November 11.5

Kyoko's Perspective

“Kyo, go Left. Elsa, stay Center. I will keep right.”

“Elsa use your Southern Light (Constant Health over Time ability). Kyo use your Camouflage ability and boost it with your Dragon Rainer. Then, transition most of the defensive function to the upper body, just in case of a surprise attack shakes loose from the inside.”

One dagger shining of Gold and another of Azure, transcended from each hand, each sporting a chain at each end that are linked to Aster's wrists.

“Stay sharp and stay calm.” He whispered.

He nodded to give me the go ahead. Dagger drawn, eyes locked, pulse pounding, prepared for the worse.

I raised my dagger over my head with my right hand, palm spread inward with the blade faced forward, and began to reach for the door with my left. I held the doorknob steady and it slowly clicked to the right. I heard the crunch of dried blood and felt the handle stick but still move, albeit slowly.

The dismantled door slowly creaked open and the stench escaped from the dark tomb before us. I couldn't help but turn away and gag. It was akin to Sulfur and Ammonia. I understood what it was but even after the many targets that I have taken. I still couldn't get used to it.

“Switch positions. Elsa move right but keep Southern Light at the ready. I will move Center. Kyo move left but take out your broadsword.” Aster said as he raised his right arm conjoined with the daggers, raised slightly slanted over his head. His left stayed by his side, his arms reminiscent of the uppercase letter 'C.'

I put my gas mask attachment on as to not breath in any more of that cruel mixture. We took three solid steps in, each step gave out a click, tear, click, tear, click, tear. Each step by Elsa was met with a small squeal under her breath.

Oh yeah, only a few hours ago, this was her palace and she is still child-like in mind due to her regal upbringing.

I slowly walked over to her and slowly stroked her shivering back.

“Everything will be all right. I know it's hard but we shouldn't be here too long. You can make it through. It will be okay.” I gave her a friendly smile to reassure her that I am here to protect her if need be.

Aster turned towards anything and everything that may have looked suspicious. Pointing his right dagger at it as he does so.

“Let’s enter the main chamber to see if there may be any indication of why this had happened. A note, a guard’s armor, anything that can tell us why these beasts rained upon our village. So, stay vigilant.”

He grabbed for the door. This time the door knob wouldn't budge even an inch from the looks of it.

“Move out of the way, I've got this.” I let Elsa down for a second, moved all of my defense to my right leg, pulled all the force into a swinging backwards motion, and dragged all that into a blazing side kick right into the center dead bolt on the door, which in turn saw the door crashing open.

The sight inside was nearly comparable to having experienced most of the violence first hand. Bodies thrown all over the ground: some intact, some halved, and some in millions of pieces.

Aster walked into the room as a man on a mission while Elsa ran into the room in tears and in horror. I stood motionless, unable to think about anything else except about all the lives lost in this battle. All of the people that were kind to me as a kid when my Mother would let me visit Elsa. Dead, most if not all of them, dead. It made me sad but no tears or whimpers would come out. I was stuck in a constant panic and had no way to escape.

Jamei, the neighborhood Butcher. Allo, the Florist. Klea, the Candy Shop Confectionery. All of those who helped me when I was feeling down were laying on the floor covered in blood in soldier uniforms. Dismembered.

“Kyo... KYO... KYO! Snap out of it. I understand it's hard, I pray for all of the dead here today but Elsa needs you more than I could possibly provide. I may have a lead here. Can you help her please?”

He held her in his arms, resting her head on his chest as she was crouching down on the cold, sticky floor. “Everything will be alright, Kyo will be right over. We can get through this, you can do this.”

Even with the efforts of Aster, she was mumbling over and over to herself, “family, friends, Julac. All gone.”

I crouched down and held her in my arms. Stroking her hair and whispering calming words as I attempt to process the situation myself. Aster walked over to the nearby bodies of the dead Tealwoes and looked at any piece of armor that was still attached to them.

“Hmm....”

I looked directly at him, “what's wrong, Aster? Find something?”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

He had something in his hand and felt all around it. As if he was trying to unlock the worlds hardest puzzle.

“This badge seems eerily familiar somehow, I just can't seem to place my finger on it though. Kyoko, can you take a look at it? Maybe you will have an easier time with it.”

He slid the badge over my way. Luckily, I wasn't that far away because the badge didn't slide as far due to the condition of the floor.

My eyes shot open the instant my eyes fell upon it. “Wha... What? How? Why?” I didn't lose control but I was damn close to.

“Kyo? What is it? What's on the badge?” He crawled his way towards me, I could hear the crunching and scraping.

“It... The... The borderline, the shape, the symbol that lies directly in the center, the weight. These are only given out... to members of Father's Personal Guild. But why.... Why the Tealwoes? Why here?” I was visibly shaking out of anger, feeling of betrayal, and confusion.

“Damn. Now, the note makes a little more sense. Not to add to the situation, more of talking to myself.” He tried to say it quietly to himself but it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

“What note? What note are you talking about?”

Aster passed me the note, I stared intently at it and started unintentionally reading it out loud.

“To Master,

We have found the village that the target is located in and have even isolated the target. We will not disappoint you, Master. We will bring the target alive so that you can bring her to sweet justice with death under your hand. Betraying you is worth death and we will make sure that it happens. For we are Tealwoe, we will not fail.

-Corporal Wekzite”

All of the information clicked slowly in my mind. Father, Master, her, death under your hand, disappoint. But... But... But...

I held Elsa out and handed her over to Aster as I ran for the main door and ran outside to throw up. What the fuck is going on here? What did I do? Is it for saving Denny? I know he was a target but shouldn't father understand? Is he still that hard pressed?

I looked up towards the village to see that the cabin was almost completely surrounded by Tealwoes.

Before I was completely back to my senses, the back of the cabin burst open and a body that looked exactly like Denny flew forward from it. Following the smoke.

“What the hell is happening? What was that explosion?” Aster came out carrying Elsa in his arms as she lay silent with her eyes wide open rambling nothingness. Still in a trance it seems.

He yelled at me to follow as he quickly jumped the railing. All I could see in the blur was that his back was glowing and the shape was reminiscent of arrows.

He was ready for the fight ahead.

The daggers slid from their covers rather quick and smooth-like as I jumped over the guard railing and slid down the treacherous and steep cliff underneath us to the scorched earth below.

We stood before an army of torn and defeated Tealwoes laying destroyed.

Amid the many bodies, in the center, Denny just stood there panting, hunched over. Even though his main attribute is not strength, he managed to take them all down without any weapon. Just his bare hands.

I started to walk towards him as if walking towards a precious family pet in the yard. One step after another, I grew closer. No movement on his part. Still standing, still panting. It was bizarre, almost terrifying.

“Denny?” Still no movement. I drew even closer.

“Denny?!” Still nothing. Now I'm getting worried.

“DENNY?! Please.” I took one more step while screaming his name. This time I got a response but it was not one that I wanted.

The body that looked like Denny turned towards me, showing no recognition of who I was. Eyes full of rage and confusion. I barely recognized him. His cloak covered in blood, his hands bruised, his face contorted. He gave out something akin to a frustrated groan and sigh.

“Denny, don't make me... Don't.” I held back my sadness, confusion, and anxiety as I slipped my left foot behind me and got into my usual fighting stance, blades raised.

Without wasting any time, he started to charge, full force. I didn't have enough time to react before he was already in front of me.

The tense feeling of his average presence was gone. His original innocence was gone as well. It overwhelmed me.

Denny wouldn't hit me, would he?

I closed my eyes to test this theory. This may be either a turning point or a terrible decision on my part. I am hoping for the former.