Chapter 37: The Battle of Volken: Part 1
Fergus, Yami, Zack, Orphzus
A sudden audience with the king was always something to look forward to in Fergus’s mind. Sometimes they were good, sometimes they were bad, but it was always a sign that Vholeria was taking steps in the war against other nations. Fergus found himself having to be summoned more often now that Gideon was no longer in the service of his highness, that role was now left to him. It was one he was rather worried about not filling fully, even despite being an elite magic knight for nearly thirty years now. Gideon wielded - and still wielded - one of the strongest Devil Relics in Elden, he was the man who assassinated the former king of Atlus eight years ago. Expectations were high for him but he was ready to meet them without complaints if it was all in the name of Vholeria and the honor of serving his highness.
He strode through the stone hallways of Volken confidently with his dark sage cape billowing behind him, passing the many lights fueled by demonic energy that hung against the strong walls of the castle’s interior. The ominous white, almost pink glow they emitted was strange and otherworldly. Fergus found himself struggling to adjust to the new lighting over something like a regular fire spell or an oil lamps. Though he respected the ingenuity that the king possessed, with the capability to transfer demonic energy and use it externally as a source of power, it certainly was not something to be overlooked.
The cold stone hallways were practically empty due to the order from the king to evacuate the city in preparation for the battle that would soon take place. Regardless, Fergus made sure he dressed well and kept his posture straight to keep his title as The Flame of Vholeria in one piece. He made sure to polish his imposing black armor and attack all of his gold ornamentation to his uniform before arriving, as he always did when he knew he would have an audience with the king. Pride as a royal knight was always at the forefront of Fergus’s mind.
At last, he reached the chambers of Lord Orphzus and opened the large iron doors that swung open slowly. The throne room was empty, albeit for the king who sat on his throne and seemed to fill up the whole room simply with his presence. The king wore a black gi tied with deep violet straps, with a black cloak that draped over his shoulders and hung over his robes. In the same way, his long white hair covered his shoulders and part of his face as he rested it against his fist while waiting for Fergus.
Fergus stood roughly fifteen meters from the throne before elegantly dropping to one knee and lowering his head, with the bulk of his black armor shifting as he lowered himself.
“Your Highness!” Fergus proclaimed promptly as he waited for his king to speak. King Orphzus shifted slightly as he greeted Fergus.
“I see age isn't slowing you down, you're punctual as usual,” Orphzus said with a slight smile as he peered down at the knight with his piercing eyes.
“For the service of my country, as well as my king, nothing will slow me down,” he said still bowed down before the king with his words echoing throughout the open throne room. Orphzus scoffed in response.
“Good, now let’s drop the pleasantries,” the king said before standing from his throne, His black cloak draped down to his knees, covering most of his black gi. Fergus flinched and opened his eyes, raising his head towards his lord. “It’s time to see if Yami is all he’s made out to be,” Orphzus said as he strode over to Fergus.
The older man stood quickly but remained still as his king approached.
“I believe you are aware of what is to take place?” asked the king as he slowly walked to the armored man.
“Yes, my liege, your war against The Red Wings begins tonight,” said the old man through his thick, aging beard. Fergus was intrigued by the announcement of Lord Orphzus declaring war on Red Wings, never had he imagined them a serious threat. He only saw them as a small dog that nibbled against your ankle, yet were not strong enough to break through the skin. That assessment however was foolhardy. The king had made it public that he wished to duel the leader of Red Wings, Yami, on the grounds of Volken. Unless he planned to simply make a mockery of the group, this Yami character may indeed be a force to be reckoned with. Fergus had heard he wielded not one but two Relics, a feat that should be impossible but regardless, would make him a candidate for the most powerful man in Elden. Never had he seen the man in action, but word of his accomplishments had gone far. A rebellious group such as his would not have lasted twenty years without some sort of backbone to support its weight.
“How would you like me to assist you in this battle, my lord,” Fergus asked as the two stood across from one another now.
“You are to make sure Yami’s pets do not interrupt our duel, the battalions just outside of Volken will give you the vantage point you need,” Oprhzus explained calmly.
“You do not wish for me to provide support?” Fergus asked surprised. “You…intend to battle him alone,”
“That I do, a fair duel with the next strongest man on Elden is my utmost desire,”
“My liege, I cannot allow you to battle him alone as part of my duties. You may be put in danger.” he then paused before finishing his warning, “You have heard his feats my lord…the feats to freeze his opponents in time,”
“I have, and I look forward to how he will use it,” Orphzus stated as he began to walk past Fergus before stopping as their backs faced. Orphzus looked over his shoulder as he spoke. “I relive you of your duties to protect me in this battle Fergus, failure to do so will be met with death. Simply keep any stragglers out,” He stated clearly but fiercely. Fergus spun around quickly and bowed before the lord.
“Of course your Highness,” with Fergus’s acknowledgment, Orphzus made for the large doors as his robe billowed behind him. Fergus then followed suit upon the sound of his lord's footsteps on the cold stone.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
The city of Vholeria was practically a ghost town, even late in the evening there was no man or woman to be seen, no guards patrolling the streets. It could almost be considered relaxing, what with the clear night sky and visible moon that shone brightly. If it weren't for the howling of the wind that rattled signs and windows in the streets. It brought a slight unease to the streets and squares of the stone city. Yami soon reached the long stone bridge that led to Volken, a bridge so long it narrowed on the horizon, leaving the fortress to be a focal point that stood over the city as an imposing force of strength. The red-cloaked man strode confidently with a face of resolve and determination as he led the group consisting of Zack, Maya, Jane, and Thomas. He took to the front of the group as he led them to Volken before stopping next to a pair of towers that repeated all the way down the bridge to support it.
“Right lads,” Yami said before stopping and spinning around. “I want you all to keep out this no matter what, even if I become too weak to fight.” They all nodded silently, though Zack had a look of unwillingness on their face to accept that promise.
“I din’nae want you’s to worry aboot anything. Sanctuary is in safe hands with Jamie and I will walk away with a victory, so take the stairs up to that tower, sit doon, and enjoy the show!” yelled Yami with an air of casualness
The group reluctantly did what he said. None of them liked the idea of him fighting alone, none more than Zack, but they all knew Yami was not just talk. If he was adamant on making sure no one internee-vend then he would obviously have some sort of plan.
At least, that was what Zack kept telling himself, as the four of them climbed the stairs to the top of the battlement, with the wind howling gently outside the stone walls and small slits within the slabs. Zack looked back down to Maya who was assisting Jane with climbing the steps. Her odd proportions nearly didn't fit inside the tower but with enough preservation and caution, she was able to maneuver her lanky limbs and wide glass form up the steps. Zack then looked back up to where Thomas had taken to the front. The man didn’t seem to have the same worry as Zack as he held a confident face and a tall posture while he climbed the stairs.
“Are you worried about him?” Asked Zack
“Hm?” Thomas turned his head slightly
“About Yami…are you not worried about him,” Zack asked again as his armor shifted with each step.
“Obviously, yeah. I don’t want to see him lose, but I trust him enough with what he says to believe he can beat Orphzus,”
“I just…don’t understand why he doesn’t want help, especially from us, magic could really help him,”
“It’s probably something Orphzus said in his letter. To keep it a one-on-one. Besides, Yami told you we would only get in the way, and he’s right. In the end, he’s doing this all for us. To protect all of us,”
The winds blew Orphzus’s cloak behind him as the white-haired man stood with arms folded across his chest high upon the battlement of Volken. Fergus stood behind him and remained reserved, yet on guard.
“You are sure you don’t need assistance, my lord?” Asked Fergus once again. Orphzus grinned to himself and closed his eyes.
“Don’t worry about it Fergus, I’ve told you already. This fight is not win land or win over a country. It’s to test my own strength and push myself to my limits. There is no joy in a battle being won unfairly with your aid.” Orphzus finished.
“If that’s what you wish my lord,” Fergus said, keeping himself restrained and composed. He resisted the urge to channel mana into his gauntlets, just in case a threat was soon to come. The old man instead kept his blade’s handle lonely. The king’s word would trump his own desire for his country.
Yami smiled as he watched as the group of four ascended to the top of the tower. He stood in the center of the empty bridge, the seas crashed against the stone as he stood still. He set his gaze upon the castle of Vholeria as he sensed the subtle demonic energy emanating from the top. Even at a distance of hundreds of meters, Yami could still point out his target who sat upon the fortress. The red-cloaked man then took a deep breath in, then slowly exhaled, and closed his eyes. The man then thrust his arms above him, keeping his wrists crossed over one another.
“DEVIL IGNITION!” Yelled Yami as he thrust his arms out to either side with his palms held open and his posture slightly bent over. The green ethereal sphere grew from Yami’s body rapidly and expanded all the way out to Volken while swallowed the surrounding bridge and ocean swiftly.
Orphzus’s calm expression quickly shifted to one of panic as the overwhelmingly demonic presence of The Timekeeper approached him, catching him off guard from its sudden appearance. Orphzus thrust his arm out to summon The Sword of Nevan to his hand, but it was too late. The green sphere had enveloped him and Fergus completely and slowed down their functions and movements, though not to a drastic degree.
The crystal form of Nevan began to form slowly while his arm dragged as he moved it out to grab Nevan. The pink crystals lazily formed, cracking into reality, but before Orphzus could grab it, the King was met with a hail of concentrated ethereal swords all focused on his position. They flew into him and impaled the man, while the space of Timekeeper prevented him from reacting. Each one came from a different angle and before long, The king had become a pin cushion of silver swords, unable to move or scream under the influence of Timekeeper.
Yami stood where he initially used his Devil Ignition in a carefree manner, his hands remained in his pockets while his crimson coat billowed behind him. It had been about a minute after Yami executed his rain of Mirage Blades upon the King as well as how long it had been since he had dismissed the Devil Ignition of Timekeeper, with the green ethereal orb shrinking back down to Yami’s body.
The middle-aged man waited patiently for the king to make a move, certain his opening attack would have been ineffective at killing him from the start, and right he was. A minute after his move, a silhouette launched from the top of the castle and arced all the way down to Yami, landing with a crash to the ground that launched up a large amount of smoke and dust from the cracks of the stone both he and the king now stood on. The dust settled and it revealed the king, now with his cloak removed and only his black gi remaining.
Orphzus shot Yami an evil grin as he pulled out the last of the ethereal swords from his arm, blood leaked out from his tricep and soaked into the fabric of his gi.
He used demonic energy to soften the blow of his landing. I guess he still has plenty of reserves to repair his body and soften his landing like that.
“Looks like I’ve drawn the first blood,” Yami proclaimed with a cheeky grin.
“You suppressed your demonic energy even using Devil Ignition to ambush me,” Orphzus revealed as he chuckled menacingly “Very good, you’re still showing me new tricks, though, they aren't good enough. To extend your time bubble over such a large distance means you have to lower its overall effectiveness, meaning I still had time to react and reinforce my skull with demonic energy,” Orphzus explained pointing to his head,
“Aye, well ya din’nae reveal your best trick first, I dae have an audience mate,” Yami said with a smile as he pulled his jacket off by the sleeves and tossed it to the side. As the jacket waved in the air, Yami quickly caught it with one of his silver swords, embedding the sword and the jacket into one of the stone towers that lined the bridge. Yami stood ready for hand-to-hand combat, his stance widened and arms guarded which showed his lean and toned muscles revealed by his sleeveless vest. Orphzus only smiled menacingly and took a similar stance to Yami.
“Looks like your audience will need to be compensated for a sorry show,” said the king as he brimmed with demonic energy. Orphzus finished with a maniacal look in his eye as he kept his fists guarded. Yami kept his stance, kept his cool, and, kept a grin on his face as he prepared to battle the king of Vholeria.