Chapter 43: Cowardice and Treachery

Sakura

“What the hell?!” Modgi shouted. “Regi, what is going on?”

“He saved us,” Tedgi said quietly. She had woken sometime during the fighting with the summoned animals. “Brother. I . . . I can’t feel you.”

Medgi’s expression fell into abject fear. “Regi, has . . . has your core broken?”

I knew that a core breaking could cause someone to advance, or gain unpredictable powers or abilities. But they would be stuck like that, unable to advance without serious reconstruction. Usually at the hands of a Prince or King stage cultivator specialized in healing.

Regi said something under his breath. Something I didn’t quite catch. “What?” I asked, edging closer to the others. “Didn’t hear you Regi.” My bow disappeared into my gauntlet.

“I said . . .” His face was blank of emotion, and his eyes were wide, as if desperate for input. To gather as much information around him as possible. “It's the only way. I’m . . . I'm sorry.” Before my daggers could materialize in my hands Regi had shadow stepped.

A flash of a dark blade longer than my arm, followed by his form appearing wreathed in shadow directly behind his brother were the only indications of what was happening. Medgi collapsed, blood splashed across the ground.

“No!” I screamed, but I was moving as if through molasses. Far, far too slow to stop the horror that was about to unfold in front of my eyes. Darkness seeped out of the shadowed form as if it were mist, cloying, as if hungry. Devouring light and everything else it touched.

Fangs erupted from my shoulder, as Sky’s tight coiled body launched itself at Modgi’s attacker. The blackened blade cut far swifter than even my viper could match, and before I could react Sky had turned into light, and reentered my core.

Sorry, not . . . fast enough.

Are you injured? I demanded at the speed of thought. Far faster than my body was capable of moving.

Yes. But only by the blade. That poison is strong, but I am a Sky God. I am immune to such petty things.

The blade stopped, and began swinging back towards me. I tried to pull my daggers up to block, but my body just wouldn’t move fast enough.

A bright flash of steel and light cut through the darkness, and Captain Walden’s blade, blazing with fire and the same rage that was plastered on his face, met Regi’s. The two exchanged blows so fast, I could barely follow.

I grabbed Modgi’s robes and pulled him through the mud to safety. I found Victor doing the same to Tedgi as knights appeared around us, locking shields and advancing on the threat their captain was already contesting.

Modgi said something, but I couldn't hear him through the chaotic noise of the battle, and the mud that caked his face. I stopped pulling, and popped the cork on one of his healing potions.

Let's hope this is as effective as advertised.

The moment the flask was to his lips he gulped the red liquid down as quickly as he could. After swallowing, he tried to speak again. “He’s after my pool. And . . . And Tedgi’s core.”

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“What?”

“It's what broke contact with our family. They . . . They tried to get us to kill each other, and the last one standing would be more powerful than the three of us combined. We swore an oath to never do it. I don’t know why he’s broken faith with us . . .” Modgi winced in pain, and I rolled him over to examine his wound.

Blood poured from the cut, but worse than that a dark stain had begun working its way down his veins. Making them visibly dark, and turning purple with whatever magical poison Regi had used on his blade.

Shit! King, get over here!

King had been hanging out near the back of the fighting. Resting and tending the deep gashes he had suffered fighting the giant gray beast from before. He was wreathed in living vegetation, and as he trundled over as quickly as he could, and no one would describe King as swift except perhaps as he was charging, the healing aura he exuded quickly washed over Modgi.

The flesh knit back together, slowly, and the blood dried, flaked, and fell away in the matter of heartbeats. His color returned to normal, save for the black and purple veins. The poison’s progression had been stopped by King's efforts. But it was clear it wasn’t going to reverse the effects. Not without someone specialized in the healing arts.

I rooted around in my bag for a moment, and quickly produced the items I was looking for. I gave Modgi the second high grade potion I had on hand, and a generalized poison antidote that Yu had instructed me to always keep on hand just in case.

Then I produced the flair.

One for emergencies, two for major emergencies. I glanced at the progress of the fight. Regi was holding his own, even against Captain Walden who it hurt to look at,a s he blazed with so much mana and chie. His armor amplified the effect, but it was clear he was a high ranking cultivator in his own right.

And yet Regi, who had been peak silver just a few hours earlier was keeping him, and his squad of knights at bay.

I think this counts.

A horn sounded nearby. Wolves howled, and strange noises came from fae and eldrich beasts not far off, and seemingly getting closer.

Oh yeah. This counts. I activated the flair, and pointed it towards the sky. A red and angry strobing ball of light shot into the sky like a rocket, then hung there and blazed its angry furry for the whole world to see.

The war cry of an elf hunting party rose over the jungle, and a mounted warparty riding six legged horses the size of clydesdales erupted from the treeline. Dozens of heavy cavalry, each carrying two elf slaves, their collars clear in the sunlight, and a rider that blazed with fae energies.

The cavalry stopped just inside the clearing, and the slaves dismounted. They carried spears, swords, and whatever discarded weapons they had taken off the battlefields and raids they had been a part of over the years in service to their strange masters.

“Victor!” I shouted over the din of chaos around us. Victor was crouched over Tedgi, who was still half delirious from her psychic injuries and chie exhaustion. He glanced over at me, and I felt glad to have gotten his attention. “Don’t let him near either of the other siblings! He kills and absorbs them, he’ll be unstoppable with what we have here!”

He nodded, finished feeding her a mana potion, then stood. Holding his shield and his hammer at the ready to defend his friend.

King, a new fight has come to us. Are you ready?

No. But I will fight anyway. And I will protect you.

“Thank you friend,” I said, placing a hand on his shell. It was warm, and I felt nearly fully refreshed standing so close to King and his healing aura.

I put my daggers away. They wouldn’t be helpful against cavalry. “Time I try something a little new. What do you think?”

A fine idea.

My hands filled with the cold metal of the spear sword. The gleaming metal spear head was easily as long as my forearm. It had a leafed head, that would make it easier to land a devastating blow against cavalry and armored enemies. I wasn’t sure why I had chosen this style of spear sword, but it had seemed the most useful to me at the time. And I hoped it would be useful here.

One of the riders urged his mount forward, and raised his own spear in challenge. He yelled something towards us in a language I didn’t speak, then motioned his people forward.

The ground shook, and I planted my feet next to King and Modgi as the enemy cavalry in all their fae glory started forward as one. They ran over mud, and broken ground as if it were flat open ground.

I cycled chie and mana through my entire body, reinforcing muscles and bones to my utmost, and began casting.

Here we go.

Brace, and bite when they get close!