“Boss, i do not understand why you would follow along on this dangerous journey, wouldn’t it be better to just send the mercenaries?”
Amongst the sea of floating ships, a single ship shone brighter than all the rest. A ship almost disgustingly plastered with gold inlays and gems of every colour.
At the front of the ship, stood two rotund men. One bigger, and rounder, than the other.
“Because my dear Jack. A merchant always keeps his promises. That damn she-wolf. I swore i would show her that my profitable empire is truly mine and not hers. It was built all thanks to me and my business-savvy mind! The grunts she loaned me were useful. But they were only useful because of me using them correctly!”
The bigger round man bellowed angrily, revealing a full set of golden teeth, shining in his wide jaw.
“But boss Delem. All your work will be for nothing if you die. Why are we even assisting this Yuri with her mad plans. Helping defeat a god!?”
The smaller rotund man, named Jack, related to Delem by blood, serving under him in his newly made business empire, asked in confusion.
“I am indebted to Yuri for helping me acquire the starting blocks to my empire! So of course i would help. But most importantly. This is revenge against that She-wolf. That bitch. Supposedly her father is this god, that Yuri is fighting. If i’m the one to get the killing blow on that father of a bitch...what i wouldn’t give to see that she-wolfs expression then..”
Laughing heartily, Delem held his belly with his stubby arms.
“..I see..” Jack could only nod, this was the man he looked up to. His entire look was based on him. He had even replaced his entirely well-functioning teeth for golden ones to match Delem. He would follow this man and learn from him. Perhaps then he might become like him and earn a mighty empire like his.
“But there sure are a lot of other people heading the same way..”
“There sure are. There sure are. Seems it wasn’t just me that Yuri asked for help.”
Despite the majority of the ships belonging to delem and his hired mercenary help. Almost half of the ships filling the skies were not his.
“I’m just wondering if they all are heading there to help Yuri or to get revenge. I would know best, as a merchant. You often make as many enemies as you make friends. As a thief. I’d imagine it’s much more enemies than i can imagine..”
Delem nodded seriously, before bursting out into laughter again.
“Ah, if it’s Yuri i’m sure she can handle it.”
-
On another ship,stood a tall woman, wearing a fluttering elegant dress of the darkest red. Upon her head a snow-white crown, confirming her regal demeanour to be well-deserved.
She was born of royalty.
“Delem...you dare humiliate me...steal my city’s riches…”
Grinding her teeth, the woman looked behind her.
A group of warriors, well-experienced, hardened soldiers of her city, who had been so very loyal to her, despite the lack of funds to pay them.
“Your loyalty will be rewarded..i promise you that much. After we we acquire revenge against the one who allowed Delem to steal our city’s treasury..the one they call...Yuri. After that..we will end Delem’s life.”
She announced to the warriors.
“Yes, my queen!” They chimed.
(Delem may have the superior forces due to being vastly richer...but his hired help is all mercenaries..an amateurs mistake. They might seem like the better choice. But that is only on the individual level. Together they are vastly uncoordinated. A large but confused force..is easy to slip by with a much smaller force..)
Her ship and the few ships following her were keeping themselves to the back of the mass of ships. Hiding amongst the chaos of floating ships.
“Tonight's the night you choke on those golden teeth, Delem..”
The majority of the armada of floating ships belonging to various groups, was Delems. Yet a substantial force belonged to a group that seemed to have no prefered leader.
They were mere civilians, driving poorly armoured floating ships, armed with daggers and rusty swords.
They were civilians who answered to Mako as their archbishop.
The people had their suspicions after their godly relic was gone.
The fact that Mako had not issued a search warrant for the godly relic was already enough to raise suspicion.
Yet now that they had heard she had finally left their city to go help capture one of the people responsible for stealing their godly relic. They had all agreed to go aid her.
They knew how clumsy and scatter brained their archbishop was.
They couldn't trust her with an important mission like this. So instead they would accomplish it for her.
They had heard it was a godly monster. And so headed across the lands, until they finally came across information about these thieves.
Now they headed towards them. Their hearts filled with the will to protect their innocent archbishop.
They would slay this supposed Yuri and her beast.
--
There was one more significant group among the ships.
A group of a strange variety. Their ships were made of the finest of steel.
The people aboard the ships. Some of them looked like average armoured guards. The rest. Were short and stubby, and more than often, quite bearded.
Among them stood a well dressed young man.
He was looking around suspiciously, nervousness clear in his actions.
“Ah don’t look so gloom! Think of the positives!”
A firm hand slammed roughly into the back of the young man.
“You are always so rough with your actions, Galin.”
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
The young man replied with a sigh.
“And you’re too stuck up and nervous, relax a little will you and have a drink, Jac”
Galin answered his sigh with a held out mug of beer.
“You know you can’t solve all your problems with alcohol right..”
Sighing once more, Jac accepted the drink.
“Not all, but certainly most!”
Laughing loudly, Galin shrugged.
“You should be happy, the economy of our city has prospered thanks to this. This rich merchant, what’s his name, Delem? Didn’t he order enough stockpiles of weapons to set up our economy for years?”
Galin took a swig of his own drink.
“So what are you moping around for”
“Yes he did. And i am glad over that. I just didn’t expect that Yuri to ask us for help.”
Shaking his head, Jac looked into his mug.
“I’ve never lead any kind of army or anything”
“That’s what i’m here for. I’ve worked as a guard for years. I know how most of these things work. You just worry about standing there looking pretty, and throwing a few magic things here and there to inspire the guards!”
Chuckling heartily, Galin spit out a bit of his drink.
“That is not the only thing i am concerned about. In her letter. Yuri mentioned quite a few threats should i not answer her plea for help..”
“Well isn’t that good then?” Asked Galin.
“How is receiving a threat good..?”
“Then you’ll find your courage in battle by thinking, if you don’t fight, a much worse fate awaits you at the hands of Yuri, or something like that?”
“...You always have the strangest ways of inspiring me Galin.”
Knocking his mug against Galins, Jac took a deep gulp of the strong alcohol.
“That’s the spirit! Now let’s go kick some random god monsters ass!” Galin cheered, arousing a high cheering from all the guards around them.
Their ships heading alongside of Delems.
These groups weren’t the only ones part of the mass of ships. There were many more ships, each one belonging to their own individual person or group. Each one with their own agenda or grudge.
They all had different reasons to be there. Yet they all had one thing in common. All of their motivations were bound to Yuri someway or another.
That, and their destination was the same.
The ancient god that had finally been freed from its long imprisonment. A creature of pure mana. Of so much power that it could erase entire cities with a single roar.
They were all headed towards this impossible creature.
None of them considering its defeat a challenge, considering their large force.
What awaited them, was anything but. What awaited them, it wasn’t a challenge.
It was an irrefutable impossibility.
--
A single old rusty ship sailed through winds smelling of rotten flesh, the darkest of mana creating whirlwinds that shook the airship.
Pieces of metal and wood fell towards the ground, separated from the ship.
“I don’t see why we have to use this outdated method of transportation.”
Tane complained, being slightly pushed around by the turbulence.
“The same reason why i cannot simply run there with Yuri. Fenrir is..a creature of mana. His senses would detect any usage of mana nearby him.”
Explaining this, Hikaru adjusted the airships balloon and lantern, making sure it was dim, yet powerful enough to hold them in the air.
“We can’t get detected yet. We need to get my dagger first. Besides..without the element of surprise, we won’t stand a sliver of a chance”
Yuri leaned over the front of the small airship, looking into the darkness in front of them, despite it being day, their vision was obscured by the mana corrupted winds. Making it seem as dark as a moonless night.
“Are we close yet?” Asked Tane, tired of this slow method of transportation.
The winds around them intensified, almost flipping the entire airship onto its side.
A howl of wind, no, it wasn’t wind, it was the howl of a creature.A creature so distinctly different from a living being that its voice sounded far beyond what a mortal was able.
A voice so beyond mortal, it was in tune with nature itself, making it sound like part of the wind. It sounded like wind. Yet was not. Despite it sounding natural. It sounded distinctly off.
The same way something that looks human but is still quite distinctly not in its smallest details, is quite unsettling to look at. This sound..this howling wind. Was distinctly different to wind in its smallest details. It sounded disturbing, and it induced a natural chill and feeling of disgust in even the winds around it. Which shook in a manner not unlike that of a terrified creature.
A howl that could even make the winds shake, did far more to the three sitting inside the floating airship.
Their bodies stiffened.
They appeared to stay completely still.
Their hearts and minds. Were shaking. Powerfully. Completely in tune with the shaking winds.
So powerfully that it bordered on dangerous.
It took a great feat of will to not faint for a normal human.
Luckily, none of the three were normal in any way.
Tane was a creature made mostly of mana. Modified by his own creations and choice. Although he was shaken, and he felt great fear at the beast capable of inducing such feelings in him. He felt curiosity overtake him. A creature of mana such as that. How truly amazing to be able to poke around inside it and look through its secrets.
Yuri, despite being a normal human in body. Her mind was a different matter entirely. She had never been a normal human mentally speaking. Her ideas and entire way of reasoning bordered on insanity. It let her withstand the overwhelming urge to faint and shut down her mind to escape this howl, this voice. That was not the only thing allowing her to stay conscious. Her thoughts were all concentrated on one simple thing. She was going to save Hikaru. This supposed father of his, which is causing him such worry, will be slain. Then she will finally truly obtain the greatest godly relic of her collection. Hikaru.
She glanced at him, she was almost unfazed by this overwhelming danger. Her thoughts only of protecting her one and only beloved. Her cheeks reddened slightly at the thought of her calling him her beloved.
Hikaru on the hand.
Despite being a creature of the same source as his father.
Felt the shaking deep in his mind.
It shook him at his core. Awakening his almost forgotten feelings as a child.
The feelings of his father becoming tainted with his sons ideas. With his ideas. Taking them too far. The feelings of guilt he felt for causing it. The stab of pain and guilt at the accusing eyes of the other gods penetrating his very being, as he, his father, and sister, were forever banished to the mortal realm.
They had accused him. Of causing this. They blamed him for the corruption of his father.
It was all his fault.
Despite him still believing that his ways were just. And his fathers ways were too extreme.
He still knew it was still his own fault. That it had come to this.
Had he simply shut up and did his godly training as he should have, instead of indulging his curiosity, perhaps his father might have never become this way. Perhaps none of these disasters would occur.
“Perhaps..it would have been best..had i never indulged in my ideals.”
Murmuring this, Hikaru clenched his shaking hands.
His shaking slowly stopped, upon feeling a warmth covering them.
Yuri had taken a hold of his hands, stroking them gently and warming them in hers.
“If you had never indulged your ideals..we would have never met..even if means having to overcome a trail such as this..for me at least..it’s worth it.”
She looked upon him with a serene, yet hopeful smile.
Her gentle touch, releasing Hikaru of his worries. Melting all his dark thoughts as though they were simply ice in need of Yuri’s determined yet soft blaze.
“I agree..for simply feeling your touch. I will defeat my father..in order to continue feeling it.”
He smiled back at her, feeling true happiness at her presence.
“...Puke” Tane muttered “Keep it to yourselves, love birds.” Rolling his eyes, Tane sighed.
What he received in response was a swift but powerful punch to the nose from Yuri.
“Way to kill the mood idiot.” She said annoyedly at him.
“You were the ones killing the tense mood with your soft coloured love.”
Tane fixed his nose and grunted back at Yuri.
“Not my fault you don’t seem to understand that danger breeds the need for support from your loved ones! You unloved lizard!”
“Love is overrated!”
“It is not!”
“Be quiet..!” Hikaru interrupted them. Looking into the darkness ahead.
“...He is near.”
He spoke quietly, afraid someone might hear them, despite the raging winds around them.
In front of them, a great darkness came into view.
The space around them was already dark. Yet this. This went beyond darkness itself. It was an aura that sucked even the shadows into it.
And this aura..had clear red eyes.
“...Thankfully it doesn’t seem he has noticed us.”
Hikaru sighed in relief, noticing the red eyes were staring off into the distance.
“We have to get my dagger first...we need to go around him..quietly..”
She gave Tane an accusing look upon saying quietly. To which she received an annoyed look back.
“Nobody speak...as i said..his senses..are beyond a mortals..”
Whispering this, Hikaru lowered the airship so it nearly touched the ground, moving slowly, as slow as walking speed. In an attempt to blend in.
It felt like days had gone by while they flew. Although they knew it had only been a few hours.
Them moving slowly across the grey ground. Flying around the giant light-sucking, vaguely wolf-like shape. Which never..seemed to end. Stretching for what seemed like, to their senses, forever.
“I think..we are past him..let’s go quickly and get your dagger.. And fly back before he gets to that city.”
Breathing a small sigh of relief. Hikaru increased their speed.
“Lets go..! Can’t wait to finally get it back again!”
They headed towards what used to be the land of floating islands, where Fenrir used to be sealed.