards, and there, sat high on his throne, was the prophet, Usaine.
"Ah, there he is! Polaris, or so I've heard. Born of the Starfront, born of Ursa Minor, and the force of Urlaris. Our God, Sirius warned us about this prophecy, a God stronger than him, and how there'd be a time for when we'd bow down to you. But we, great followers of our God Sirius, shall destroy you posers under the religion named Canis! You shall be executed, and your followers skinned!
"How do you know the name of our religion?" Polaris inquired to Usaine.
"Because of the prophecies that our God gave us. But we shall not let that turn into a reality! My dear nymphs, do our God a favor. Tie him up in restraints, so that we may be the only ones holding the name Canis. You, Polaris, do not understand the sheer amount of distraught you have caused us! By using the name of the constellation the star our God was born in! Now kneel!"
As soon as he knelt down while being in restraints, Usaine grabbed his grand axe, which he said was given to him straight by his God. Right as he was raising his axe and was about to behead Polaris, he heard him mutter a sentence.
"What if I know your God?"
This sentence alone made Usaine blackout for a few moments, which was enough time for Polaris to break out of his chains, and grab his axe.
"You dare challenge a God? Now I shall SMITE you as one!" Polaris yelled as it echoed throughout the temple so loud that the first division even heard it from the outside.
In an instant, all of his troops removed their robes, masks, parkas, and disguises, revealing their armor as they began to pursue their adversaries. The recombinants immediately began slashing at the temple guards, and pushing the weaker woodland soldiers off the temple to their demise. The first division ran through the buildings, sparing the civilians and making sure that any and all threats they came across met their ends, as the instacks ravaged the armories, destroying artifacts they thought would aid the woodlands and keeping items that looked valuable. As the bloodshed commenced, Polaris figured that it'd be their loss because of their lesser numbers, so as his men fought with courage, he felt and absorbed the rising amounts of faith within his ranks, and unleashed his trump card.
"SKILL: HEART OF THE WOLFRAM!"
Polaris had only figured out on the way to the woodlands that he could control the chi abilities of those who he had defeated before when he absorbed enough faith. With this newer knowledge, he utilized Captain Organ's ability, making his, and all his men's weapons and armor more durable and powerful, while also increasing their attack speed. Seconds later, he could hear the loud yells of his buffed soldiers
In an instant, Polaris sent out indigo shards to take down his opponent, who then summoned a vine wall to buy him time as he dashed out of the way. Usaine then summoned a rock spike from the rock walls of the temple behind Polaris, who then turned and cut it down with his Icarus.
"Hm, my first time fighting a druid who can manipulate stone." Polaris eagerly said before turning back around to face Usaine. But right as he turned around, he saw Usaine leaping at him, tackling Polaris and grabbing his axe back as he pushed the both of them off and out of the temple through one of the windows, leaving the both of them to plummet down 1,000 feet below. The battle seemed to have ended as they both hopelessly flailed to the ground, until Usaine summoned vines to catch him, as Polaris pulled out indigos which then lowered him onto the ground. There, Usaine stood in shock as he saw his guards and foot soldiers getting ravaged by the Canisian regiments.
"My men! Use your socalls!" Usaine helplessly pleaded.
Ten seconds after this command, the pack of Instacks busted out through the door of the Woodland armories, holding crushed socalls in their hands, taunting the Prophet with words like "Oh you mean these socalls?" before blazing into battle, slaughtering all that passed by. As Usaine was too absorbed by the carnage, Polaris leaped over to Usaine, before trying to strike him down with his Icarus, which was then blocked by his axe called the cry of Canis. Usaine summoned vines to hold Polaris still on his feet, which were then crushed by the sheer power and aura he held. Polaris sent out waves upon waves of indigos, but all of which were futile as the battle axe was capable of deflecting each shot. Understanding the gravity of the situation, he sent out the spell he used against the shaders, yelling "SHATTER THEIR CORES!" summoning the chest beam he had used before, but it took too long allowing for Usaine to dodge it, as the beam left a gigantic crack on the side of the stone temple.
Usaine having enough of his God's legacy murdered, used one of his trump cards to stump Polaris.
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"TO THE BLOOD OF THE GOD I WORSHIPPED, GIVE ME THE POWER TO STONE THE ONE THAT LIES BEFORE ME!"
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Immediately after yelling his move, a large chunk of the temple was removed, as it all combined into a singular sphere that looked like it was eating all rock particles around it, until it took the shape and form of a rough jagged, human, a stone golem. Usaine then commanded the golem to attack Polaris, who dodged its every move and to try and crush him. Since it was stone, his pure chi's and ferrochi's didn't work against it. He tried punching the being, but it was as if the God they worshipped was blessing the being entirely. Despite the problem, Polaris had one more trick up his sleeve. "KARN!" he yelled, who then leaped on top of houses and structures, avoiding any wooden things he could while dashing across rooftops to get to his Lord. Polaris quickly commanded him to strike for the Prophet as he handled the golem, fully knowing that the prophet heard this plan. But to the prophet's dismay, Karn just.. vanished. As Polaris "struggled" to fight the golem, Usaine felt safer each minute Karn never showed up, until Karn leaped from the top of the temple, crashing down onto the prophet as Karn was saved from damage by Polaris' indigo's causing for the battle axe to lodge out of the prophet's hands, which was then quickly grabbed by Polaris, and after one strike, the beast crumbled into rubble.
"You fool." Usaine said, until Polaris felt a weird shock and jolt within his limbs. Immediately, he flipped around to the side, as a dirthound was charging straight towards him, but ended up ramming Usaine onto the outer walls of the temple, deeming him unconscious.
"Huh, so it was these things that were truly causing trouble for our regiments?" Polaris scoffed in disbelief.
"Indeed, my Lord. They didn't have any more socalls, but there were five of them already here guarding the temple." Karn replied.
"Hm, let us show them who they truly work for." Polaris then said.
Immediately, Polaris jumped onto the one that tried ramming them over, slitting its throat with his Icarus. "That's one."
Next, they climbed roofs, slashing druids and nymphs that they met on the way. They then saw the second dirthound fighting against a group of 5 Instacks.
"Karn, let's see how much you've been training as a captain." Polaris said to Karn.
With blazing precision, Karn flung himself off the roof, landing right in front dirthound. The dirthound then charged right at him, which he then avoided by gliding on the walls, causing for the beast to ram into the building he was next to. "One." he said as he landed behind the beast, delivering his first blow to the rear end. "Two" the second on the hind legs. And right as he was about to deliver the third, the tail of the best, like a whip, snapped at him, which could have incapacitated him as soon as possible if he hadn't blocked it with his blade. Feeling embarrassed in front of his men and God, he jumped onto the beast, slitting its nape, and finally, "Three."
"Hm, quite impressive." Polaris said as he applauded Karn. "But you still have so much to learn"
Soon after saying this, he felt the rumbling and cracks of a dirthound behind him, just to find one struggling to climb on the roof. Feeling sympathy for the poor thing that couldn't even get itself up, causing for it to whimper, Polaris used his Icarus like a bat to not kill, but incapacitate the dirthound by slamming it onto its head.
"Karn, keep that one. I'd like to have it."
"Yes my Lord."
Eventually in the distance, the pair heard the shrieks of the final two dirthounds dying.
Making their way back to Usaine, they saw him finally regaining his strength.
"Hm, this'll finally be fun." Polaris exclaimed.
"I- I'M NOT DONE!" The prophet exclaimed.
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"VINEFERUS TITANUS!"
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Almost immediately, loud bursts of sound and vines smelted from both titanium and steel busted through the pathways and grounds, capturing the feet of all the soldiers including Polaris, and holding all of them captive, restraining them, as Polaris' men all groaned in pain, as some woodland creatures took their chances and slaughter numerous soldiers.
Polaris could feel the vines wrapping around his limbs, ever so slowly pulling them at high tensions, ready to pull them off on Usaine's command. As this happened, Usaine started murmuring, speaking, which then in turn became yelling, which halted any further ambushes of the woodlands to the restrained soldiers, as they all looked at his direction. It was as if he was being possessed by their God Sirius in real time.
"Fw-WAAHHAHA! YOU CALL THIS A GOD?? A DEITY? WHEN HE ISN'T EVEN HALF A QUARTER STRONGER THAN SIRIUS? WHEN HE NEEDS THE SUPPORT FROM HIS FOLLOWERS? WHEN HE CAN'T EVEN DEFEAT ONE MERE PROPHET! YOU FALSE, YOU HEATHEN, YOU BITCH! I SHALL FIRST DISMEMBER YOU, AND PUT YOU INTO STEW WHICH I SHALL FEED TO YOUR OWN PEOPLE, YOUR OWN FOLLOWERS! THEN I SHALL SKIN EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM ALIVE AS I SEE THE BLOOD FLOWING FROM THEIR BODIES FILLED WITH YOUR NUTRIENTS SEEPING THROUGH THE CUTS OF THEIR SKIN! I SHALL END YOU AND ALL YOUR PEOPLE-"
Usaine was in his feeling, until he was interrupted by the crashing and whirring of flaming arrows and torches from the skies. As he looked up, he saw the smirks of the now 15 person-manned recombinant division smirking and taunting the prophet high up in the temple where they fell. "Did you forget about us?" they yelled. Filled with anger, filled with rage, Usaine was ready to smite them down, until one of the arrows hit his chest, puncturing his heart, causing for his spell to lose grasp, letting all its victims go.
"Karn! GO!" Polaris immediately cried as Karn jumped from Polaris' back, holding his blade high ready to deliver the final blow to Usaine as he yelled "PERISH YOU INTERLOPER!" But Usaine had already perceived this move, using his vines to whip Karn away, throwing him out of the battle. Usaine filled with anger and agony, turned his gaze to Polaris, but realized that his fate had already been decided. Karn's ambush was nearly a front.. a front for Polaris to prepare.
With a great aura pushing all those around him, Polaris then chanted his final trump card.
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"SHEPHERDS COME THROUGH SHEPHERDS' MIGHT, GUIDE US THEE TO NORTHERN LIGHT. FOR THOSE IMMORAL, FOR THOSE WHO'RE DEAD, SHOW US ALL THE SERPENT'S HEAD!"
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In an instant, a larger beam proving the power of Polaris and his follower's faith came crashing down from the heavens, as Usaine hopelessly summoned vines to protect himself from his demise, before submitting to the heat.
As he burnt, so did the hearts and faith of his followers to their God. This move had proven that their God had fully perished decades ago after the prophecy of the one Born of Ursa Major, and that they had already sealed their fates by choosing to repel against their God's wishes. Their God had already left them, but they could not let go.
As Polaris approached the burning body, he realized that Usaine was still alive.
"Me-mercy.. 'O Lord.." Usaine pleaded. Polaris was a forgiving God, but after all he'd done to his people, to his soldiers, to his apostle, and the threats he made, he could no longer hold his patience. Without a single moment of hesitation, he showed Usaine why Polaris held the title born of Ursa Minor.
"I was born from the star, and my blood is blue because it rivals even the boiling point of water, billions, trillions, quadrillions of times hotter, really." He said as he pulled out his Icarus.
"n-no, please.. mer…cy" Usaine begged.
Polaris then stood on top of Usaine, slitting his wrist with his icarus. And with each burning drop of blood that fell, the grass around him wilted, as his already exposed flesh burned. Polaris couldn't help but laugh during the scene, a scene so gruesome even Karn couldn't bare to look while in an injured state.
"M-MERCY! MERCY!!!!" Usaine cried in pain.
"P-PLEASE! I APOLOGIZE, HAVE MERCY ON ME OH LORD! LORD!!!" He cried even more.
"G-GOD!!!" He cried.
Until he didn't anymore.
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Author here! Thanks so much for your support, and I apologize for this really long final chapter to close the end of the first arc! i hope you enjoyed it as I really wanted the best for you guys, and I shall be dropping the start of the next arc: Odyssey very soon! Please keep on supporting me as I continue my compassion for writing!