Dozens of soldiers stood on the gate, lined along the parapet, as the thralls closed in. There were hundreds from the look of it, some were small in stature identifying themselves as formerly being of the dwarven race. Others were larger still, taller than the humans and elves making them wonder just how far the plague had gone before reaching the shores of the Dwarf Islands.
“This is going to be hell.” Yumiko said as she drew bow back and nocked an arrow, she knew they weren’t yet in her firing line, but she couldn’t help but be ready for them.
Blane stood and thought about everything happening and realized that this was as close as he was going to come to being in any war he’d seen in his favorite anime and movies. Something inside him just screamed to come out, begging to take the fight to the creatures. “Let’s do this right people. It’s time to go to war.” He drew a card and cast the first spell of the battle, the first of many. Regalia Geros, Archer Extraordinaire.”
Regalia’s body glowed as her armor changed, her armor changing for more of a ranger attire. Her metal plate changed into a green leather that wrapped her waist and midsection well, her shoulders were covered in a pair of metal pauldrons and her legs were covered by skin tight slacks. On her feet her boots stayed the same and her hands were covered in mid forearm length gloves. He noticed that her bow had changed and now looked like a finely crafted wooden bow, but it had a glow to it making him think something special was linked to the bow. Her quiver was full of green and black arrows, the fletching they could see was plain, no glow to it at all.
She clenched her fists, her eyes wide with delight as she yelled, “This feels wonderful. Oh, I feel so powerful right now, like I could take on the whole world.”
“Maybe start with these things first?” He joked and he noticed a green and black line that was connecting them just as the red one connected he and Kana. Then he looked to ensure Kana still wore her armor and that her sword was still tucked nicely into her side. “Are you ready?”
“Mmhm, I think so.” She replied nodding once.
“Then let’s get ready to hit them with everything we’ve got.” He stared ahead at the hoard coming for them and drew another card. I hope I can handle this much casting. He thought to himself. “Summon the squad.” He raised the card and it took to sending three beams of light connected from Blane to three of the soldiers on the parapet, two were unknown women to him, but the third was Yumiko. The only thing that seemed to change about them was they glowed with a white aura and they began shouting with joy. “Is everyone getting psyched up!” He screamed, and they replied with thunderous roars of agreement.
The thralls were closer now, nearly a couple hundred feet from the gate and he held up a hand. Every archer took that as their queue and he watched as they all nocked arrows. And as he let his arm fall they launched a volley of flying missiles into the sky, watching them turn down to pepper the enemy forces.
“Again!” He cried as he gave the signal and they launched a second volley of arrows. They all saw as the thralls were cut to shreds by the steel, triangular tipped bolts. Dozens fell as they closed in, getting closer and closer to the front lines and he drew another card. “Star of Destruction!” He called and a bright red light filled the sky, even the thralls turned their heads upward to see the massive force falling on them with speed.
Some scrambled trying to evade the attack and were trampled by their brothers. But as the star got closer to the creatures Blane felt the reserves of his energy begin to wane, his mana wasn’t replenishing as quickly as he’d hoped it would from using such big attacks, and he stumbled forward into he stone of the parapet.
“Blane, what is wrong?” Kana asked him as she grabbed him to keep him from falling over.
“I’m fine, just using a lot of energy is all. You and Grace need to take a detachment to begin clearing them up while Regalia and Yumiko lead the rest in their long range capabilities to keep them from scurrying away. I’ll stay here and try to help however I can.”
She nodded at him and he thought he saw a glimmer flash over her face, he couldn’t tell if it was of hope or fear. But whatever it was she helped him to lean against the wall and rallied their few, but proud, soldiers to the gate and waited for it to open.
The Queen walked up to him and whispered. “You didn’t think you could pull this off did you?”
“If I’m being honest, no, no I did not. I knew I could pull something off but this is far beyond what I expected.” Turning his head he saw Regalia nock an arrow and as she sent it flying it began glowing with the same green-black energy that connected them. “Regalia, call out Piercing Shot.” He couldn’t figure out where that came from, but as he watched her it appeared in his mind as clear as day.
Without missing a beat she called the attack out and sent her next arrow flying down towards it’s closer target, one thrall that was going to get a jump on one of their soldiers. The arrow pierced him through the heart and continued for three more attacks flying through whatever was in it’s path, thankfully none of their troops was directly behind the thing. “By the gods. That felt incredible.” her face shown her excitement clearer than anything else could have.
“Are the other two with Kana doing okay?” He asked the Queen as he felt a burst of pressure through the connection he had to the two soldiers who were fighting side by side with the woman of his dreams.
“One seems to have been struck, but the other is doing well, keeping her own against the creatures as Kana leads the charge with that flaming sword held high.”
“Good. That’s…good.” He said feeling more of his energy drain and his eyes seemed to get heavier the longer he kept them open, he knew he’d pass out soon, but if he did then they’d have no extra help against the Non that was coming their way.
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Kana stood on the battlefield, surrounded by the dead thralls rotting in the sun. Their blood boiling on her flaming blade as she turned to find her next challenge. A small group of thralls coming right for her, their arms flailing, trying to catch her off guard. She lifted her blade, fire licking the length as she moved, and launched herself forwards slashing through enemies as she delivered blow after blow, cutting them down where they stood in a dance of blood and fire.
She felt the warm liquid splash her face as she ended their lives, spinning in a circle she saw the massacre of thralls, broken from the star Blane had dropped on them. More looked like porcupines from the amount of arrow shafts sticking out of them.
A screeching sound split the air, heads turned to seek the source of it, what she saw was disturbing to say the least. It was one of the Nons, and it was closing in on their city.
The creature was easily as tall as the castle itself with four legs and four arms. Each leg ended in what looked like a spike while the arms were long and shin, covered in a chitinous shell that ended with pincers on each one. It’s entire body was encased in a type of exoskeleton and the creatures head was flat and small, almost like it’s body was too large for it, with large serrated teeth filling it’s mouth as it screeched over and over.
“It’s a Non!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping their newest wizard would be able to do something to help them. She was tired from the fighting, but her sword remained alight and she wouldn’t give up until she was dead. Charging it she let out a battlecry as she raised her arm preparing to deliver a powerful blow.
As the creature got closer she saw the devastation it left in it’s wake, it’s spiked legs tearing up earth with each step and she knew she had to do something. “Phoenix Slash!” She cried as she came within striking distance to the thing and watched as fire sliced through the air, slamming into it’s shell and stunning it for a second. The thing stood and shook itself as if her attack had actually caused it harm, which was more than anyone else could say, no one had faced a Non and survived. No one.
The Non turned to her and began rushing her, just feet away and she braced herself, prepared to attack again. It’s front arms lifted and dove for her, the pincers wide open and just before she could swing a bright green-black light hit the creature forcing it back a step.
Kana turned and saw Regalia standing just outside the gate with Yumiko and Lady Galantine in tow. “Your attack hurt it. Can you do it again?”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“Of course.” Regalia replied as she drew back her bow and fired again, this time sending the arrow straight into the creature’s chest. “We can harry it from here, you’ll need to do the closeup work.”
Kana ducked and dove for the creature’s legs slashing with her sword into it’s shell. Once her sword bit though it was like she couldn’t remove it. Struggling hard she had to launch herself backwards to avoid being caught by the creature’s pincers, it moved it’s leg taking her blade with it. The creature slammed it’s pincers into the ground near her sending shockwaves that knocked her to the ground and broke up the ground even more.
It grasped larger pieces of rock and threw them at Regalia and the others at the gate.
“Take cover!” She yelled as they all dove away from the large missiles.
But it wasn’t done there as it rushed the gate and with it’s pincers began grasping the soldiers on the parapet slicing them in two. Their bodies fell in pieces as blood sprayed the stone and people around them.
A chorus of screeches sounded and Kana looked to see dozens more thralls heading for them. They were running at breakneck pace as she scrambled to get up. With her sword still stuck in the Nons leg she was completely defenseless to stop them.
She closed in on the gate and cried out to her friend, “Regalia! I need a weapon!” Just as the Non threw it’s arm into a downward arc that slammed into both her and Regalia sending them sprawling and Regalia’s bow flying from her grasp.
It turned to look at them, considering which one to kill first.
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Blane stood, he was weary, not used to expending so much energy in such a short time. He watched the creature, the Non, cut people down and he tried getting back down the stairs on wobbly legs, almost falling after moving down three steps.
He held onto the wall at the side of the stairs with one arm and his other hand was at his temple trying to quell the headache that was forming.
People ran to and fro as the Non destroyed more of the gate and then stopped abruptly. His head shot up and Blane realized something bad had to have happened and he raced down the steps as best he could, tripping the last two steps and landing on his feet he turned the corner to see what was happening through the gate as he heard the screeching battlecry of the thralls. Then he saw the Non debating between the two women and he realized he not only cared about Kana, he also wanted to keep Regalia safe.
Blane couldn’t let it harm either of them. He felt something surge inside him as he pulled a card from his side and called out. “Retribution of the Gods!”
The sky turned dark as clouds filled the clear sky and lightning flashed, thunder crashed through the land and the Non and it’s thralls turned their attention skyward at the new development. A blast of lightning sliced through the sky and struck the Non in the face, driving the beast into the ground. He began walking towards the thing, feeling possessed by rage. He cast the spell again sending the creature down to it’s knees, the crunch of exoskeleton filled the air as the Non had it’s head exposed to the elements.
The anger that surged through him fueled his summoning. He could feel it taking hold, giving him that badass attitude he had so admired in others, but didn’t have himself and he stalked towards the Non, ready to do battle with it himself if need be.
Kana tried to get up but found her leg wouldn’t support her weight and cried out for help, Regalia scrambled to her feet to help only to watch as thralls closed in on her friend.
Arrows flew through the air, past her head and impacting the creatures with such force you could hear the wump as they struck, taking the creatures to the ground quickly. Instead of wasting time seeing who helped them she rushed Kana and gave her support on her injured leg, hoping she was taking enough pressure off of it that she could hop with the other. Lady Galantine ran to them grabbing Kana’s other arm and putting it around her neck as she helped carry the fallen soldier from the battlefield.
All the while Blane watched and continued walking towards the Non, feeling his own power rising, something he’d never felt before. Warmth spread through his entire body, emanating from where his deckbox rested on his hip and as he looked to it he saw one spot in particular was glowing. He drew the card, hoping it would help them in their time of need. And he wasn’t wrong. “Fissure!”
The creature looked at him in confusion until the ground beneath it began to shake as it was quaked apart. A thin line turned into a gaping maw as the ground literally opened up to swallow the creature whole, it’s legs struggling to find purchase.
Blane saw the Phoenix blade imbedded in the creature’s leg and reached out for it, taking hold of the hilt and yanking with all of his might. The creature screamed, an inhuman sound that seemed amplified by the fact that Blane freed the blade and held it ready to strike the creature again.
The beam connecting him to Kana seemed to engorge as he felt a surge of power and all of a sudden Grace was by his side stabbing her spear into the leg next to the one he was facing, trying to drive the creature into the abyss below. “Phoenix saber slash!” He cried as he felt the heat of the flames and sliced through the leg, right through the crack created by Kana earlier, and the creature lost what purchase it had and began tumbling downward.
He backed away from the hole, as did Grace, and he heard footsteps. Turning he saw Regalia, Lady Galantine, and Yumiko standing just feet away from him, ready for battle. And he noticed Kana being attended to by who he assumed was their version of a medic while looking back at him with sad, yet proud, eyes.
The maw began to close up, the earth knitting itself back together, and the thralls that hadn’t fell into the hole stood still, faces turned down towards the earth as they stared into nothingness.
“What’s happening?” He questioned the others.
“I don’t know, this has never happened before.” Lady Galantine said.
“Maybe they are hive minded creatures?” Grace suggested. “Back home when one of our insects queens die the rest of them go still until a new one takes hold from another hive. What if these thralls are all controlled by the Non who is like their queen?”
“It’s certainly an interesting idea.” Regalia suggested.
“I agree. It makes the most sense.” Blane said, he could feel the adrenaline and whatever else he had pumping through his veins begin to wear down. “We have to try something to save them though. It can’t be too late to save these people.”
“Even if you could, they were mindless killing machines for months if not longer, how do you think you can fix that?” Lady Galantine asked.
“With a spell. I have this, I can try it and see if it helps.” He held up a card and Regalia stared at it.
“That’s the same one you used to heal me. Do you really think it will work?”
“I don’t know, but I have to try if we are going to save anyone.”
“Then you have our strength.” She said.
He could feel the beams connecting him to her, Kana, Grace, even Yumiko change, could feel them feeding something to him. A surge of energy filled him and he realized their belief in him was giving him the strength he needed. Looking at his card he closed his eyes and said a silent prayer to the Allfather as he said, “Priest’s Blessing.”
The thralls around them began screeching making the women go into defensive stances around him. Newer thralls began changing, their skin growing ashy and shedding like a snake. Large pieces of gray skin fell to the ground revealing pinkish skin underneath. Their ears returning to their natural size as their teeth did the same. The creatures were all wearing rags, but some were so threadbare that as they reverted to their normal bodies it hung off of them and some even fell to the ground around them.
He looked at them and saw dozens of thralls returning to their normal male bodies, falling to their knees and staring up at the sky as if they hadn’t seen the sunshine in ages. There were a few that were pale skinned, their eyes so white he would have assumed they were blind, they began changing back, but partway through shedding the skin they began to seize, their bodies seeming to be unable to handle the rapid change.
Blane watched as a dozen or so fell to seizures as their bodies bashed the earth beneath them, blood spraying from head wounds and they finally went still. Their bodies finally returned to their natural forms, even if their lives were not.
“These ones will be burned with honors as befitting one who perished from fighting such a terrible enemy such as these.” Lady Galantine said as she walked to the first one that had reverted. Her breath caught in her throat. “Aleki?” She asked as she knelt by one of the bodies. Her hair enveloping them as she lifted the man’s head onto her lap and wept. “Wake up Aleki, wake up!” She looked at Blane. “Please, this is my Aleki, do something!”
He heard each of the women gasp, the King? “I’ll do my best.” He used the same spell again, focusing on the fallen king before them.
The man’s eyes opened briefly and he stared at Queen Galantine with a smile on his face, and tears streaming from his eyes. “My love…forgive me.”
“Always, just come back to me. Please my love, come back!”
“Damnit why isn’t it working.” Blane wondered, his body was wracked with pain and he could feel how weakened he was, but even still the spell should have healed him. He stood over the king again and tried it again and again, focused on his body, trying to find some way to push the healing power into him. But with each attempt the man’s body glowed for a second and then the aura faded. It’s a long shot, but what the hell? He thought to himself. “Divine Provenience.” He called, summoning the strength of will for one last spell.
The king’s body glowed with an unearthly yellow-white light, as did all of the dead former thralls. His eyes sprang open and he gasped scaring the queen. “My love? Oh, my love!” She burst into tears as she held him and felt his beating heart under her hand.
The women gathered stared at the other bodies as they began to move, coughing and crying as they tried to stand.
“You did this, you are truly the King Eternal.” Grace said as she clapped him on the back and stepped back to help the queen lift her husband. “Get some sleds so we can get these people inside!” She yelled to the soldiers at the gate. “It is going to be one long day.”
“It already has been.” Blane said as he collapsed backwards and landed on the ground, he didn’t even register the pain, he only recognized the pleasure that came with doing such a good thing for everyone. He saw Regalia standing over him and then Kana was there, her leg bandaged but she knelt next to his head, “How are you feeling?” He asked her.
“Like I’ve been through war.”
“Yeah, this is how I assume that would feel.” He said closing his eyes. “I just need to rest, just a little. Then I’ll get up and help them.” He started to close his eyes and felt Kana’s hands on his head as she lifted his head into her lap, her scent, fresh air with a spicy scent caught him and he began drifting off to sleep as he heard her say; “Rest easy.”