In one moment, so divine,

She offered us salvation.

A covenant for all to bind,

Did we accept with passion.

-Korek Song of the Covenant

So we’re killing now are we? Vallerian thought, watching Gardinal crush a man’s skull with a single blow. That would have been nice to know earlier. Still, now at least he could stop holding back. Assuming the girl didn’t restrain him again. Never lifted a finger to stop him from getting shot, but of course she’d step in to stop him. Vallerian nearly shook his head.

A spear thrust passing inches from his face cut Vallerian’s thoughts short. Vallerian deftly dodged left, slipping past the follow up strike. Slipping a dagger down his sleeve he slashed out, slicing clean through the man’s throat. Without missing a beat he tossed the blade at another cultist that rushed him. A Jöln man, Vallerian realized, as the blade sunk straight through the small man’s eye. It was so dark in the cistern that he could barely make out the figures when they were barely five paces away. Thankfully the Jöln collapsed to the ground in a bloody spasm. Vallerian dropped the bow he still held and pulled free two more daggers. The bow wasn’t going to be much use in a cramped space like this.

A bloodcurdling scream from Celeste froze him for a split moment. Vallerian cursed, the girl had been stabbed, how had he forgotten that? Seeing another shadowed figure approach he knew how. Too busy with killing. Still, he had seen the wound as she got it, a nasty thing but not likely to kill her soon. Still, a pampered prophetess like her was sure to howl at the pain.

A quick glance back at her showed the girl cradling the man Gardinal had killed. His attention was pulled away just as quick as he narrowly stopped a spear strike with a crossed dagger defense. Adjusting his stance, Vallerian grasped the spear, pulling its wielder closer and directly into his outstretched knife. The man dropped.

With a moment’s reprieve, he looked back to Celeste. Crazy child was just going to sit there while he…

“What the…” Vallerian remarked, eyes widening. A thick net of glowing teal-silver light was spreading from the girls back, like radiant wings stretching out to the heavens. The light glistened off of the water beneath her, covering Celeste in an otherworldly glow.

Vallerian’s moment of awe was interrupted by a spear, thrusting through his shoulder. Dropping one of his blades, Vallerian cursed loudly, then whipped around as the spear was ripped free. The attacker, a large Korek man, thrust again. Vallerian ducked and rolled, slipping between the man’s leg, water splashing around him. Rolling through the water Vallerian slit the man’s ankle tendon. Then, rising, thrust the same dagger into the base of his neck. The Korek fell, slumped over.

Vallerian stumbled back, falling against a pillar to catch his breath. This was… this was ridiculous. He rolled his eyes, trying to make sense, then glanced around for any would be attackers. The barely lit masses had stalled, holding back, and keeping their spears levelled toward Vallerian and his allies. Something was keeping them at bay, but…

Vallerian narrowed his eyes, then spun as he heard splashing from behind. The Korek man whose spine he had just severed stood tall before him, hair and robes drenched. Vallerian gulped. The Korek man punched Vallerian across the face, knocking him off his feet and splashing face first into the water.

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“How in the Pantheon…” Vallerian spluttered, spitting out water as he rose to his knees. Nobody, not even a Korek, should be able to survive a dagger to the neck. Quickly propping himself up with his arm, Vallerian froze. He looked at the shoulder of the arm that propped him up, healed. “What?” he exclaimed, then flexing his jaw realized it was uninjured as well.

The Korek roared. Vallerian looked up as the man brought his two fists, clenched together, down towards Vallerian’s head. Vallerian pushed off the ground, rolling away. As he rolled Vallerian felt a familiar shape beneath him, his bow. Swiping it up, he pulled an arrow from his quiver. The Korek turned to him. Vallerian notched the arrow, pulled back, and let loose.

The arrow pierced straight through the man’s skull. Finally some luck. Vallerian thought, falling on his rear as water splashed around him. A quick glance told him the crowds were still staying back. But why? Was it really just Celeste’s little show? Shaking his head, Vallerian looked to ask his enemy’s corpse. His eyes bulged at what he saw.

The hole in the Korek’s skull grew back. Vallerian fell slack jawed. But looking past the man, he suddenly understood. From the glowing silver-teal wings of Celeste, a thousand silk-thread thin lines spread out, stretching and attaching themselves to everyone within ten paces of the girl. Attaching, and healing. Vallerian followed one such thread to himself and nodded. That, at least, could be useful. The Korek, getting his bearing again, looked to Vallerian with a twisted grin. That however, Vallerian thought with an internal sigh, would grow very tiresome very quickly.

“Knock them out!” Kriss shouted from about five paces away, swinging his spear in whirlwind of motion and following up with his lit torch. “Wounds heal, but if they’re unconscious they stay that way.”

Vallerian nodded at the lad, then burst from the ground. Time to put the Korek down for a nap.

Charging the Korek, Vallerian quickly stepped right as the large, robed man took a swing. Ducking under the man’s massive arm, Vallerian kicked behind the man’s knee bringing him down. Reaching up, Vallerian grabbed the man around the neck and swung up and around the man. From behind, Vallerian wrapped both arms around his muscular neck, grasping his right forearm with his left hand.

The Korek began to fight frantically as Vallerian held tight. Heavy fists slammed into Vallerian’s face, but despite the sounds of crunching bone and dizzying vision, none of it lasted for long. Vallerian held strong, not letting go. The Korek rose, picking Vallerian up off the ground, and spun. They stumbled back for a moment, Vallerian struggling to hold onto his soaking wet sleeves. They stopped stumbling as the Korek crushed Vallerian against a stone pillar. Vallerian howled in pain, his ribs cracking, but in a second it healed back up again. They continued like that for what felt like an eternity, the man bashing Vallerian against the pillar, and Vallerian holding on.

Eventually, the man fell to his knees, then grew limp. With the Korek down, Vallerian slipped off of him and breathed for a second. Why couldn’t it just be a small army of Jöln? He complained bitterly. Why does it always have to be these big red brutes?

With a moment’s breath, Vallerian looked to Celeste again. She still held the corpse, sobs falling heavily as her chest heaved. Damn girl, he thought, I thought I’d get you in a little danger, not this. Vallerian cursed his luck. The only reason he had sided with letting Celeste come was the little crystal vial in his chest pocket, he had never expected it to be this bad.

“Gardinal!” Vallerian shouted, looking for the stout Khazimi priest. Pressing against the pillar that had nearly crushed him, Vallerian rose. It didn’t take long for Vallerian to find the man, his shield glowing brightly in the dark. Gardinal was, of course, fending off no less than four men at once. “Dammit,” Vallerian cursed aloud. “He’ll be no use to me right now.”

Vallerian watched Gardinal fight for only a moment before one brave cultist joined the fray from outside, charging Vallerian. A Jöln, thankfully. Perhaps the Pantheon actually did listen to prayers.