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Rocks fell like rain and I wrestled with death.
My mother always used to tell me I had no talent for sewing. The Light, Fire and Shield bless her soul. If only she could see me now.
She would laugh and say that I still had no talent for sewing.
Instead of weaving through the falling rocks like a needle, I raised my shield above my head and ran through the field.
Oh, please excuse me. It seems I left out some background information. That is my fault.
Right now, I was running through a field of falling rocks, trying my best not to get knocked out while wielding colossal weapons of magical nature trying to ensnare a Grade-4 Beast, boss-class. Oh, did I mention that this beast started birthing hundreds of insects that poured over the battlefield? And that the mother-insect itself was the size of a large town?
I believe that the explanation should suffice.
You might be wondering how I’m managing to stay so calm. Rest assured, I am quite panicked. Scared, even. But those emotional responses would do no one any good, least of all, me. We, the Vetilius, never wavered; we were the shield of the empire. We all heard it while growing up.
I made another mistake. I’m not a Vetilius. I’m a Vetilian. A bastard child. I guess it doesn’t apply to me. How silly of me.
No one appreciates my humor these days.
I sprinted through the falling rocks which were now the size of small houses. People underestimate how hard it is to sprint in heavy armor.
“Left side! LEFT SIDE!”
A grizzled veteran adventurer, also a shielder like me, screamed orders and we all moved to obey. Right now was not the time to split sides (oh dear, another sewing joke), we had to act as one. My training kicked in and I grouped with the other Shielders, all eight of them. Luckily, most of them were Turinans, meaning that they knew the basic shield maneuvers. As one, we raised our shield towards the left side and braced ourselves.
KAAAAAAAANG
The rock fell like a meteor but crumbled against our unified shield. There was a surge of satisfaction, of being part of a team and pulling off a maneuver. But it wasn’t without cost.
“Shit! Karin is down!”
“Pour a healing potion on her! Quick! The rest of you! Hooks! Hooks!”
I did not know this Karin woman, but she seemed nice enough. I hoped she would survive.
Taking out another Colossal Hook from my Dimension Ring, I whirled it over my head. Just in time, the Worm was beginning to tire and less movement meant less rocks. I heaved and pulled; the sound of chain cutting wind making a deep long-winded whoosh with every spin. My arm burned but most of all, my leg and hips.
“THROW!”
I threw the Hook with all my might but didn’t pause to admire my handiwork. The battlefield was moving, constantly changing. Once the hook left my hands, there was no need to see. I didn’t have the skills, techniques nor training necessary to change an object mid-trajectory. I simply had to trust in what Mr. Pointell gave to us. Besides, it had been working so far.
The chain became taut. The hook had caught.
As one, we moved towards the black spikes we had set up on the ground. Pulling with all our might, we wrapped the chains around it with plenty of slack. Six new hooks were embedded in the creature's scales.
“Shit! It’s moving again! Go, go, go!”
I didn’t hesitate in obeying. In the battlefield, each advice was worth lending an ear to. And the veteran was proving to be an effective commander in this situation. No sooner than he finished the command then the earth rumbled. I stomped, hard, digging my armored foot into the ground and using it as a spike to keep my balance. Some of the other shielders were not so lucky.
They fell down.
A dozen insects skittered out from above, landing with absolute silence amongst us.
A chill went down my spine.
Wordplay has never been my strong suit. I actually tend to drive people away when I talk too much. I think it might be because I spent too many years of my youth in the Vetilius Training Compound. Military Drills and Training had taken up most of my life. A lot of people laughed at me for this particular speech and I did not mind it. What I did mind however was that once people found out who I was, or more specifically, what my heritage was, they started treating me differently.
This time was no different.
Three of the shielders nearest to me formed up next to me and I knew why.
To use me.
You see, even if I was a bastard I was still a child of the Vetilius Bloodline. Plus, the training I received was evident. I also had to factor in the years I spent here in the Jayu States, building up my reputation as an adventurer. I apologize if this comes off as bragging, but the truth of the matter is, I have a reputation as a competent warrior. A seasoned adventurer who could hold her own in the heat of battle.
So when these shielders formed up near me, I could only suspect them of doing so because they hoped that being near me would increase their chances of survival.
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Perhaps one might accuse me of being a cynic. But if you lived a life like mine, I hardly think one could blame me. Besides, my conjectures were not based on unobservable traits like emotions. It was their body language, the way they held themselves. For us human adventurers who had all gone through training at one time or another, our stance is as uniform as our race yet uniquely personal as our personality. You can tell a lot of things from a human’s stance, especially if they are from Turina.
The tilt of their shoulders. The direction of their gaze. The way their feet were pointed towards me, not away from me. Like they were ready to run towards me, under my shield.
Yes. They were not protecting me. They wanted to be protected by me.
I could not blame them. No one wanted to die. Besides, I was used to being utilized for the good of others. Us bastards are expendable and Father made sure we knew it. The whole house made sure we knew it. We lived for the Empire and died for the Family.
However, it does make me sad when everyone else thinks they can treat us the same.
My shield slammed into an oncoming insect monster and green ichor flew everywhere. I just knew this would be a pain to wash it out of my hair later, though I would never ever admit that. The shielder next to me lunged half a step too far, exposing his neck for a Grade-8 monster, [Red Praying Mantis]. Before I could even think about the consequences, my lance thrust out and parried the creature’s claw.
This was the result of my training. Whether it’s an adventurer trying to take advantage of you or the next heir of the Vetilius family; my lance and shield reacted the same way. No input. No choice. Just reaction on reflex.
The three of us fought tooth and nail. I personally skewered three different insects and received half a dozen small wounds. Half of those wounds were from covering the adventurers.
“Move! Move!”
I looked around. All eight of us were alive.
Good.
We sprinted once more; two of the members holding giant black spikes. We would have to repeat this a few more times, entangling the worm from multiple locations. The basics of Colossal Monster raids were entrapment. If we could keep the monster from moving, we could minimize the casualties.
There was a groan like gravel rumbling.
“Oh shit.” cursed the veteran.
Above, an absolute giant rock-plate fell of the worm. First, all slow and liquid movements –like how a giant ship begins to pick up speed. Then it snapped like a rubber band that had been stretched too tight and fell apart at the edges from the Gargantuan Death Worm.
It fell towards us.
“Form up! Form up!”
“No! Move! Move!”
I pushed the veteran with my shield and forced him to move. At times like this, the curse of being a Vetilian was a blessing. I’d save more lives. In that short time, I’d estimated the size of the rock and how heavy it would be. The only ability I had in my repertoire that could block such a thing was [Perfect Guard] but that would only save me. If we had formed up as the veteran wanted, we would have all died.
A short woman with brunette hair stumbled in front of me. Her shield went flying as she tripped over a rock, splaying forward.
Everyone ran past her.
Of course, I did not hesitate to grab her by the back of her armor and start running as fast as my legs could move.
Yes. I fully recognize and admit to the fact that I am not entirely happy with the way people see me as a tool to preserve their own lives. However, that is no reason to let another human being die. Regardless of my feelings, all lives matter. She had no choice in the matter in tripping over the rock. Some would argue she did.
Well, she had as much a choice in it as I had a choice in being a Vetilian.
“AAAAHHHHHHHHH!” The woman screamed as I dragged her. Whether in frustration or fear, I didn’t care.
The ground became dark with the boulder’s shadow.
I threw her in front of me and dove into a slide, using the smooth front of my armor to try and escape the ensuing dust-storm.
Of course, except for the veteran, none of the adventurers in front of me had thought what to do after dodging the rock.
I got to my feet and pivoted –the movement coming as easy to me as walking. Pivot, one of the first foot techniques they taught us shielders; a crucial part of the art of positioning. But this was not the time to reminisce, the veteran already had his shield up. I raised my shield and slammed it onto the floor, squeezing my body tight and channeling mana into it.
The rock crashed into the earth with the force of a colossal roar and hurled splintered pieces of stone with enough speed to stab through steel shields. I gritted my teeth and put a knee on the ground, angling my shield upwards to lessen the impact. Another small technique that we learned: never take something head on unless you have to. The rocks whooshed like arrows, except they were the size of my leg and I strained to not be lifted off of my feet.
Then the dust came. A sandcloud that covered everything.
“Ms. Karin!” I snapped.
The woman was still behind me and she heard me clearly. She might have lost her weapons but she still had her abilities, one of which she used earlier.
｢ Karin Dowhaiwa casts [ Personal Dome ] ｣
Mana, clear as mountain air, formed a perfect dome around us and filtered out the debris storm. Ten paces in each direction. It gave us sight, one of the most important senses for us humans when hunting monsters. Unlike the beastmen, we did not have a good sense of smell or hearing. The last thing we needed was for an insect monster to come attack us from the sand.
“Thank you for-”
“Thank me later, Ms. Karin.”
We stayed a moment as the air cleared.
As soon as the sandcloud cleared the dirt in front of us turned in on itself, opening up into six neat little holes. I observed one spindly leg climb out and then another. They were monsters I was familiar with, having studied up on them during my training. A grade-9 monster, [Giant Ant]. Six of them to be exact. Alone, they posed no particular threat. But they had an ability called [Hive Mind] which increased their ferocity and communication in battle.
They climbed towards us.
I took a glance back. Most of the shielders were down, the only person who was running towards me was the Veteran and one other.
“Ms. Karin. It might be best if you go and help the injured.” I said, as politely as possible.
I needn’t have bothered because the moment she saw the injured, she had already turned her back on me.
Like I said, just using me.
I took the age-old pain and loneliness, and walled it off. Emotions had no place on the battlefield. I was supposed to be a shielder, no, a Shield. A Shield did not have feelings, a shield did not have an opinion. The shield simply defended its owner from danger, wherever it was pointed. The Shield did not fear being broken, pierced or being discarded. The Shield did not fear pain.
Right now, I was not Aurora Candrian Vetilian. I was a Shield.
The ants split off, heading for the injured.
I stomped my foot, bringing my Lance out of the Dimension Ring. I concentrated, reaching deep inside my Soul for the well of power that was recently forced upon me. The [Cheonma] Core reacted and purple mana surged through my body. I had to hold the Mana as long as I could, holding my breath.
｢ Aurora Candrian Vetilian casts [ Mass Fetch ] ｣
A violent storm of gravity pulsed out from me in a perfect semi sphere then grabbed the ants and brought them right to me.
The first ant to reach me lost its balance and landed on its back, legs lashing out. It hissed and spat a greenish stream at me. I caught it on my shield and with the same movement, crushed its head. Then shoving another ant with my lance, I leapt backwards.
Ah, it seems the word ‘leapt’ might not convey the exact details of how it happened.
I flew back fifteen paces in one leap towards the shielders behind me.
Upon experimenting with the [Cheonma] Core, which Mr. Lock was so kind to force upon me without my permission (not that I'm complaining, that would be petty, and I am anything but petty), I found that it had a very useful physical talent attached. Once I used any of my magical abilities, it empowered my leap with strength beyond my own. Hence, the leap backwards took me fifteen paces with hardly any effort.
The ants had been confused by my maneuver and we fell upon them.
This was just one of the many dangers of our raid.
I cannot claim to know how long we were caught between life and death.
We fought. We moved. We ensnared. We moved again.
Until the horn rang.
“That’s the retreat signal!” One of the shielders cried out.
We finally escaped the mournful shadow of the Great Worm and I chanced a look back, getting a good look at it.
It was nearly scorched black, the great hulking worm looking rather naked and cooked. It was half its original size, its physical talent [Earthen Armor], having been stripped off. The worm continued to try and burrow its way back underground but our hooks held. The chains went taut, the enchanted weapons drawing its strength from the creature, like a parasitic weapon.
“Good job, Vetilian.” The grizzled man whose name I never learned said to me. He was bleeding from his head, his helm missing. His arm was also broken. But he was alive.
I frowned. “Where is Ms. Karin?”
He did not answer me. Just shook his head sharply to one side.
“Oh…" She was dead, it seemed.
Now that I bothered to count, there were only five of us.
A pang of hollow pain went through my chest.
No matter how good a shield is, someone always dies.
And now that I was away from the battle, all the thoughts that had been in my mind, held apart by the mental dam came rushing back, flooding me with regret.
If I was a better Shielder, Mr. Lock would not have been taken. When we were being harassed by that Dwarven Woman, it should have been me that had taken most of her blows. Yet, because I was lacking, he had to step in and help me. Mr. Lock was not the type of fighter I was, he shouldn’t have been the one shielding us. Against that dwarven woman’s long-ranged attacks, I should have been the one to cover our retreat.
Yet, he did. He risked his life to protect us.
I still remembered how he had stepped in front of me. His back filling up my vision and blotting out the blood, violence and drowning out the sounds of war.
He had protected me.
Why didn’t he use me? I was a Shield. A Shield that cannot defend is useless. I should have been the one to sacrifice myself. Not him.
…Then why did I lean behind him when the Dwarven Woman attacked?
I stayed behind him. Behind that armored back, I didn’t hesitate to turn around and run towards Mr. Kyrian, Mr. Skaris and Ms. Stole.
When that harpoon pierced my shield, I was scared.
When Mr. Lock was in front of me, I felt safe.
And that wasn’t the first time I felt that way around him. He expected me to protect the others, but in turn, when I was in danger he would protect me. Someone who didn’t hide behind me. Who didn’t want to use me. Who treated me like every other adventurer and following his lead, everyone else treated me the same.
Not as a bastard. Not as a Vetilius or Vetilian. Not a Shield to be used and discarded.
Just… Aurora.
Mr. Lock, I hope you’re alive.
Because a shield is useless without something to protect.
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