“I will have your heads!” Ventro called with a flourish of his sword, to which the soldiers surrounding the whole unit ran inwards.
The next moments was a storm of clashing and clanging weapons, the clearing filled with the sounds of the struggle that ensued. Stray magic bolted through the air, as spears pierced through gaps in armor, the grass spattered with red from both sides in no time at all.
With the oncoming assault, Minoru rushed in to meet them. A spear was thrust in his direction. His shield deflected the attack, and with a raise of his sword his purple mana streams appeared once more across his body, his limbs crackling with purple electricity as he swung his sword down onto the soldier before him. The blade couldn’t hit through the man’s armor, but the crackling electricity blossomed into a cracking boom, one with enough force to launch the man back into a couple other soldiers, yet also making Minoru recoil as well.
As Minoru attempted to recover from the force of his own attack, another soldier approached to skewer him. Just as he reared back, a small bolt was loosed with incredible speed, piercing his arm and causing him to stumble back as his arm seized up. Ashe quickly followed up, the shot originating from her wrist crossbow. In the next instant, as if in a blitz of incomprehensible speed, she swung her leg into the man, knocking him flat. Pulling out two daggers, one curved and golden, and the other long and thin like a stiletto.
She quickly kicked off the ground as a sword was swung in her direction, yet was stopped as she leaned back and caught the blade between her to daggers. In a quick movement she swept her leg into her attacker’s own, the force enough to knock him over, before incapacitating him with a swift kick to his knee, his leg bending backwards from the force.
In a quick stroke, she leapt towards another soldier, clashing her daggers against his spear, forcing him to block before she quickly snapped her foot forwards, kicking him straight in the chest and knocking the wind out of him.
“Yeva, stay close to me!” Minoru called out, to which Yeva quickly rushed to his side, her arms swiftly transforming into those of a bear, her freshly shifted claws sharp and at the ready.
At the approach of a coming soldier, Minoru pointed two fingers out towards him. His mana streams shone once more as he called out “Lightning Lure–!” Yet his voice was cut off, as his streams radiated powerful, crackling electricity, his arm seizing up in response as pain shot through his nerves. It felt like dozens of shards of glass pierced his arm and sliced through his skin, as his hand dropped his sword. His fingers all outstretched with his palm facing forwards, as the crackling sparks of electricity coalesced around the center.
Minoru screamed in abject agony as the power coursing through his arm moved, it felt as though his muscles were being pulled by hooks embedded in his arm, his yells raised in intensity, until the electricity had finally formed into a shining, crackling ball.
In the next instant, the light shot out, pushing Minoru back. From his palm a bright, crackling projectile streaked forth through the air, impacting the man he aimed for in a mere moment, a strange indentation visible on his chest as he was flung back from the sheer force of the blast.
Minoru crumpled from the pain which drove his arm into near-numbness, falling to his knee as he clutched it, his teeth grit, almost hyperventilating as his heart pounded and his head throbbed.
“S-Shit, fuck!” He cursed, the pain dulling his other senses such that he didn’t see the approach of two more soldiers towards him now that he was downed.
“Minoru, watch out!!” Yeva cried out as she leapt in, swinging her large, powerful bear arms into the soldiers, punching them both– one in the gut and one in his side. The latter remained standing, attempting to stab his spear into her. She stepped to the side, dodging as she shifted her legs into that of a rabbit’s, jumping into the air such that she was level with his head. Quickly shifting her leg to that of a horse’s, she flung the hooved foot forward into the helmeted head of the soldier, the strike instantly laying him out as he fell to the ground.
Landing back on the ground, she shifted her limbs back to normal before rushing to Minoru’s side, using her arms to try and support him. “Minoru! Are you okay?” She asked frantically.
Minoru cringed as he tried to lift his arm, but the pain was largely numb now. “J-Just about… thanks, Yeva…”
From the crowd of Helster soldiers, a group of mages directed an attack towards their direction. A huge cluster of blue, glowing darts emerged from their staves, hanging in the air before firing forwards like a hailstorm.
Raising up his other hand, Minoru called out “Shield!” The electricity arced and sparked from his body, at a point in the air before him into a large arcane shield, glowing purple. The darts showered like rain, pushing multiple Morganian soldiers to the ground. Minoru pushed against the pain and moved his aching arm to wrap around Yeva and pull her close so that the shield completely covered them both.
The storm of darts pounded against the shield like hailstones, the magic construct rippling from the force of the impacts. Minoru grit his teeth, trying to maintain his focus as the force of the raining magic pushed against his efforts to hold the barrier up.
A mage dressed in more elaborate robes channeled his magic into a tightly compressed point before loosing it directly towards Minoru and Yeva. The force of the pressurized blast kicked up mounds of dirt and distorted the air around them as Minoru and Yeva were blasted back, the force rippling through their bodies as they were flung through the air. Minoru held onto her tightly, landing heavily on his back as he did his best to protect Yeva from the fall.
In a flash of blinding speed, Ashe suddenly appeared before the mages, slashing at them with her daggers. Their robes tore easily from her attacks, as she used incredible speed to tear through the whole formation.
As the mages fell, she appeared before the one who seemed to be leading them, her eyes piercing into him as she slashed at him, only for her attack to be stopped by his staff. The two glared at each other as Ashe pulled back, disappearing from view in another flash of great speed.
The mage whipped around, splaying out his hand in front of him while shouting “Hold!” His hand shone a deep blue, as suddenly Ashe was caught in his arcane grasp. He smirked, pulling out a small sliver of glass from under his sleeve between his fingers. Flinging it forwards with a flick of his wrist, he called out “Cloud of Daggers!”
In an instant, the glass burst into a storm of whirling, dancing blades in a cloudy haze all around Ashe. The daggers cut into her flesh, drawing blood as she recoiled from the pain, her body seizing up as the cloud continued cutting into her, leaving deep lacerations all across her.
The mage stepped forwards, channeling magic into his staff once more. In an instant, though, the figure of Ashe had disappeared, appearing to burst into a cloud of smoke, prompting a shocked “What!?” from the mage.
Appearing from behind him, Ashe– void of any of the wounds he believed to have inflicted on her– drove the thin blade of her stiletto into his neck. In a quick stroke she ran her golden dagger across his throat, slicing it open swiftly before kicking him to the ground for added measure. Finished with her opponent, she quickly rushed over to Minoru and Yeva’s side.
Minoru shakily pulled himself up, softly letting go of Yeva. “Nngh– You okay, Yeva?”
“I-I’m hurting a little, but– Y-You’re hurt worse! We need to get some help for you!”
Minoru groaned, clutching his aching arm. “I-I can… still fight.” He declared, just as Ashe appeared beside them. “A-Ashe…?”
In a quick motion, she reached out and grasped his forehead, a golden light washing over him. He quickly felt a soothing warmth fill his body, allowing him to pick himself back up with renewed vigor.
He took a deep breath. “Thanks–”
“Focus, we have company.” Ashe instructed bluntly, as an organized group of Helster soldiers, led by a knight in intricately detailed gray armor, approached. Ashe readying her daggers, Minoru holding his hand out with magic channeled into it, and Yeva bracing herself against the ground, her arms shifted once more into bear claws.
Yeva sensed something, looking behind her. “G-Guys, behind us!” She called out, prompting Minoru and Ashe to look back, seeing another group of soldiers approaching them. Minoru and Ashe stood with their backs to each other, Yeva primed to attack alongside either one of them. They braced themselves for an attack from both ends…
Yet, suddenly, soldiers in one group were cut down by a whirling, spinning blade that seemed to weave through the air. Soldiers in the other group, led by the knight, were suddenly overtaken by a large, roaring flame. A wall of fire blasted upwards from the ground, cutting through the group as the soldiers were engulfed in flames.
The knight brandished his sword, attempting to run down the three alongside the soldiers still left in his group. Minoru blasted forth another streak of crackling energy towards the knight, who dodged to the side out of its trajectory, before attempting a slash at Minoru.
A huge, imposing figure appeared between them, however, stopping the attack with his axe.
“Well now, you three didn’t tell me you’d be throwing a party right after I went to bed!” Halgor called to Minoru, Ashe, and Yeva cheerily before wrenching his axe upwards, deflecting the attack of the knight, making him stumble back.
Zakh’tha appeared nearby as well, catching his bladed projectile as it flew back into his hand through the air. “We are in a precarious position, Halgor. I suggest you take this more seriously.”
“Come on, Zakh’tha! We have nothing to worry about, the rest of these chumps are going down!”
The wall of fire seemed to curl across the ground, wrapping in on itself and trapping the remaining soldiers within it, before expelling a blast of flames from the inner wall, engulfing the trapped soldiers. Azgaar warped to the group’s side, his palm pointing towards the wall as he controlled the flames, dispelling them once he had confirmed to have dispatched all of the trapped soldiers.
“An unexpected move on the prince’s part, but he’s foolish to think that we will bow this easily.” He stated plainly. “These pitiful forces are nowhere near enough to handle us.”
Halgor blocked another swing of the knight’s sword, before bearing over him with his massive height, bashing him with his shoulder, knocking the man over. With a swift downwards swing, his axe separated the man’s head from his shoulders as Halgor spoke. “If we really want to nip this war in the bud, we’re going to need to get Ventro to retreat. Someone should go after him, try and knock that pompous kid off his high horse!”
Zakh’tha spoke up. “I will go. You and Azgaar must see to it that our allies are not overwhelmed.”
“Very well then! Boy!” Halgor called, addressing Minoru. “Why don’t you and your girl go with him, too? He's gonna need some backup."
Minoru looked to Ashe, who nodded in response. "Alright. Yeva, you stay with Halgor and Azgaar, help them protect the others!"
Yeva gave a determined salute. "Okay! I'll make all the bad guys regret hurting you!"
Minoru gave her a quick pat of encouragement on the head. "Give 'em hell!"
"Let us move." Zakh'tha called, to which Minoru and Ashe followed him closely behind, Minoru recovering his sword from a short distance away as he followed.
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Watching over the scene before him, Ventro sat a ways away from the battle atop his horse, two knights at his sides. The warring groups were thinning out as soldiers from both sides fell, and yet he couldn’t see any progress being made towards a victory for either side.
“My liege, perhaps it is wise that we make for the border. Much of their unit has fallen, they cannot hope to trouble us with such small numbers.” One of the knights, clad in white armor, suggested.
Ventro shook his head however, glaring at the crowds below him. “We haven’t dealt with the real threats just yet. These are all just cannon fodder that we’ve taken out. That queen faerie has surely sent more than this to stop us.” He mused, and none too soon as the enormous wall of fire from Azgaar erupted on the battlefield. Turning his head, he observed as Halgor, Azgaar, and Zakh’tha made their appearances, giving a huff in response. “There’s our targets.”
“Those are heroes of the fae, are they not?” The other knight, covered in black armor, mused.
“Indeed. Taking out any one of them is sure to be a blow this unit cannot afford.” He explained, observing as Zakh’tha broke off from the group, Minoru and Ashe in tow. “Focus on the bug. Overwhelm him and bring me his head. Aclys?”
The knight in white raised his head. “Of course, my liege.” He affirmed, before riding off on his horse towards his target, spear in tow.
“What of those two following him?” The black knight asked.
“Pittance. They don’t even appear to be morganian. Most likely some stragglers who were caught up in this.”
“How pitiable that they have to die here.”
Ventro simply watched as the figures of the three ran through the battlefield, his eyes narrowing as he gazed upon them.
“Pitiable indeed…”
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Throwing his chamkrah, Zakh’tha’s projectile tore through a group of his foes, four men falling in a single toss before it circled back into his hand. As he approached another, who was about to deal the killing blow to a morganian soldier, he swung his twinblade like a saw, cutting into the man twice before jamming it forwards, piercing his gut, taking him down in one fell swoop.
Raising the mistletoe in one of his smaller hands, it shone a brilliant green as a wave of magical energy pulsed out from him at the center, flowers popping up from the ground around the exhausted and injured morganians around him, motes of light flitting up around them to heal and restore them.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
In the following moments, the rallying effect of his restoration allowed the morganians to begin pushing back even harder against the helstern soldiers, clearing away the surrounding forces.
Zakh’tha looked around, trying to spot the prince again. However, he had lost sight of him among the ruckus. Minoru and Ashe rushed to his side.
“Where’d he go!?” Minoru asked quickly, preemptively slashing at an encroaching soldier.
“Lost him.” Zakh’tha explained. “We’ll need a better vantage point. Help me cut through their ranks.”
“Roger.” Minoru affirmed. Stowing his shield, he channeled mana into his free hand. “Okay… maybe I can do that attack from earlier… Just need to… focus…” He thought to himself, centering his mana in his palm yet again, splaying out his hand. As soon as the crackling energy in his hand filled out, the mana in his palm feeling like water about to spill over– only held together by surface tension– he felt an outpouring of sound from the back of his head, a voice speaking. Two simple words were all he heard, two words that would complete the name of this spell, the name that he would have to hold dominion over this power. Spoken to him, he repeated them back.
“ELDRITCH BLAST–!”
In the next instant, the energy was loosed from his hand, the electricity booming and rumbling so forcefully that it warped the air in front of his palm such that it looked as though it turned inside out.
The burst of energy was launched, rocketing through the air in an arc. Striking the ground, the earth was kicked up and caved in as the projectile bloomed into a roaring sphere of radiating electricity, blasting a whole group of soldiers back, flinging them into the air with great force.
A surprised look on his face, Minoru’s mouth turned to a toothy grin as he pumped his fist with a confident “Yes!”
Ashe, meanwhile, looked at him with a concerned expression. “Was that a spell you could always use, Minoru?”
“Not at all–!” He answered back with renewed vigor, almost not even considering her question in his excitement. “But hey, if I have it now, I’m more than happy to use it!” He ran forwards, loosing another blast from his hand, knocking back another group of soldiers before swinging at one, who blocked his blade with their spear.
Ashe observed him with worry, before brandishing her daggers and going in to deal with her own opponents, running in alongside Zakh’tha.
Clashing with the spear wielder, Minoru was pushed back as his blow was deflected, the man attempting a piercing thrust with his spear.
Stepping to the side, Minoru rushed his side with his sword’s pommel, jabbing it into his abdomen, making the man keel in response. Turning his sword in his gloved hands, Minoru gripped it by the blade, swinging the handle into the man’s helmeted head, knocking him out from the force of the strike.
“Sacred Flame!” Ashe called out, a radiant green light bellowing forth from the hilt of her golden dagger. The light coalesced into a blindingly bright, green sphere, which she projected forwards with a thrusting motion from her hand, the massive ball of light speeding through the air.
Soldiers dodged the sphere as it raced towards them, yet Ashe flicked her stiletto dagger towards the sphere, the thin blade lodging itself into the ball with a loud KSHNK!
In an instant, rays of light beamed from the ball before it burst into a forceful blast, erupting with a loud booming noise which consumed multiple soldiers before flinging them away.
The dagger was launched extremely quickly, embedding itself deep into the chest of one of the soldiers. Racing over in a flash of speed, Ashe wrenched the dagger from their body, before speeding over to another soldier, slashing through them with both daggers. She repeated this among the disoriented group that had been disrupted by the explosion, taking down target after target.
Zakh’tha pushed through his own crowd, deftly slashing with his twinblade and chamkrah, such that he sliced through the soldier’s weak points without mistake. Not a single strike of his went wasted, and dozens were dropped in mere seconds.
Ending up surrounded by soldiers, he raised the mistletoe before swiping with his twinblade in a circular slash all around. The blades swung and cut through the air, and from the smallest of gaps an enormous, thunderous force rang out. Wreathed in blue, crackling light, it cut through the scores of soldiers surrounding him, clearing them out in one fell swoop.
Four more that stood just out of range of his assault rushed him, only for him to toss his chakra, the bladed projectile circling around him such that it easily cut through two of the men, as he artfully dodged the others’ attacks as if dancing. He quickly evaded before slashing through one’s neck and jamming the other end of his twinblade into the other soldier’s abdomen.
Suddenly, his antennae twitched as he stood over the fallen soldiers, and he quickly leapt out of the way. Not a moment too soon, as immediately afterwards a blinding white projectile shaped like an arrow pierced the ground where he just was, bursting into a blast of light.
He looked to the source, seeing the white knight– Aclys– rushing him on his horse. Raising his mistletoe yet again, Zakh’tha swung it outwards, causing an area of the ground before the knight to twist and gnarl in on itself, blades of grass clumping and entangling between themselves to solidify into large, hard spikes and thorns, blocking the horse’s way.
Turning his horse, the knight ran alongside the perimeter of the area of thorns. Zakh’tha hopped among the thorns and spikes with little strain, coming to rest as he stood upon the miniscule point of one spike. His larger arms crossed, he tossed his chamkrah, the blade spinning rapidly through the air as it flew towards Aclys. His mistletoe shone as he channeled magic into it.
Aclys deflected the projectile with his spear, the chamkrah ringing out as it clanged against his own weapon. It seemed to wobble through air, before continuing to spin, flying back into Zakh’tha’s hand, to which he threw it once more, the triangular blade shining an ominous green as it flew through the air.
Aclys stabbed at the projectile once more as it flew towards him, only for the projectile to be knocked off its course once more. As metal clanged against metal, a bursting sound could be heard. A smoky substance poured out of the projectile, forming into a cloud of loud, incessant buzzing. The smoke formed into a massive swarm of hungry, biting, buzzing insects. The locusts flew in a tight formation, circling through the air as they seemed to lock onto the knight, who ushered his horse forward, the white steed running faster than before as the locusts chased after it, swarming ferociously.
Getting a distance away from the patch of thorns, the horse suddenly stomped forcefully onto the ground, taking a sharp turn to face back towards Zakh’tha, as Aclys’ spear became wreathed in flames.
The horse breaking into a run, Aclys held his spear forwards and it burned, rushing towards the swarm of locusts. The fire seemed to burn ever brighter the faster he moved, shining before it quickly bloomed into the shape of a curved field in front of the horse, enveloping both of them in wrathful, protective flames.
The horse barreled right into the swarm, scorching the tiny beasts and destroying them as it rushed towards the thorns. Aclys, stood to attention, pulling his legs up to crouch down on his steed’s saddle, ready to pounce.
Zakh’tha leapt from his point high into the air, just as the white mount blasted through and burned the thorns up. His antennae standing to attention, he whipped his head up, only to see Aclys flying through the air towards him, having leapt from his horse.
His burning spear was jabbed forwards, just as Zakh’tha spun his twinblade, their weapons clashing as they collided in the air.
The loud clang caught Minoru and Ashe’s attention, looking up above the inferno as the two fighters sailed through the air, landing on the ground with force. Zakh’tha slid out from the impact site, tossing his chamkrah once more.
Emerging from the dust cloud that resulted from their landing, Aclys deflected the projectile once more, rushing forwards to mount an assault on the warrior before him.
Rapid, uninterrupted jabs of his spear assailed Zakh’tha, who artfully spun his twinblade in response, blocking and deflecting the attacks as they hailed upon him like a storm, strikes falling upon him like rain.
Zakh’tha caught the chamkrah as it returned to him, using it to slash and deflect more strikes from his foe. The sheer amount of strikes coming all at once from Zakh’tha were overwhelming. For every two jabs that Aclys would bring down upon him, Zakh’tha would respond with four more in the same amount of time. He was quickly pushing Aclys back.
The knight wreathed his spear in crackling, thunderous magic. He put all he had into both of his arms as he jabbed and swung his spear, matching Zakh’tha’s speed for just a moment, and a moment was all he needed as he shoved his spear forwards.
The tip didn’t land in a crucial place, yet it didn’t need to. The force of the strike broke off just a sliver of Zakh’tha’s chitin exoskeleton. In the next instant, the energy surrounding the spear bloomed into a wide sphere of mana– like a bubble– which seemed to ‘pop’ before curling in on itself, releasing a deep, bassy boom of thunderous energy.
The force of the sound made Zakh’tha’s body reverberate, shaking and trembling as he tried to hold himself together, his exoskeleton cracking in multiple locations as a result. He staggered backwards, looking about ready to fall over, although his mistletoe glowed an ethereal shine all the while…
Aclys reared back for another strike, intending to finish his opponent. Zakh’tha, however, was none too keen on dying just yet. His body snapped forwards, dodging to the side as he wielded his twinblade more like a club than the graceful weapon it was. Gripping the shaft near the base of one blade, he heavily swung the blunt edge of the other blade towards Aclys, striking his helmeted head.
In the next moment, the mistletoe released its glow, wreathing Aclys in the same booming energy that he had attacked Zakh’tha with. Roaring out with a blast of force, the same thunderous booms rocketed through Aclys’ body, reverberating through his armor intensely.
Quickly following up, Zakh’tha spun his twinblade, slicing at just the exact, perfect angle to score a cut on his face, a wound opening up upon his cheek.
Aclys recovered from the booming spell inflicted upon him, attacking Zakh’tha once more. Yet the insectoid deflected his strike with his twinblade, attacking with his chamkrah to pierce through the knight’s aketon. The triangular blade stabbed into his arm, making Aclys falter as he was sliced through.
Aclys’ eyes burned with fury, swinging his spear downwards, another thunderous boom rocketed out like a shockwave, pushing Zakh’tha away, the insectoid warrior leaping away from the impact site.
Aclys whistled, to which the galloping of hooves could be heard, Aclys deftly leaping onto his steed as it neared. Zakh'tha dodged to the side as Aclys attempted to skewer him with his spear, yet his steed was dedicated to helping its rider, bucking back and kicking Zakh'tha squarely in the chest, cracking the chitin of his exoskeleton even more as the warrior was knocked to the ground.
As Aclys attempted to turn and score a final blow on the prone warrior, his horse reared back, whinnying as a streak of purple nearly struck it.
The crackling purple projectile burst against the ground a ways away, and Aclys turned his head back to the source, whereupon he saw Minoru rushing towards him. Aclys blocked his strike with his spear.
The sheer desperate force behind Minoru's strikes surprised Aclys, especially coming from such a young man. Minoru's broadsword repeatedly clashed against the knight's spear, before his horse attempted to flee, running off as one last blow was deflected.
Minoru lashed out, shooting another crackling burst towards the steed, which veered away from its trajectory as Aclys guided it. The resulting blast of energy threw the horse off balance, the steed wildly bucking and struggling to right itself again. Aclys was thrown off his mount as a result, with him slowly lifting himself back up to face Minoru.
Appearing in a flash of speed, Ashe was present right behind him, yet it seemed this didn’t go unnoticed, as he quickly swing his spear back, the sharp tip slashing at just the right distance to cut a gash across Ashe’s abdomen, just as she was in the middle of attempting her own strike.
“ASHE–!!” Minoru called out.
Blood splashed out from the wound as Ashe stumbled back. Aclys attempted another strike, thrusting his spear forwards, only for Ashe to swing her arm to the side, redirecting the attack away, and going in for a brutal jab with her stiletto towards his neck.
Shifting his head to the side, the dagger just barely missed, and he thrust his elbow forwards, hitting Ashe square in the face and knocking her back.
He attempted another decisive stab with his spear, but a sudden blast of crackling energy hit him square in the back, knocking him forwards and to his knees, looking over his shoulder at the source.
Minoru let out a yell as he brought his sword down, only for Aclys to block with his spear. Their weapons clashed again and again, rapidly striking at each other, and yet Aclys was gaining the upper hand, his attacks much too quick and forceful for Minoru to keep up with.
Minoru attempted a heavy strike, only for it to be deflected by a rapidly rising, upwards flick of Aclys’ spear, completely parrying his strike. In the next instant, Aclys rammed his spear, aiming for Minoru’s heart.
With what little leverage he had, Minoru stepped to the side, but the spear was unrelenting, piercing right into his shoulder, blood pouring forth as it broke skin.
With a flash of almost monstrous determination, however, Minoru let out a strained growl, holding up his sword with his other hand and forcefully bringing it down, striking at the miniscule area exposed between the plates of Aclys’ armor. The sudden rush of strength pushed his sword further than he thought it would go, the blade cutting into the knight’s shoulder and striking bone.
The two were left lodged together, their weapons stuck in each other for a moment, as Ashe recovered and rushed towards them, taking advantage of the situation to lodge both of her daggers into gaps in his armor.
With a burst of magic, Aclys roared, the force launching Minoru off of the tip of his spear, before he brought it up and bashed Ashe with the butt of the staff, causing her to recoil. Before he could follow this up, however, a whizzing rushed through the air behind him, causing him to slash at the chamkrah thrown his way, deflecting the projectile once more, only to be caught in Zakh’tha’s path as the warrior rushed towards him. Despite his cracked exoskeleton, the insectoid fought just as valiantly as he had before.
With a flurry of strikes and slashes from his twinblade and caught chamkrah, Zakh’tha put Aclys on the defensive, the two trading clashing blow after clashing blow, yet once more the speed, precision, and frequency of the insectoid’s strikes was far more than Aclys could keep up with– even in peak conditions.
A whirling wheel of slashes threw Aclys off his game, the single moment of disorientation allowing Zakh’tha to press his offensive even more. His mistletoe shone, and the earth below gnarled and twisted in on itself, forming into a massive, thorny vine, one that lurched forwards.
With a powerful jab, the vine slammed its focused point right into Aclys’ abdomen, smashing into and cracking his armor from the strike, almost caving it in.
More vines appeared, springing forward and slamming into the knight, cracking his armor more and more, bashing into his abdomen with great force. With one last strike, the last vine sprung forwards. The metal of his armor cracked and burst apart like a shattered stone. With this, Zakh’tha made his final approach, rushing forwards.
“Damn you, you bug–!!” Aclys cried out to the warrior rushing towards him as he readied his spear, attempting a swing. Zakh’tha ducked down under it, coming up with two slashes as he spun his twinblade, the blades drawing a line of gashes up from Aclys’ belly to his chest.
And in one last flourish, Zakh’tha turned around, delivering the final stroke of his weapon as he thrust the twinblade back, the weapon impaling his foe through the chest.
Aclys struggled for only a moment more, before he slumped forwards, to which Zakh’tha pulled out his twinblade in a single motion, letting his foe fall to the ground.
Clutching the cracked, almost shattered part of his exoskeleton, Zakh’tha sighed, contemplating his injuries, before he heard a pained groan.
Minoru had stood up, and he was making his way over to Ashe, hobbling over as he reached out to her, helping her stand back up.
“You… okay, Ashe…?” He breathed out.
“I believe so…” She answered back, both of them clearly strained against the pain of their injuries sustained from Aclys.
With a wave of his mistletoe, a pulse of green mana radiated out from Zakh’tha, enveloping himself, Minoru, and Ashe. The pain seemed to dissipate, although the wounds the three had sustained didn’t fully heal.
“It’s only a restorative and numbing effect, but it should get us through the rest of this fight.” He explained. “Come, there’s no time to waste, we must find Ventro again.”
“Give her a moment, why don’t you?” Minoru spat back, helping Ashe stand up.
“We do not have a moment to spare, Minoru.”
“He is right, Minoru…” Ashe breathed out. “Although we have defeated that knight, we still need to drive off Ventro. We cannot waste any more time here.”
Minoru seemed unwilling to ignore Ashe’s state, yet he acquiesced, letting go of a deep breath. “Okay… let’s get going, then.” He said reluctantly, helping Ashe to her feet, the three quickly took off once more.
----------------------------------------
“Aclys…” Ventro muttered out, a strained expression upon his face. “Why did I send him on his own…? Damned fool that I am–!”
“My liege, Aclys would not wish for you to mourn him here.” The black knight spoke in reassurance.
“Of course he wouldn’t, and yet I was the one who gave his order of attack… Am I not allowed to regret my actions, Caetra?”
“Of course you are, my liege. However, Aclys would wish for you to focus on your victory instead.”
“Yes, yes… of course…” Ventro sighed, shaking his head. “Very well. Come with me, Caetra. We will show them no quarter.”
The black knight readied their own horse, rearing it back momentarily before settling, ready to move out, their large sword readied at their side. “Of course, my liege.”