It’s early morning, the day after my brief capture. I’m sitting alone in the kitchen, listening to Haleema and Rhyndac go over battle plans with the extra mage and warlock reinforcements to bring Nite’s terror of this city to an end. I’m amazed Rhyndac easily got what Haleema wanted within one day. Her transfer of leadership is working well within the organization. I hope that’ll be the end of the fighting here. War is tiring, and I might need a good break before taking on the next assignments further up north. Only the gods know how this impending fight will go down.
Zadock, alongside three warlocks, comes into the tent to go over encantation spells with Haleema and Rhyndac. Their magical knowledge is beyond my understanding. They read through many spell books to decide the most effective one.
As I listen to their bicker, morning hunger starts to set in, and I don’t feel like cooking. I hope Ulrika will be satisfied with someone else’s cooking.
I quietly peek my head through our bedroom drapes to see what Ulrika is doing. She is cuddling my pillow firmly in her arms with her right hand closing in and out. She’s about to wake up at any moment, so I head out to gather breakfast. After thoroughly searching for something we’ll both like for twenty minutes, I return to find her sitting under the covers.
“Did they wake you?” I ask softly.
“I didn’t hear them until I woke up,” she says. “You’re dressed? Did you go out?”
“I got us breakfast. It’s on the table.”
“Okay,” she yawns with body shivers and tearing eyes. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
I wait at the table, eating a high-protein meal my people made for their soldiers. Ulrika joins me in full gear with any weapons. She greets me with a kiss on my cheek before addressing the food.
“Oh, my,” Ulrika says, sniffing between her words. “That smells good. What is that?”
“Honey steak with a side of scrambled eggs and hashbrowns,” I say.
“Holy cow.” She picks up her fork but pauses when eyeing the food on her plate. “Hold on,” she mumbles, sitting down. “This food is better than what we had these past days. Did the succubus make this meal?”
“No,” I chuckle. “Kromagian cooks made this, Ulrika.”
“Oh,” she sighs and laughs with the back of her hand covering her mouth. “This is some high-quality food,” she says with food in her mouth. “Why are we getting this?”
“My guess is for helping with mana consumption for the fight today.”
“Ah, I see. Best leave none on the plate.”
That is exactly what we do. Later in the day, for a good hour, we do some light training to recall any technique we don’t normally do to perform better on the battlefield. We try wielding with our less dominant hand, magic combinations, alternative hand-to-hand combat, and cooperative takedowns.
After those sessions, we are called to head into the library in full gear to go over the final battle plan. Everyone is here. All the Paladins, Haleema, and Oraya are geared up in their armor. Rhyndac uses her magic to create a visual presentation of the battlefield for us to see as Haleema gives a presentation. In a town named, Nite’s main fighting force has been bothering this town since their invasion has their camp there.
“We finally found where these bastards hide,” Haleema cheers. “My mages set up runes to disrupt their teleporting from Stoneglen.”
“They would have to march miles to come here now,” Rhyndac adds. The map creates an illusion showing how far they would have to go to reach us. Nite shows up as red circles traversing a long walk that will take hours to cross.
“So, where are we attacking them?” Hayden asks.
“We will portal directly on them just like they did with us.” The armies shout with cheering. Haleema raises her hands and slowly drops them to calm the room. “Hand-picked Kromagians, volunteering succubi, and Oraya’s calvary will join.”
“We leave in an hour,” Rhyndac says when the map refocuses on Stoneglen. Everyone’s position is colored around the city. Mages will keep anyone from leaving. Warlocks and the Kromagian army perform the dirty work in the streets. Then the cavalry will do whatever they please. “Does everyone got it?” We all agree in whatever form of acknowledgment.
“Kaioson, Ulrika, a word, please,” she says in my head.
“Yes?” I respond out loud.
“When the counter-attack starts, Echo Ripper will be on high alert. She’s the number one target that needs to be dealt with immediately.”
“I agree. Going one-on-one isn’t working,” Ulrika says.
“I suggest we team up. With the help of Rhyndac, we can defeat her.”
“Sounds good,” I say.
“You two are making it seem like she wants to capture her,” Ulrika says. Haleema pinches the right side of her mouth as she stares at Ulrika without breaking eye contact or blinking. Ulrika is giving me the impression that she wants a different outcome.
“We can interrogate her.”
“I want her dead.”
“No. We subdue her and take her in for questioning,” Haleema says before cutting off our inner voice connection.
“Kaio, I don’t agree with this decision,” Ulrika advises. “That woman is beyond dangerous. She has the power to revive the dead. We have to kill her.” I’m unsure of what to say. Haleema is calling the shots, but my wife has fought the Echo Ripper in my absence. We both understand who we’re dealing with. But killing her doesn’t feel right. She might give us more understanding of other paragons or deeper information on the cult. All the more reason why she needs to be captured.
“That wouldn’t be wise,” I say. She smirks after scoffing at me. “This is the right choice, my love.” I gently hold her hands to make her submit to my decision. Her hands don’t immediately grab onto mine. They hesitate and slightly pull away. She doesn’t want to look at me, putting her attention on whatever is to my right. “We are one,” I say, gently nesting my face between her neck and shoulder. I kiss her neck to entice an equal response. All I get is a tight embrace. “You’re so stubborn.”
Ulrika and I take a moment to remind each other of the promises and wonderful moments we shared in our time together just in case the worst is to come and one of us dies in combat. I tell her to imagine a scenario of seeing our daughters play in a field while I comb her long hair. She plays on the idea that our daughters might look more like me than her. Her green eyes, straight hair, and light brown skin are recessive traits that I don’t possess. I’m skeptical of my genes being the absolute determining factor, but if it happens, it happens. I will love them no matter how they come out.
----------------------------------------
The wait is finally over. All units are lined up in perfect rows. As a bounty hunter, I’m nervous standing in formation like a soldier. Everyone is quiet and motionless as they stare forward into an open field. The quietness is deafening even though there’s a subtle breeze coming through.
Haleema stands alone at a distance from us. She has already sent in the mages to entrap the city with an unpenetrable barrier. All we’re doing is waiting on their word of success. Ulrika passively uses her magic to block the wind from hitting us while we wait.
“Gods. When is she going to let us through?” Hayden complains. “I got places to be.”
“Where are you heading after this?” I ask.
“Places,” he chuckles with his eyes closed. “I gotta meet some special people.”
“Special,” Ulrika scoffs, smiling, and air quotes the word as she looks at me. She taps her crotch, giving me an idea of those special people.
Does he know?
“Probably not.”
Haleema opens a massive portal to Stoneglen. All the warlocks at the front of the formation rush in to cause mayhem. The rest of the soldiers, including Ulrika and myself, run to start fighting.
“We’re being ambushed!” A female Nite soldier screams before getting slaughtered by a group of succubi.
“Kaio, let’s try avoiding these guys. Let’s head for higher ground to find the Echo Ripper,” Ulrika says.
The task of scouting for the Echo Ripper turns into an onslaught. There’s a bloody fight with Nite soldiers and orcs everywhere I go. My hands, arms, and much of my clothing are covered with their blood. The sweat on my forehead burns my eyes.
Unlike fighting on an open field, everyone is tightly packed within the streets. There isn’t a moment of peace I can take to catch my breath. I have to quickly consume one of Rhyndac’s tonics to prevent my stamina from tanking too soon in the middle of a fight. Unlike Haleema’s energy drinks that gradually return mana over time, this is instantaneous. I feel like I can take on the whole army without breaking a sweat.
Our armies begin to gain ground. We push Nite further into the city. Ulrika directs me to a church with a watchtower after Succubus soldiers pour out from the front door with blood on the tip of their spears. We cower within the tower to search for any sign of the Echo Ripper’s whereabouts.
“See anything strange?” I ask.
“Nothing worth pointing out,” she says.
A storm forms above without warning, shooting down green lightning on the fallen. Their bodies resurrect to become the undead, but the Warlocks react quickly with fire, igniting the corpses before they hurt anyone.
“She’s close by,” I say, cautiously checking my surroundings. “Where is she?”
“You’re correct about that,” Ulrika points straight ahead. “Behold, the crazy bitch has shown herself.” I aim my eyes at the exact area she’s pointing at. On top of a red-bricked roof, the Echo Ripper watches what’s happening in the city streets. She’s squatting with her arms crossed on her knees and her chin resting on her arms. I can see her head bobbing as if she’s talking. “Why isn’t she fighting?” To help myself find an answer, I examine what’s going on in the streets near her. Our combined forces have nearly killed off the remaining troops. The road is barely visible due to the amount of deaths created. Any resurrection attempt of the dead is thwarted, and a magical barrier encloses this city.
“I think she’s in shock,” I say. “Nite’s army is almost wiped out here.”
“Ha! She must be feeling scared. Come! Let’s kill her and get this over with.”
Ulrika flies away before I can remind her about Haleema’s wish for interrogation. I use my sword to float over to her.
“Hey!” Ulrika says. The Echo Ripper slightly turns her head to see Ulrika. “Why are you looking so sad, huh? Don’t you wanna jump in there?” She slowly stands up on her feet as she turns towards us. Ulrika continues taunting and judging by the Echo Ripper’s face; she doesn’t seem to care. There is no smile or frown. It’s a dead stare that’s unsettling.
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“Shut up...” Echo Ripper utters calmly.
“What? I didn’t quite hear here. Speak up, bitch.”
“Ulrika,” I whisper. “Stop agitating her.”
“Kaio, I know,” Ulrika whispers back. “The more annoyed I can make her, the higher the chance she’ll be too emotional to concentrate on fighting.” She begins to mock the Echo Ripper’s crazy personality, sometimes quoting sentences she said to us.
“Shut the fuck up!” Echo Ripper screams with spit flying out her mouth. Ulrika stops talking but starts chuckling as she wanders away from me. I stay where I am with my defense up high. I’m worried the Echo Ripper will make a sudden move on one of us.
“You seem pissed. Is everything okay?” Ulrika says sarcastically.
“How did you get away from that succubus?!” Echo Ripper asks me, pointing her finger. “You’re supposed to be trapped!”
“Luck was on my side,” I answer.
“The gods were on his side,” Ulrika reinforces. “I shall praise them once we’re done with you.”
“Fuck the gods! There’s only one true God!” She slowly pulls her weapon out of the scabbard. Green lightning sparks off the blade, striking the ground below her. “And she’ll be the one you’ll worship.”
“Zadione? That bitch can kiss my ass! Her fame is equivalent to the shit I took yesterday.”
“How dare you desecrate her holiness!”
“Oh, and your leader, Ivaran, he’s shit, just wetter.”
The Echo Ripper’s eyes suddenly open wider before she runs at us. She almost catches me off guard when she attacks me first. We lock swords for a short time. She swings at Ulrika’s arm and misses, then leaps away before I can stab her ribcage.
“Whoa there! Are we too much for you?” Ulrika taunts.
“Shut up, you manly dog!” Echo Ripper says.
“Insulting my gorgeous looks is the best you can do?” Ulrika giggles.
I don’t take the insults lightly. I attack the Echo Ripper, aiming to wound or at least wound her mortally. One swing misses her leg. My sword cuts deep into the brick roofing. She takes my defenseless stance as an opportunity to try and kick my face with her heel. I catch it, swing it up to trip her, then land a power-force punch to the side of her ribs. Ulrika chases after her when she stumbles away from me. They fight it out while I try to retrieve my sword from the roof. It takes effort to rip it out of whatever it is stuck under. The moment I lock my eyes on the Echo Ripper, I see her charge up the devastating blue orbs while she fights with Ulrika.
“Ulrika, watch out!” I scream. One orb hits Ulrika in the leg. My heart stops when I see her fly away without her sword in hand. She lands on a neighboring house that’s lower than the one we’re on. “Ulrika?!” My left foot steps on her sword when I turn to my right.
Oh! It’s right here!
“Ugh... Where’s my sword?” Ulrika questions calmly. The Echo Ripper begins attacking me before I can tell Ulrika’s sword is next to me. In a quick moment, in the heat of blocking Echo Ripper swings, I tether Ulrika’s sword to stab the roof she is on within arm’s reach. I blast the Echo Ripper with a continual stream of fire to cover my retreat to Ulrika.
“Are you okay?” I ask, closing my hand to stop the stream of fire to prevent wasting mana.
“My leg feels like someone stabbed me with a knife,” Ulrika says.
“Give me your hand.” As she pulls herself up, the Echo Ripper jumps over to us. I have to conjure my sword to defend us while Ulrika can get her footing. We back away while she struggles to advance beyond the limit I set my sword from moving.
Ulrika struggles to walk without limping. The fabric on the middle part of her thigh is ripped open. There’s a red bruise, but it isn’t cut.
“You’re okay. It didn’t lacerate,” I say, lifting her in my arms to move further away.
“Put me down. I’m not out of the fight. Let me walk it off,” Ulrika tells me in a calm yet strained voice. I gently place her down with the other leg touching the ground first. She limps in circles, shakes, and rubs her leg to subdue the pain. “Gods, is that what it feels like to get hit by that?”
“I’ve never gotten hit by it directly,” I answer, conjuring my sword to increase defense without looking at it. “Can you still fight?”
“Let me take a sip of this.” She drinks a quarter of her validity potion and then puts it back on her waist belt. “Go after her. I need time for this to kick in.” I engage the Echo Ripper to give the potion time to soothe Ulrika’s pain.
“I hope I broke something,” Echo Ripper says in a deep, echo-like tone.
“She’s stronger than you think,” I say.
“Maybe I should try again!” A green lightning bolt strikes between us the moment she steps away. She powers up one blue orb with her eyes set on Ulrika.
“Ulrika, get out of the way!” There isn’t time for me to check if Ulrika can manage to evade, so I blast the Echo Ripper’s orb before she can send it off. We get catapulted into the air. I manage to tether the edge of the roof to prevent it from falling
“Kaioson?” Ulrika calls out. “Are you all right?”
“I have to stop doing that up close,” I tell myself. As I’m pulling myself up, Ulrika floats over to me. “I’m fine.” A warm droplet of rain skids down my forehead. I look to the sky, wondering why the droplet is warm. A storm cloud with green lightning rapidly as if the sky is speeding through time. The air smells damp like we’re back in Thaa Alora. “Ulrika,” I say, pointing to the sky.
“I know. I think you pissed her off.”
“How do you know that?” She points at the Echo Ripper, who is huffing and puffing like she’s going to explode with anger. A single powerful lightning bolt strikes down on us in a quick moment, faster than I can blink. Ulrika’s lightning power provides a protective bubble as the Echo Ripper’s lightning hammers down on us. “How are you doing this?” My question gets answered the second I notice Ulrika’s thumb, index, and middle finger are pointed down. Every other second I can see a blue spark emit from her fingers.
“My love,” she chuckles while grunting from the lightning strikes.
“Yes?”
“Please, make her stop. I can’t hold this forever.”
“Okay, get ready to go on the offensive. This’ll take a lot out of me.”
“Dragon Acid?”
“How’d you know?” She responds with a wink.
To get as much air in my lungs, I slowly take all the air into my lungs as they can muster. When I reach my maximum, Ulrika says, “Burn her.” I circle my fingers around my mouth and unleash the Dragon Acid upon the Echo Ripper. The constant lightning barrage stops when she tries to evade my fire. I follow everywhere she goes. “Keep that fire going as long as you can. I’m gonna try to get her! Do not stop, even if you hit me!”
Are you kidding me? I’ll hurt you!
Ulrika and the Echo Ripper fight in a fury of blue and green flashes of lightning. I can’t keep up with their speed. My attack consumes all the air within my lungs. I am vulnerable as I desperately breathe the wisping air from their fight.
“Well, that was a failure,” I say, taking in the air between my words.
Ulrika comes out of combat to force air into my nose, then returns into the fight. Soon after, I see her kick the Echo Ripper out of their lightning brawl. Her blue light overwhelms my eyes. I shield them with my arms.
“Kaio, get her sword!” Ulrika screams, pointing at the Echo Ripper’s weapon. It’s right in front of me, with the handle facing my way. I tether and whip it into my right hand. “Nice work, my love!”
“Curse you!” Echo Ripper says to me.
“It’s over, Echo Ripper,” I say with my sword aimed at her chest. “You’re ungodly assaults are over.” Out of the corner of my left eye, across the other roof, I spot Haleema and Rhyndac with Glysith. I take my eyes off the Echo Ripper in surprise to see Glysith here. The Echo Ripper rushes me, but she freezes in motion before I can protect myself. All around her body, I see a faint glow. I instantly recognize it to be Glysith’s.
“I got her,” Glysith says. Her left hand is glowing. “Are you two all right?”
“We’re fine,” I say. Rhyndac floats next to the Echo Ripper to inscribe a magical white glowing symbol on her forehead.
“Get off me, traitor!” Echo Ripper howls while struggling to break free.
“Were you two fighting with her by yourselves?” Rhyndac asks me as she continues writing more symbols.
“We were,” I say.
“Forgive us for being busy, but it looks like you two didn’t need our help. Well done.” The symbols on the Echo Ripper’s forehead disappear through the skin. All the veins in her neck and face gradually bulge as she strains. They’re black and not blue, as they will normally appear under light-colored skin. Her whole body goes limp while still under Glysith’s telekinesis.
“Is she... dead?” Ulrika says and takes out her dagger from her boot to carefully examine Echo Ripper’s vitals. “She isn’t!” Her fist tightens. The dagger presses into the Echo Ripper’s neck, but Rhyndac halts a potential killing blow by yanking Ulrika’s arm down.
“What are you doing?!” Rhyndac says, shoving Ulrika away with enough force to make her stagger.
“You people are mad! We have to kill her. She’s a threat being alive,” Ulrika screams. I pull her close to me by her shoulders to keep her anger at ease. She successfully resists me, yanking her shoulders out of my grip. “I’m only going to say this once. Stand aside,” she says, pointing her dagger at Rhyndac.
“Wow, I’m so scared,” Rhyndac scoffs.
“She sent a fucking succubus hore to exploit my husband sexually!”
“Easy, Ulrika,” I say, holding her waist and lightly casting a tether just in case she runs.
“Listen, I know she’s a danger, and I’m sorry,” Rhyndac says. “But we can use her to gain more information on Nite.” She signals Glysith by nodding her head to float her away.
“And all the death she caused, and you want to talk with her?”
Ulrika’s disappointment is beyond what I’ve seen. She’s lost for words, red in the face, and can’t stop smiling with her lower jaw shifted forward. I instruct her to wait for me in the watchtower because I fear she’ll lash out in a fury of anger. She submits to my words by floating away in a grandiose exit. A massive amount of wind surges outward, nearly throwing everyone but me off the roof. Her vortex takes her safely through the watchtower window and out of sight from my view.
“What’s her problem?” Glysith asks.
“Lots of things,” I say, pondering various reasons. “She was adamant on ending the Echo Ripper, Rhyndac.”
“Let her sulk,” Rhyndac says. “The best we can do is extract any damning information on Nite so we can win this war.”
“That’s correct. Kaio. You must see that as our best option,” Haleema adds, jumping into the conversation. “Rhyndac’s time walking among them is limited. My own knowledge of Nite is limited towards the cultist too.”
“How? You’ve been fighting these guys for the longest, correct?” I question, feeling a bit annoyed at the troubles Nite has caused me. “You should know these guys inside and out.”
“We’re trying, and this,” Haleema stops talking to point at the Echo Ripper with her hand, “is the process of knowing more. We capture the Paragons to understand them more.”
“They’re evil beings whose whole exitance is to be under one fucking god that we don’t have a clue where she is,” I spiel, ever so slightly getting angry. I have to take a moment to walk away to control myself before I end up raging. I take deep breaths but need something better to reset my mood. “I’m going to go be with my wife,” I say with calmness.
I leave them on foot to be with Ulrika. She is sitting on the ground, facing the door with her knees bent and face down.
“Hey,” I say calmly, to not ignite any anger in her. “You were amazing out there. You made me look like I was outmatched.”
“Are you trying to make me laugh?” She asks while chuckling. “You did amazing too, my love.” I stumble to get on the ground without causing too much pain to rupture within me. “Gods, are you injured?”
“I’m fine, but,” I say, pointing at her leg that got hit. “How’s your it?”
“I took the rest of the drink.” She proves it by waving the empty bottle. “It looks bad, but I don’t feel it.” I carefully rub my thumb against the massive bruise.
“Nothing?”
“Nothing.” I maneuver it at every angle to ease my worry about a broken leg. “Should I dance for you?” Her jest makes me laugh. I’m glad she has no serious injuries.
“Thank the gods,” I say before hugging her tightly. “Ready to get out of here?” I pull her up to her feet once she offers her hand.
“Screw this place. I need a drink.”
“I thought you stopped.”
“I know,” she whines and chuckles for a quick moment, then looks at me with a straight face. “But I something soothing.”
We walk through the streets, swerving around people and stepping over the bodies of the fallen. The carnage of the battle shows its fruits of victory. I ignore all the death, destruction, and cheering around me. I only care about escaping this mess to a warm tub with my lovely woman lying back against my stomach while I drink some beer. Or I can go for the more casual approach and drink at the kitchen table. Either way, they sound relaxing.
Mages standing outside the city send us through the portal back to Galfalian. I do not waste time setting up all the necessities for a well-deserved rest. The succubus chefs at the barracks are making freshly squeezed fruit juices. There are blue, red, pink, and yellow drinks lined on the table. I taste the different flavors to judge which one is good and the one Ulrika will love. They taste amazing, but I take the blue flavor back to Haleema’s tent. I find Ulrika submerged in the tub, blowing bubbles. I knock my finger against the tub to get her attention without being startled.
Ulrika emerges, swiping her hair back to remove the water from her hair. I hand her a drink once she opens her eyes to me.
“Thank you,” Ulrika says before taking a sip. “What’s our forecast for the days ahead? Do I need to pack our things today?”
“No,” I answer after kissing her wet forehead. “There will be no packing for today. For what lies ahead of us, I think our next move is to visit the land of the fairies. There’s a champion there.”
“All right. Let’s hope they’re not a pain in our asses and will join when things go bad.”
“Yeah,” I agree after drinking some of my juice. “I’m glad I got through her. Maybe we should offer the same option with the rest of them.”
“Uh,” she hums at three descending pitches. “Yup. That could work. Plus, I don’t want them journeying with us. I prefer it just be us.”
Before we close the night, we spend some time talking about stories of our bounty-hunting jobs, what we’ll do in the future, and childhood memories. When I recall my childhood, I become sad when I can’t remember my life before meeting Thyrna. My mind only shows images and short moments of some events; I can barely make them out. Ulrika thinks something traumatic might’ve happened, making it impossible to remember. She says once the world is at peace again, she’ll return to Kromagia with me to help find my parents.
“You’ll do that for me?” I say out of surprise.
“I’ll do anything for you, Kaio,” she says, giving me a lovely smile. “Plus, I’ve always wondered what your last name was.”
“I’ve wondered, too,” I say, lying on my back to stare blankly at the ceiling. “I’m a mononymous man. Who is Kaioson, hmm?”
“My wonderful husband,” she says gently.
“An orphan,” I correct. “Who has no family.”
Ulrika leans over with her face blocking my view of the ceiling. I stare at her and gaze deeply into her eyes until her wonderful smile takes all my attention.
“You do have a family, darling,” she says.
“Thyrna?” She nods to tell me I’m correct. “She is. I’ll never deny that. But...”
“I understand,” she says, sighing, then snuggles next to me to find the perfect position to lie in. “You want to know your bloodline.” She cuddles my left arm between her breasts, kisses my bicep, and uses it to rest her face on. “I’ll help you achieve that once we win this fight. That is my vow.”
“Thank you,” I say, closing my eyes.