Chapter 15: The War Burns Away

Zack

12 years ago

Year: 860

Zack ran through the burning forest in search of any soldiers of the Blue Swords who were still breathing. He waded through the scolding hot wood as quickly as he could. He felt like he had been searching for ten minutes now. Not one soldier remained alive, the fire had finished any that had a chance of living. It left their bodies in a state that made Zack wince, seeing the men he forged comradery over many years burned to a crisp made his stomach churn. The wound on his torso still hurt, but he didn't care. He had to find one, just one man, or his effort would have been a waste, these three years would have been a waste and everything Matthew had built, would be gone. Through the overpowering sound of the burning forest, Zack heard a faint groaning beneath him. He stopped in his tracks and began to search in a panicked state to find where the sound was coming from. As he did, he stood on something other than the burning timber and the ashy ground. He looked down, Zack couldn't mistake him, it was Rhys. He lay on the ground, barely conscious, his body was covered in burns and his lower body was completely torn off. His intestines were splayed all over the ground, as if he was dragged around by the ends of them. Blood was everywhere, some still poured from his gut. Zack gagged at the sight but knelt down to see if he was still conscious.

“Rhys!...RHYS!” There was no response. His life faded from his eyes as they rolled into the back of his head. Zack cursed and ground his teeth. He struck the ground as he realized he wouldn't even be able to give Rhys a proper burial.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” He said as he slowly stood up weeping, his voice wavering and breaking up. Zack began to feel tremendous amounts of guilt for even thinking of leaving, but he knew he had to. The fire would finish off both of them if he stayed. It felt horrible but he did it anyway. Zack became more panicked, He became more careless due to his state of mind and suffered burns as he searched through the inferno of trees. Eventually, He ended up making his way out of the forest. He stood in the grassy plains that was separated from the fort by the forest that used to stand in between the two. It felt like everything around Zack was falling apart. This new life he had made with the only people he was able to call friends. The life where he had a sense of purpose and belonging. It felt like all of it was vanishing in front, quite literally being burned away. No, stop, don't take this from me! Zack thought to himself as he rushed through the forest. He didn't even want to think if a bandit force had made it to their fort or not. It was a horrible feeling and he was powerless to stop it. Zack ended up reaching the end of the woods. As he stood in the lush plains, finally away and able to breathe in air that wasn't full of smoke, He found Matthew. Battling what must have been one hundred men. Zack stood in awe as he looked at Matthew fight. Amazed he was able to keep true to his word and whittle down the main force so much all on his own. Matthew was at his limit however, Zack could tell. Despite the heroic stance he took as he tore through the enemy on horseback, Matthew was obviously losing his breath. He was no longer fighting at his regular pace, his armor was falling apart. All it would take is one good hit and Matthew could be knocked off his horse and impaled by one of the bandits, or even just break his leg as fell. The situation didn't look good. He understood he was ordered to stay back and rally survivors, but he couldn't do that. Zack wasn't willing to lose the last member of the Blue Swords he knew was alive. He knew he had to disobey Matthew's order this one time. He made a sprint towards their main force, pushing past the pain of his wounds and burns. There was no time to think about those, he had to save Matthew. Zack felt he had about half of his mana left, it would be enough. He was unsure how much Matthew would have left but it wouldn't matter. He would tag in and break away as much of the force as he could. Just enough that would give Matthew some breathing room and regain his posture. Zack enchanted his blade as he ran, running his palm from the hilt to the end of the squared blade. He heard the galloping of Matthew's steed as he did so, the battle cries of the bandits, flesh being torn through as Matthew swung his blade. It was absolute chaos, unfair chaos at that. He had to act fast or Matthew’s steed could get surrounded and be prevented from moving. Zack finished enchanting his blade and without hesitation, he hurled his blade like a boomerang toward the densest group of bandits. The Levin that coursed through it enhanced its flight and made it fly like an arrow, faster than even a bolt. The blade tore through several soldiers, wounded them, dismembering them and killing them in an instant before it landed on the ground, embedding itself within the soil. The large group of soldiers' attention was turned to Zack as blood sprayed all over them from the torn flesh of their comrades. Not every man from the force was focused on Zack, but it was enough. He just had to take some pressure off Matthew. As Zack continued to sprint forward he stopped in his tracks, letting the bandits surround him, there must have been about fifteen men surrounding him in a circle now. So long as he kept them away from Matthew he didn't care how many he was outnumbered by. Zack stood still and tried to calm his nerves. I just need to give Matthew some time. They slowly closed in on him, narrowing the circle as they did. They drew their blades and held their hands out, ready to cast unknown spells. Zack didn't pay it mind and closed his eyes, he had to concentrate fully to bring out this technique. Just as they were within three meters of Zack. One of the bandits slung his hand out to launch a bolt of fire at Zack at almost point blank. Zack was prepared, however. His heightened senses from focusing on drawing out mana let him dodge the firebolt in time, but only barely. He leaned back as it flew past him, Inches away from his face. So close that he could feel the heat raze off from it. As he pulled back. He poured the last of his mana into a bolt of lightning that formed in his hand. Long and thin, it coursed with lighting, as if he was holding a real bolt of thunder. As it materialized, he grabbed ahold of the mana that made up the strand of thunder with his right hand. He gripped it tightly within his palm, twisted his body to the left as he did so, and drove the bolt into the ground, bringing himself down to one knee in the process. The bolt of lightning exploded and created a shockwave of purple thunder that shot out all around him within about five meters. It was far more powerful than his regular spells and it completely fried every bandits around them. They all went stiff and fell limp around him. Even Zack’s body was overwhelmed by the amount of mana he outputted. He wasn’t as adept with magic as Matthew and had only practiced this technique a handful of times. Still, it worked how he wanted, but he was fresh out of mana. He had to be careful from here on out. Zack looked over back to where Matthew was fighting the remaining force, he looked to have the advantage again now that he was no longer surrounded. Some hope came back to Zack in that moment…until it was all pulled away again. Matthews's horse whined loudly and from above the crowd of soldiers his horse was seen pulled up on its hind legs. Matthew could be seen losing his balance and soon after the steed toppled over on its side, sending down Matthew with it as well.

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“No!” Zack scrambled back to his feet and quickly ran for the crowd of bandits. With his heavy armor on there would be no way of him recovering from being sent on his back, he would be like a turtle that was thrown on its shell. Zack ran for his sword to retrieve it but as he went to pull it out, A bandit caught him. Instinctively he tried to use lighting magic to dash away but was only met with nothing as a result of using all his mana. The bandit kicked Zack in the stomach, sending him on his back and coughing up blood. His injuries had finally caught up to him and they would no longer let him play the hero. The bandits continued to kick down Zack, preventing him from getting up, even as he tried with his injuries. Zack’s head was a mess. He knew that Matthew was in danger and had to do something but at the same time, he felt as if he was on the verge of death, his vision became blurier with each kick the bandit gave him. He slowly began to pass out on the dry grass. No, it can’t end like this. It felt as if Zack’s life was flashing before his eyes. Each kick he received delivered each memory to him. Just as he passed out he heard a noise, almost like a vacuum of wind being pulled in somewhere. He wasnt sure how much time had passed but he was awoken by a soldier. Not one from any of the forces that fought, however. Instead, it was an Atlus soldier. He was equipped in the classic silver armor they all wore, with visible chainmail underneath and helmets with a long pointed spike on the peak. The soldier next to him in particular seemed to be a spearman. Judging from his weapon of choice the soldier had placed down next to him, even in his broken state it was the most expensive spear he had ever seen.

“You're okay son, don't strain yourself” Zack sat up with the help of the soldier, in his dazed state he saw the group of bandits still there but fighting someone else, not Matthew. It was hard to see but the figure wore bright white armor that similar to Atlus captains but was far grander with gold accents that ran along it. The man’s speed was incredible for the amount of armor he wore and the fact he wasn't riding on a steed. He moved like an entity that wasn't affected by the same forces humans were, he pierced and slashed each foe. He made quick work of each of them, disposing of them like they were nothing more than dust. The knight suddenly used one of the soldiers to launch himself into the air. Kicking off his shoulder and ascending about five meters. The man seemed to accomplish physical feats that should be impossible, no, defy the laws of physics themselves. From thin air, he drew a bright silver squared broadsword, ornamented with gold and ruby gemstones. As he held his position above the bandits, high in the air, wisps of flame began to gather in the blade.

“SEARING GALE!” the knight shouted through his helmet. In less than a second he plummeted down to the ground and slammed the blade into the ground. The gathered flame in the blade coalesced into a searing ball of fire. Just as the knight recovered his poise, the ball of fire exploded, searing all of the bandits in the platoon in a spiral-like pattern. It scorned the very land itself, scaring it like a rocky volcano. It was the most incredible fire magic Zack had seen. Screams of pain threw out from the roaring flames as the knight walked out from the inferno unharmed, completely unphased, and walking like the ideal knight. No, it wasn't just a knight, nor was it just magic. It was the King, the King of Atlus who wielded The Sword of Night and Flame. There was no mistaking it. Zack had only heard of Devil Relics from second-hand experience and gossip from fellow soldiers, he wasn't even sure if the rumors regarding their power were true. He now understood why the weapons were only held by the most powerful men in Elden. The king approached one of his knights, Zack was too dazed to understand what he was saying, too focused on making sure Matthew was okay. He looked around in a dazed state across the blood-soaked field. He is…I think. Zack saw Matthew to the side of him. He looked to be unconscious and the Atlus knights were undoing the amour he was fastened with to tend to his wounds. With the knowledge that the bandits were defeated and Matthew was okay, he wished he could pass out on the grass he lay and then be done with this nightmare, but he couldn't. The Blue Swords were done, not only done but dead. He couldn't find one living member and the soldiers he did find were all dismembered and burnt to husks in the forest fire. He may have won the war of three years…but he lost the battle today.