Forty Minutes Earlier

The stone raised to the air had emitted a shield around them. A large ethereal dome encompassed them, shielding them from the outside. The two girls gripped each other firmly. Both thought they'd be dead soon. Their eyes sealed shut and their hands tensed tightly as they waited for death.

The arrows descended bolting on everything like a hornet swarm, zipping past hurling into buildings, people, anything that lay in their direction.

Outside they could hear a plethora of crisp sounds. Similar to the sound of a cricket's chirping. Shassii opened her eyes to see the beautiful white orb protecting them. The arrows bounced and ricochet off the dome, leaving them unscathed. Outside the dome, the ground law scorched and burnt down houses lay alit with fire and smoke. Aya stood stunned in disbelief.

Is this the power of consecration?

Suddenly the rock started dimming the dome. Shassii lowered her arm as the arrows ceased and stared at her palm. Aya taking notice, grabbed her hand quickly.

"Heyy" Shassi responded.

"Your fingertips there burnt red. You didn't feel that" asked Aya, perturbed by the affliction on her friend's hand.

Shassii opened up her whole palm with the rock resting in the middle. Her hand glowed a radiant gold and her veins popped out. The rock dug into her skin. Her fingertips bulged red and throbbed in response to the rocks gradual dimming as the ray it emitted blinked hastily before slowly dissipating. Her palm started pumping like a heart, Aya reached down and touched the tip of the rock.

A sudden wave flushed her mind, giving off the sound of a whirlwind, sweeping her thoughts away.

In an instant, Veins rushed all over her arm and climbed onto her face and she entered into a spasm.

Her eyes glowed white, giving off a radiant glow, her eyebrows promptly faded away. Birthing the blood-red stains that circled around the outside.

"ARGHH"

She strained in pain, groaning as the veins stiffened her muscles. Falling into a spasm she slowly lost control of her arms, then her legs.

In her mind, a thousand voices and a thousand lives spoke to her. She could see all their lives in an instant. The pain surged all around her and she started turning pale. Losing all the life in her. Her thoughts fragmented. She found herself reminiscing at the lake.

Sat beneath a great mountain, the air was thick and heavy. Aya wheezed and tried to breathe. The air was filled with sulpher and salt. The lake before her emitted white smoke and dissipated into the air, her eyes gazed at it and followed it upwards to the mountain. On the peak lay rotten bodies with the bodies laid upon it. Blood seeped through their eyes pouring out, skipping down the rocks. Leaking and polluting the lake underneathe.

She heard a great domineering call from above. Inside a black cloud, a harrowing deep dark bellowing voice spoke out.

'This awaits, this shall come. Soon we shall become one!!'.

Asleep lay a figure laid in ruby red. It took the form of a dragon and lay asleep. It's skin glowed refracting the light and throughout you could see rays emit from it. The ruby tone was firm and solid.

She lost herself in its gaze.

The colour bounced off and was calling her in. Outside Shassii was yelling and slapping Aya to wake up but it was all to no avail. Slowly Aya witnessed the Blood thick ruby tone become hazy and she started seeing it fill with sand. She couldn't decipher what it meant. Her face construed amidst her confusion seeing this. Shassii noticed it and became irritably worried. She noticed Aya's finger twitching rapidly and chose to sever the bond. Aya's vision blurred and she became weak and faint. Everything started to dissolve like she was dying, she could feel her soul leave her body, and all her strength left with it. All she could do was move her eyes she took her final gaze at the dragon in awe.

The voices in her head became skewed and faint.

It felt like she lost it all but had gained everything at once. A great sleep swelled in her, as her eyelids shut, she saw the dragon unhinged.

Mounted like a lion on its legs. Its head looked like a dragon with a long tail that swayed from left to right. Peering down, her eyes caught its gaze. Aya felt the aura of great pride. It's like everything else wasn't real except it, she thought. The sand inside it spiraled and twisted like a volatile tornado but still, there was no change. The dragon stood still tearing into her. Her vision darkened as she gave in to the sleep with the image of the Ruby red dragon etched in her mind. Its night sky eyes saw deep into her soul.

Shassii pulled Aya's body to the edge of the fountain.

"Śeingtt be with, please Śeingtt save her. Pour your glory upon her". She prayed to the Śeingtt of fortitude.

Then gathering some water in her hands and poured it on her face.

The veins twitched and retracted back into Aya's skin, clearing her face and slithering back down into her undergarments.

Shassii reached back into the fountain to collect more water.

"Thank Śeingtt, he showed his mercy in dire times" she perceived, proclaiming her admiration above to the heavens.

She looked back at her hand, the stone's light was fading away and the water changed color as it settled in the pond. "The pond is draining the energy from it" she examined. Slowly she started to see the gold hue leave her skin. The burnt marks all dissolved and the rock cemented itself deeper into her skin.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Shassii felt slight pain but it was only for an instant, her senses dulled and she took a deep breath. It was like the world reset around her. She looked down into Aya's eyes, then around. Everything slowed down and then accelerated. People flooded into her district fleeing from infantry soldiers. She could hear everything and everyone.

The clouds parted and only the stench of dead bodies and smoke found the couple.

Women dashed past her weeping while carrying their children. They had hoped to reach the town's gates and leave before the invasion. Men shoved and push passed each other in hopes of leaving the town gates first. It was absolute chaos. The crowd grew bigger and bigger until she saw them all freeze. A barrage of arrows came hauling down on the crowd.

Row by row.

A massacre couldn't describe the sight laid out around her. The archers had arrived reinforcing the cavalry and infantrymen. They had switched positions. The archers assembled into a row of four with twenty men on each row. The town's civil guard in response had finally arrived. A collective of two hundred men, at most ill-prepared and bearing swords and barely any armour. Making their way to the front.

A bold lieutenant took the stage. With a small gesture, two horse-drawn carriages rode in behind him with steel cage bars. He stood tall at six feet with a short sword and a giant shield. Clothed with Armor bearing the Tal Morenn crest with sharp edges and soft spikes on its breastplate and a crescent moon mold bevor around his neck with two lion molds on his spaulder. A lion on the shoulder of each side with a jaded stone lodged in the mouth. The menacing look he gave bore into the peoples and his iconic armor set distinguished him amongst his men. With his other hand, he waved and commanded.

"Archers take suit and draw".

The crowd drew haste and took two steps back. The civil guard knew what was next and ordered a direct assault. The Lieutenant took notice and smirked, "fools he thought".

The archers responded without the need for command and efficiency firing arrows hitting the first row of men. The front row then knelt and drew again while the second and third and fourth took position and advanced. Although risky the Lieutenant was not worried. This formation tactic was one the Tal Morenn bowmen elite were trained in. For close-quarter takedowns and all were masters of hand to hand combat. This was the king's reserve security force unit. Most in the army couldn't handle this technique and survive. Dealing with crowd management and maintaining composure in close parameters without a sword was something most men didn't fathom or utilize proactively.

The unit ascended killing most of the Civil Guard, the crowd became weary. Again it spiraled into chaos and the villagers retreated into the town. With the civil guard fleeing with them.

Shassii shook Aya as her detox was done.

Aya woke up dizzy and confused, "What happened??'.

The crowd ran past deeper into the town in a frenzy to avoid being captured.

"No time to explain, we've got to run. I'll brief you as we make it out of here".

"Ok but am weak and my heads spinning".

"Don't worry, just hold my hand and follow me'. Shassii reaffirmed while holding Aya's head.

The two made it down an alley clear of the big crowd. The sounds of the wheels of the carriage rung in their ears.

Shassii panicked as she looked for a place to hide. Aya's head spun frantically but it rested once they stopped.

Aya had caught eyes in the far distance of the canyon, the Śeingtt and ancestors of old etchings brightened all around her. She could see the markings come out of the rocky canyons. They were beautiful just like back at the lack when she passed through the ravines. The markings became animated moving around, they were like cave paintings but they flowed from one end to the other. Movements swayed around like a river, one side would glow. Then another would glow in response.

"AAAAHHHHHHH"

Aya screamed as they swirled around her. Her pupils flickered as a white ray out of them. Shassii took notice and slapped Aya.

Soldiers took notice of them.

"Pull it together. They will hear us".

Shassii dashed into a corner tugging Aya along and flung her into a corner quickly. Then smothered her mouth. Aya fought back in fear but heard the footsteps get closer and closer as she came back to reality. The rustling of the chainmail shut her up for good this time. Shassii noticing her change, let go of her mouth and whispered

"Listen, the rock fucked with your mind. As well as mine. It's stuck in my arm for now. I don't know what it made you see, but I know what it made me feel and it can't be any worse".

Aya wept in response.

"So, for now, please, please ... stay sane Aya. I need you".

Shassii watched cautiously over the corners while she spoke, it had seemed that the soldier from before had passed.

"Whatever it is, we'll figure it out later, let's just get out of here. Your dad's probably worried sick during all this. Let's get to him okay".

Aya held Shassii's hand firm and nodded.

"Where are we?? She asked.

"West of the town square. I heard the carriages near".

Aya thought to herself.

If we get to the bridge, we can cross safely into the village outskirts unhinged from the guards but to get there they will have to go through the market square which is probably filled with Enemies right about now.

"What are you thinking? Shassii wondered.

"I know you. Your either silent for one of two reasons. To distant yourself or to think internally. Let me in" she pleaded.

"The bridge…. It's our only hope. We get across, we see dad. We live!".

"They have the whole area surrounded by the main gate. The attack started 20mins ago, so give or take another forty minutes they'll have the town" Shassii explained.

"It's our best bet" they both murmured.

Back in the carriage, the group was rushing through town. The carriage wheels span past, skating across the sandstone road through the town. The group suddenly found themselves approaching part of the crowds dispersing.

"Let's go, Let's go we either go through these folk or we go around. Those soldiers are gaining on us with those horses" yelled Yannu.

Rachid and Ussu held their swords tight. Quine sat at the reins with Sannu scouting for quick routes for them to exploit.

"Pull up to this corner and stop," said Kairui as she stood over Quine.

"We can't do that they'll kill us there's five of them and two of us. The three of us can barely fight and even if we did, we'd at best take out one soldier" said Sannu.

'PULLOVER!!!' Kairui shouted.

The carriage drifted on the mud as it meet its stop abruptly.

She jumped off the back of the carriage.

"Let this work. God's be with, Śeingtt within" she thought as she burst in an erratic sprint.

Launching herself at the first mounted rider like a cheetah tackling its prey. Spinning graciously through the air, with a full fronted headbutt tackle which shook him off his horse. They both crashed onto the floor.

With the other two riders giving up the chase. They circled the pair in the middle. Kairui stuck to the ground bearing her two daggers. She swiftly raced to the soldier knelt still adjusting his Armor and helmet. She sliced his open kneecap with a right swing. Following through with an adjacent opposite swing as she stabbed his throat, with her left arm. He lodged his body against her in his last breathe, grasping her shoulder before giving in.

Taking advantage, she grabbed his sword and flung it at one of the rider's horse. Then proceeding to attack the other one simultaneously, dodging past his strokes and sliding down underneath the mounted rider, stabbing his horse carving up its underbelly.

Blood gushed out as its intestines dropped to the floor and the horse screeched out in pain. Its legs wobbled as it caved in and crashed onto the ground.

The other rider took notice tried to charge her and trample her but she was an expert at obscuring attacks. She positioned into a crab position grasping her hands. Her knuckles grazed on the floor as she pivoted to the side and moved out the way.

Her stance was foreign to him and he couldn't comprehend it.

So he pulled the reins of his horse hoping to trample on her eventually. From the crab position, she rolled on the hard floor like a barrel, both daggers pressed to her chest. Kairui narrowly skimmed past each crushing hoove. After the fifth roll, she had gained a count of his pattern of attack and used her palm to strike the ground lifting with her muscles her body upright, as she stood down kneeling. Slashing into the horse's leg as she stayed anchored to the ground. Kairui was a master at lowering her center of gravity and adjusting adjacent to it, to capitalize off of the element of surprise.

The horse went into a frenzy. Fighting back against the rider.

This short and brief moment allowed her to stab its thigh ripping it open. The mane's leg collapsed under its own weight and the rider fell to the floor.

Kairui already up greeted him with a lunge threw his head as he tried to reach for his sword.