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The Hardwynn Saga : Book One
Chapter Twelve : Those Who Remain

Chapter Twelve : Those Who Remain

Eons ago..

Jovar stares at the large blue orb in the sky, his people were always curious about their beautiful neighbor, they had the means to travel there but they had all they needed here, on Luna. Now in this dire time that world was their only hope, Sern and his armada of abominations destroyed the sky causing the atmosphere and air to slowly leak away into space. The land and lush forests burned away into fields of death and ash. He swells with rage, the hunger whispering its ancient secrets in his mind, He had finally begun to understand them.. understand the truth of his abilities and the power they held… if only it had been sooner.

He turns his attention to his hands as he creates and retracts his crystals, contemplating the last ditch plan he and the council concocted. His head started to spin as the finality of it struck, it was the waiting really. He knew he had to do it, he was the only one strong enough and he wasn't even sure of that…. but it seemed to be his destiny and if it saves his people? Well then it won't be in vain.

A warm hand grasps his shoulder as the figure sits down next to him. Jovar cracks a sad smile as Jontha stares off at the distant planet. Best friends, brothers… tasked with protecting everyone, one will die, one will live forever ….. Alone…. It broke his heart.

A tear breaks free from his purple eye and rolls down his cheek, a blue shimmer on his dark skin.

Jontha grips his friend's shoulder even tighter and playfully rocks him in an awkward attempt to comfort his friend. They carried the weight of the world on their shoulders and it was immense.

He breaks the ice.

"The temperature is dropping.. you should put on something thicker… can't have our last hope freezing to death before he… he ah.. you know.." Jontha stopped himself before saying it… he couldn't.

"But I hear Gaia is nice and warm…" He says, knowing he won't have the opportunity to find out.

Jovar nods.

"I'm fine… I won't need warmth where I'm going. You're the one who needs warmer clothes, can't do your part if you're frozen" He replies, trying to make light of their situation.

Jontha lets out a nervous chuckle, secretly wishing he could be frozen. An eternity in a dead world. Alone. It didn't sound too great, the thought sent a wave of anxiety over him.

They stare off at their blue neighbor making small talk. They reminisce about the past, about old friends and the good times, the times before their world ended.

Behind them the warning horns begin to blare. Dark shapes moving through the sky approach the last remaining city.

The two look at each other knowing it will be the last time they see each other.

"It's time." Jovar says gulping back his emotions.

Jontha nods before embracing his friend.

The two hold tight for what seems like forever before finally letting go. No more words were shared as they made their way to the final battle, none were needed.

Present Day

Jontha's blade cleaves into a Sourcer throwing herself in the way of his assault.

Zealots.. fighting foes who see death as an avenue towards power and Sern's love was tough, especially when they know they can come back.

Kara screams at him and he uses the woman like a shield, the blast tears her body apart as chunks of her spray everywhere. He pushes forward, he tries to temper his rage but eons of anger are bubbling to the surface and it reaches into his mind whispering violent truths. Before Sern showed up to Luna his people were peaceful, Jontha was an explorer, charting out the nooks and crannies of their lush and beautiful world. Now Luna was shattered, desolate and cold… just like him.

Sern created this thing… this beast inside of him and he would use its creation against them.

His teeth crack and heal and he clenches his jaw in anger.

Multiple attackers rush him as he closes in on Rahm, the creature crawls through the dirt and fallen leaves screeching and squealing its awful alien noises. Beloved couldn't regenerate like their Chosen counterparts, they were near pure versions of their older selves. They lost some power and their free will but Sern kept them around for a reason, Be it some form of admiration or their unique powers, Sern "loved" them….. if it was even capable of love.

This worked out for Jontha though, he didn't have to worry about Rahm healing itself, he just needed it dead.

He shrugs off the next attack as a Chosen's claw slices through his shoulder. The wild crimson spray sputters out as his flesh weaves itself back together. The pain a distant pulse lost somewhere deep in his mind as he closes in on his prey, nothing would stop him.

A Sourcer tries to invade his mind… telepathy.. and weak telepathy at that. She tries to tell him they are friends.. tries to save Rahm. He falls into his subconscious, images of him happily serving Sern in some fucked up Sourcer utopia. Jontha counters,this wasn't his first encounter with a telepath. He floods her mind with eons of madness, countless deaths and unimaginable pain. Her scream almost rivaled Kara's as she dug her fingers into her eyes and tore her face apart. As he comes back to reality he lunges for Rahm, his ancient blade slicing down onto the vile wizard.

Its third eye lets out a burst of green fog as Jontha’s cleaver plumits towards its face. A last ditch effort to save itself from Jontha's wrath a second time. He wonders if the monster retained its last iterations memories….

The sound bursts his ear drums as tiny blood geysers erupt from his ears. He feels the vibrations ride up the blade and into his arms as it shatters into hundreds of pieces. His arms split open and quickly close again as the sonic attack tears his arm apart.

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He looks over at Kara, her body throbbing with the toxic green pulse from Rahm's blessing. Her muscles bulge as the wizards buff courses through her veins.

Jontha had to think fast, a direct hit from her could take him out for minutes, enough time for her to capture him again and that was not an option. There were still the attackers behind him as well, he could handle them but without his blade it would take much longer.

Kara draws in a deep breath, ready to end Jontha's assault.

Be it luck, divine intervention or deus ex machina, Jontha got the break he desperately needed.

The ground shook followed by the sound of metal scraping metal on an unfathomable scale. They could all see the massive metal structure rise up through the cracks in the foliage distracting Sern's warriors for a moment.

Jontha uses the split second to make his move as Kara's scream ripped through the air towards him. He dives for the flaming vehicle next to him, she tracks his movement with her head out of instinct redirecting the attack.

Her eyes widen in horror when she realizes what is about to happen.

The scream tears his arm off his body, a calculated sacrifice as it rips into the overturned cruiser. The volatile energy shatters the powercore housing releasing a massive blast that turns the vehicle into a bomb.

He comes to when his body crashes into a patch of shrubs a few meters from the explosion. He slowly gets up, his body screams from the absurd amount of damage it just took. It didn't matter, instinct takes hold and there is only one task on his mind.

Jontha hobbles to the fiery scene, his body a sight of horror, charred flesh and exposed bones. He walks past multiple bodies, reaches down, wraps skeletal fingers around one of Rahm's spiral horns and disappears into the spreading flames and smoke.

An exhausted Tilly stumbles from a hard landing, Hu runs to her, catching his friend before she can hit the dirt. She wraps her arms around Hu and squeezes, he freezes for a second before sharing the embrace.

"Vandresh… New Eidolon.." She sobs momentarily before pushing it back. Hu watched her face morph from sadness to rage. She looks around, the diminished convoy and battered citizens draws out even more rage.

"Gone." She says through tight lips.

"I.. I did my best.." Hu chokes out, Tilly's rage cooled at the sight of sadness painted on his face. She squeezes tighter.

Their moment was interrupted by some citizens begging Tilly for information on the battle. She sighs and begins to recant her story as a crowd gathers around her. She can hear gasps and weeping as she tells them of Vandresh's sacrifice, the people truly loved that old bandit. She wished he was still here, with Chase behind them and Vandresh gone it was up to her and Hu to lead these tired and hurt people through the Harshlands.

Hu swallows the lump in his throat and tells her about the assault on the evacuation tunnels. Tilly looks around again, truly realizing how few people were left, the booming population was reduced to maybe a thousand.

"Chase and some others are still making their way through Vandresh's secret tunnel, he wants us to move ahead, keep the convoy as far ahead of the Sourcers as possible. He should be able to catch up, if not he will meet us at Hardwynn City." She says as some of the crowd moans.

"I know you're hurt and tired but we can't let everyone's sacrifice be in vain. We have to keep moving."

Out of character Hu stands up and shouts.

"For the fallen! For Vandresh!"

Tilly beams a stunned smile at him.

The battered refugees begin to echo his rally.

They make preparations, check the wounded and the convoy begins its long and arduous journey. They traverse through the paths and roads carved across the land before and during the Source war, trying to remain ever vigilant, not knowing what dangers were waiting for them in the Harshlands.

Two days later..

Tilly was shocked awake by the sudden and violent stop of their cruiser, she tried to turn to look at Hu but it felt like she was moving in slow motion. It takes some time for the burning of frost on her skin to register. She tries to ignite her flames but the intense chill increases, overwhelming her fire. Ice begins encasing the vehicle as she struggles.

FAMPFFFF!

A strange woman appears on Hu's lap, she beams a wicked grin at Tilly before she vanishes with Hu in tow.

She pushes he flames as hard as she can but the ice counters.

"It's pointless." A man with dark skin and striking blue eyes says as he approaches the vehicle.

He holds his arms out and shouts.

"You are all property of The mighty Warlord Sheena now!" The cryomancer proclaims as hundreds of attackers surround the convoy, cheering in their swift victory.

"Resistance equals death. I advise against it."

A group of the convoy fighters engage the warlord’s minions but are swiftly thwarted by a beast of a man. He dodges their attacks with uncanny reflexes. His punches sent some flying, their bones shattering on impact. The rest were gouged by his vicious claws. He lets loose a mighty roar as he shakes strings of blood off his fur.

"I tried to warn them!"

He says as he lets out a hearty laugh.

One of the attackers runs towards the cryomancer.

"No sign of him, Blizz. What do we do now?" She says trying to peer through the ice covered vehicle.

The Cryomancer sighs, rubbing the corners of his eyes with gloved fingers.

"Get our new friends to the stronghold. I'll wait here with a team, see if there are any stragglers." He holds out his pointed staff and taps the ice covering Tilly's window. The ice shatters, revealing a nearly frozen Tilly, trapped in a perpetual struggle, heating up enough just to stay alive.

He leans into the vehicle and runs his gloved hand down her face. He can feel her fires rage even greater.

"What brings you New Eidolonites all the way out here? Hmmm? You all look like you passed through hell. Whatever it was… yall fucked up.. see this is our land! Sheena doesn't care much for trespassers, normally you'd be dead but the boss lady wants something…. Well someone actually. So yall are bait now and hey who knows? Maybe we can keep yall around as slaves!" He lets out a chuckle as he walks away motioning for the rest of his crew to get to work.

They restrain the defeated townsfolk and commandeer their vehicles, forcing them to walk in tow behind the stolen cruisers.Tilly is tied with metal shackles, the refugee children chained to her in a dastardly but effective counter to her powers.

"Yyyou ffffuckinggg ccccowards!" She chatters out as the Cryomancer smirks at her.

Tilly hurled more curses as the unconscious Hu was tied up and blind folded. They threw him into the bed of a cruiser with the other injured as the raiders began the trip to their stronghold.

She runs the situation through her head. How were they so prepared for them? How did they know how to counter their abilities? Who were they looking for? She knew one thing for sure … first chance she gets shes going to make them pay.