Volume I Scions of Destiny - Chapter 3 Part III: Reaper's Elegy
Darkness…
...Nothing but darkness.
That was all that Caut felt from her fragment of life in her chest, as she leaned her forehead on Nethaniel’s thigh crying without end.
On his part, Nethaniel could just clench his fists and teeth as he embraced his bitter. failure once again.
While the others Elins were finally standing up after the pain in their chests slowly faded away and started to regroup; although most of them could just look down melancholically.
Once again, like during the ‘Argon War’, the Pora Elinu Nation was critically struck in one of their most sensitive points: their Queen.
This is how the world was, it was a mean, nasty world of violence and pain. That if there is even the slightest opportunity, it would force everyone on their knees; reminding every single soul on its surface, that their lives meant nothing.
But many wanted to change this absolute truth, many wanted to see a better tomorrow and change the world they live in.
...But at what price? What will they sacrifice to achieve it?
The Elins made such a sacrifice once, sacrificing their own light within their fragment of lives; but the world around them wasn't ready for their sacrifice yet, neither did all their people.
Thus, resulting in the Reapers’ persecution and leaving a painful and deep scar in the world’s history.
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At Velika, almost all the invaders had perished, leaving behind no more threats for now towards the brave Velika’s defenders.
The very few enemies who survived surrendered and were captured by the Shrouded Rose Sentinels.
Thanks to the great joint efforts of the allied forces, composed of Free Traders’ soldiers, Pora Elinu Nation’s army, the Shrouded Rose Sentinels and the volunteers; the allied forces managed to fend off the ‘invaders’.
But...
Many soldiers were looking at the Princess, shocked by her brutal murder of the enemy’s General, Aurora.
“That is...a-...a r--re-...”
“A r-reaper? How?!...”
“They were eradicated...they all…”
“Impossible…they are not supposed to...”
A few soldiers mumbled between themselves in bewilderment, unable to take in the scene in front of them, shocked by ‘its’ brutality and ‘unknown’ power.
Meanwhile, the veterans soldiers, mostly comprised of the Shrouded Rose Sentinels, didn’t even flinch by this gruesome scene and just started to look for any survivors among the numerous corpses strewn across the surroundings.
Although they were also alarmed in their minds by this sudden ‘re-apparition’ of a supposed-to-be extinct Reaper ‘race’.
However, fret in these moments wasn't an option at all for them.
The fragile freedom that once everyone felt within their grasp, was now broken into millions of tiny fragments...
...And the alliance conflict resumed once more, reaping thousands of lives in the process.
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Meanwhile, in the Nightmare Realm...
The Reapers successfully repelled the wild demons and demons forces; thus, the Steel Citadel upheld its ‘legendary’ title of being an impenetrable fortress.
Regardless, deep inside the battlefield, Lhya was speaking with the 1st Demon Lord, known as Zelel.
Lhya stood a few meters behind Zelel, looking at her with a stern gaze; while Zelel by her part kept beholding the huge Reaper’s Citadel gothic architecture.
“What do you mean, demon?” Lhya asked, unable to understand the reasons behind Zelel’s words.
‘Why would this demon want peace with us?’ Lhya wondered in her mind, suspecting these words.
“Fufufufu…my words were clear enough, little one,” Zelel replied calmly while turning, to face Lhya.
On the other part, Lailyn was between Lhya and Zelel, protecting her while looking at Zelel carefully, wary of any subtle hostility; ready attack again.
“Fufufufufu...seems like you're nervous,” Zelel commented with an eerie smile decorating her face, although her eyes were cold and emotionless as ice.
Suddenly…
“Tskk…” Lhya and Lailyn brought their hands to their chest, feeling an abrupt and concentrated sharp pain on their chest.
Forcing both of them to kneel on the ground as Zelel just watched them intrigued.
“Fufufufu…” Zelel just giggled at the sight of their pain, but not just theirs, all the Reapers were in the same situation right in that moment.
“Hehehehehe...I will make this bitch pay for what she did to me...” Valmorgur mumbled to himself, harshly standing up as his right arm was recently severed by Lhya.
Valmorgur reached his black-reddish sword lying on the sand with his left hand and lifted it and then turned to where Lhya was.
“Tskk…” Lhya and Lailyn were gritting their teeth.
“Tskk…” Lhya and Lailyn were gritting their teeth. knelt on the sand with their hands clutching their chests, as the sharp pain was still burning in their chests; rendering them unable to dodge any attack.
Lhya tried to endure the pain as much as she could, sweating by her efforts.
She looked at Valmorgur’s movements upon her raisin black wolf ears twitched, upon hearing his mumbling.
‘Crap...imp-...impossible...how... how did Valentina...?!’ Lhya thought quickly in her mind as she could feel Valmorgur’s gaze on her, struggling to break through the pain and move.
*Tack*
‘Dammit! Come on! Move!’ Lhya thought in despair as she was still unable to move.
Valmorgur just managed to give a single step towards Lhya; when he suddenly was intervened by multiple dark violet ‘hands’.
These dark violet ‘hands’ appeared from various black floating arcane circles around Valmorgur; wrapping his limbs and neck tightly, immobilizing him.
“Fufufufufu…” Zelel just giggled as she kept her hands at her back.
“Z-Zelel…” Valmorgur mumbled while Zelel was staring at him with her usual emotionless, yet penetrating gaze.
Zelel lightly licked her lips and briefly giggled, as Valmorgur eyes widened, feeling Zelel’s aura abruptly growing stronger.
“You...you...you bluffed us! You used my people to march against the Reapers! Witch! You never wanted to defeat them!” Valmorgur shouted in rage upon realizing Zelel’s plans.
Then...the magic ‘hands’ wrapped around his limbs, and began to pull to opposite sides.
His breaking bones could be clearly heard with snappings of his muscles and tendons by the sensitives Lhya and Lailyn’s animal ears, as Valmorgur shouted in pain.
“Ahhh! You...You! Bitch! Arghh!” Valmorgur shouted as Zelel smiled mischievously and excitedly as Valmorgur’s bones kept cracking, slowly yielding.
“Aghh! Ahhhh!” And after a few seconds, his limbs gave into the torment and broke off the Demon Lord’s body.
*SPLAT*
Blood splattered on the black sand as bloody severed limbs and a torso also fell on it; while Zelel just stood there, unfazed by what she did without moving a single finger.
Or better said, enjoying what she did.
Lhya’s eyes slightly widened upon witness Zelel’s prowess and cold brutality on Valmorgur.
In that moment, Lailyn was finally able to stand up despite the pain and quickly approached Lhya.
“Lady Lhya...are you alright?” Lailyn exclaimed with her emotionless voice, barely standing on her feet next to her while the pain on their chests was slowly fading away.
Lhya looked at Lailyn, as she gave her hand to help Lhya to stand up.
Lhya promptly took her hand as their armors clanked in the process, and then slowly stood up.
“I am fine,” Lhya replied while standing up, fixing her gaze on Zelel.
“Uhmm...fufufufu...I regret to have resorted to such violence. My apologies.” Zelel said calmly as she slightly bowed.
Although Zelel was still wearing her eerie smile on her face.
“Why did you save us?” Lhya asked with a serious voice while Lailyn stood next to her, wary of Zelel.
Their pain was no longer a problem; although it was still there, slowly fading away.
“Fufufu...take it like a proof of my word,” Zelel said suggestively.
“Lady Lhya, we should return to the Citadel,” Lailyn advised.
“We can’t Lailyn...Why won’t you kill us yet, demon?” Lhya pointed out as she has been feeling a strange kind of an ethereal, magic ‘membranous fabric’ enfolding her body.
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“Impossible.” Lailyn mumbled emotionlessly as she tried to summon her scythes, but she couldn’t.
Then, Lailyn tried to vanish leaving behind the usual dark purple smoke, and ‘dive’ into the shadows and travel through them…
But her body just heavily distorted for a second, before returning to normal, confirming that she was unable to dive into the shadows as well.
“Lady Lhya, we-”
“We’ll be fine. If this demon wished to kill us, we would be dead already.” Lhya replied coldly as Lailyn stood firm in silence in her usual ninja pose, displaying respect and discipline.
“Fufufufufu...quite perceptive, Crimson Princess. Although I would prefer you to use my name.” Zelel replied suggestively keeping her hands at her back, slightly fluttering her black wings.
“Then, what do you want from us, ‘Zelel’?” Lhya asked with a serious expression on her face.
“Ahh...fufufufu...I only desire for peace between our races, little one. We are quite similar in that regard, little Reaper.” Zelel replied calmly.
“How can we trust your word? But more importantly, can you even assure us, that your people will not even try to kill and eat us of their own accord?”
Lhya asked skeptically and intrigued by her words.
“Fufufufu...I can offer you a blood pact. Oh, and...don’t you want to know what you really are? What it means to become a Reaper?” Zelel replied suggestively as usual.
Lhya just looked at her with a serious gaze for a few seconds, as Zelel’s words were becoming more and more enigmatic.
Suddenly, next to Zelel; from magenta smoke appeared a human-like demoness.
This demoness compared with Zelel, had no horns. That was the first detail which Lhya and Lailyn could notice; besides her long pale-azure mist hair and serene plum-violet eyes.
She was clad in a revealing carbon black steel plate armor, which rattled the moment she completely bowed, with one knee on the sand.
“My Highness.” The woman exclaimed respectfully.
Her light armor had a thorny, ‘sleek-ebony’ armor like shape; with pulsating blood crimson ‘veins’ streaking along her rerebrace, down to her bracers.
Lhya and Lailyn could see on her fringe, a little black carbon circlet in ‘v’ form.
They also saw around her neck a carbon black, star-like choker before she lowered her head and closed her eyes during the bow.
In addition, she had two carbon black, small ‘wing-like’ shoulder pads resting on her shoulders.
“Surya. What happened?” Zelel asked calmly; while Lhya and Lailyn were wary of this other demoness, due her ominous aura emanating from her presence.
Surya’s chest, shoulder, and upper thighs showed her soft smooth alabaster skin, revealing her feminine allure without revealing too much of her small breasts.
Her stomach was covered in carbon black plates, her arms wearing black ominous claw-like gauntlets and lastly, her legs were covered in menacing thigh high plate armored greaves and boots accentuating her legs.
Surya rose up slowly as her ostentatious armor clanked, and her gaze fixed on Lhya and Lailyn.
Surya was about 5’98’’ of height, slightly taller than Zelel.
“I think that…” Surya’s plum-violet eyes fixed on Lhya and Lailyn, slightly condescending on them.
“...Those impures are unworthy of hearing my report, my Highness.” Surya spoke with a unique serene face, contradicting her ominous demonic presence.
“Fufufu...don’t be like that, Surya. They will be our allies from now on. Right?” Zelel replied calmly as Surya stared at Zelel, with hardly noticeable surprise.
Simultaneously, Lhya stood in silence a few seconds, trying to take the correct choice.
‘I can’t keep sacrificing my people in this war...we came here for peace...my Goddess Elinu...may my decision be true.’ Lhya thought to herself as she thought about the future of her people.
Continuing this almost endlessly war was just going to tear them more apart.
‘I must ensure my people’s future. That’s my duty as their leader.’ Lhya thought to herself with determination.
Then she thought about Zelel’s other offer…on what the Reapers are...a mystery to Lhya and her people ever since they obtained their powers.
‘Also...what are we...what are we exactly? Does Zelel really know…?’ Lhya kept rethinking her options before her and then made her choice.
“My Highness, do you really trust in that eidolon?” Surya asked as Zelel ignored her words and calmly spoke to Lhya, with her usual suggestive voice.
“I sympathize and share your vision. We need a future, we both do. Which is why I want to forge it together side by side. Is that not what you want, Crimson Princess, Lhya?”
Thereupon Zelel’s stretched her hand forward as Lhya looked at it with slight hesitation, and then looked at Lailyn.
“Whatever your choice may be, I’ll support you regardless, my Lady,” Lailyn said without hesitation.
Then Lhya moved two steps forward closer to Zelel.
And stretched her right hand, as Zelel stretched hers; grabbing hers, and then both shook their hands.
Forthwith they shook their hands, Zelel mumbled as Lhya’s raisin black wolf ears twitched upon hearing a strange language.
“Pakta Darah” Then; Lhya and Zelel felt a sharp pain through their hands.
Not only that, in that precise moment, the magic ‘membrane’ around Lhya and Lailyn dissipated, allowing them to travel through shadows once again.
“Agh!…” Lhya slightly repined, releasing Zelel’s hand and stumbled a few steps back, looking at the state of her right hand.
Lhya’s right hand was bleeding, and looking at Zelel’s hand she sees it’s bleeding as well.
“My Highness!” Surya exclaimed as she stepped closer to Zelel.
“My Lady!” Lailyn exclaimed too, approaching Lhya with emotionless worry.
“What did you do?” Lhya asked as she briefly looked at her right palm.
From the small wound on her right palm, emanated tyrian purple flames, and the wound then quickly regenerated, repairing her hand to normal.
Lhya opened and closed her fist twice and then looked at Zelel.
“Fufufufufu...I commenced our pact. The blood pact will assure our peace, little one.” Zelel explained vaguely as her hand wound also regenerated completely.
“I will trust you, Zelel,” Lhya replied, even though a part of her still didn't trust at all on Zelel.
Zelel giggled shortly aware of Lhya’s slight distrust and then exclaimed.
“Fufufufu...I appreciate it, little one…now then Surya, tell us.” Zelel spoke calmly, yet mandatory.
“Yes, my Highness.” Surya slightly bowed as her armor clanked lightly and then spoke.
“Leliel has made her move. She entered the Daydream realm, my Highness.” Surya replied with a voice fulfilled with respect.
“Ohh…interesting, interesting. Fufufufufu...” Zelel replied suggestively, still wearing her eerie smile.
“Leliel?” Lhya asked puzzled of what was happening on the other side, and does not know the name.
“Fufu...you will find out soon enough,” Zelel replied ambiguously.
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Velika’s state was far from ruinous; yet there was wreckage all around, as corpses of both soldier and civilians were scattered all around, their blood staining the city’s floor.
Velika citizens were heavily struck by an unforeseen invasion due to the negligence of the high-command, ending in thousands of casualties.
The cruel, heartless war and death were still circling around every life like vultures, ready to consume their corpses once they fall prey to its talons.
*** *** *** ***
Meanwhile…
While Caut was suffering a heavy headache, an unknown female voice whispered dark words in her head.
‘They are all guilty. They’re all responsible for your mother’s death!’ The voice echoed in Caut’s head while she was still leaning her forehead on Nethaniel’s thigh crying.
‘Kill them...kill them all.’ The dark female voice incited her, as Caut felt a heavier headache as her aura darkened.
‘Kill them?’ Caut thought to herself, speaking to the dark voice.
‘Yes, make them pay for your mother’s death!’ The dark female voice kept inciting, as Caut’s current psychological state was fragile due to the recent tragedy.
“Kill them...I should kill them all.” Princess Caut mumbled as Nethaniel lowered his gaze and looked at Caut, noticing something amiss in her.
He could feel... Caut’s aura and presence, being slowly imbued in an ominous darkness.
‘I can give you all the power you need to ease your pain and kill, Cauterize.’ Again, the dark female voice kept inciting her.
‘Kill them...make them feel your suffering, your pain.’ The voice added.
“I...I will make them pay…” Caut murmured as her sobbing stopped abruptly.
Everyone who was still looking at her, was able to feel Caut’s aura growing precipitously, altogether with her ominous presence.
‘Kill them. Kill them. Kill them!’ The dark female voice kept inciting Caut, making her feel another heavy headache.
“Princess Caut?” Nethaniel asked with a serious voice, as his instinct warned him, foreboding danger.
No response.
‘KILL THEM! KILL THEM!’ Caut kept hearing the same malevolent voice rapidly echoing in her mind, as the headache grew heavier and heavier.
‘KILL THEM! MAKE THEM FEEL YOUR PAIN! KILL THEM ALL!’ The dark female voice repeated more and more frequent, with greater tone and volume each time it spoke.
“What's happening?” A few soldiers asked among themselves upon feeling Caut’s aura, although not everyone was that sensitive enough to feel the looming dread from Caut.
*** *** *** ***
While almost everyone present was focused on Caut…
...Queen Valentina’s corpse emitted a small tyrian purple flame emanating from her severe wounds on her torso and chest, wounds that did not reach her fragment of life luckily.
These unnoticed flames were slowly cleansing Valentina of her wounds, repairing them.
The only one who noticed this...was Lieutenant Zekka; who was still holding her body, feeling guilty of her reckless actions being responsible for her death.
And upon noticing this, Zekka mumbled in surprise.
“Impossible...she...she is a Reaper too!”
Zekka eyes shone with hope as she could feel Valentina’s breathing again while her wounds continued regenerating.
Zekka lightly smiled while her chest tightened from joy, as she could finally see a little light through all this battle, a light of hope for herself and many others.
But she was quickly interrupted by a fierce shout coming from a few meters ahead of her, as she lifted her gaze to see what was happening.
It came from the Princess Caut, and then she saw Nethaniel being pushed a few meters away by Caut herself.
‘What the…?’ Zekka thought puzzled by the sudden turn of events, as she was unaware of Valentina being already conscious and completely healed, looking at the scene as well.
Suddenly, the Princess Caut summoned her scythes and rushed towards Nethaniel.
Zekka reacted just in time to warn Nethaniel, while Queen Valentina quickly took her sword and stood up.
*ZUN! ZUN!*
Valentina swiftly dashed twice through the shadows, and in a blink of an eye, Valentina was in front of Nethaniel.
*SHIIIN!*
*** *** *** ***
*RAHHHHHHHH!*
The Princess Caut swiftly stood up screaming, shocking the soldiers around as they took a few steps back involuntarily.
‘CRAP!’ Nethaniel managed to barely get ready and endure the impact, as the Princess side kicked his torso, knocking him back a few meters.
Nethaniel looked at the soldiers behind him and then ordered with a severe voice after having successfully endured the heavy kick on his torso.
“Everyone, fall back!”
The soldiers quickly pulled back following Nethaniel’s orders, as many of them felt an instinctive fear from the Reapers.
Suddenly, Nethaniel heard Zekka’s voice and a mix of other noises. “Nethaniel! Watch out!”
*ZUN! ZUN!*
*SHIIIN!*
Nethaniel turned his head to the front upon hearing loud clanging metallic sounds.
He saw a vermillion blade of a black scythe stopped a few centimeters away from his neck as it struck a cerulean sword placed between it and Nethaniel’s neck.
Nethaniel eyes widened upon seeing his savior. It was the Queen Valentina...although she seemed different.
Valentina seemed...more dark, similar to Caut’s presence.
“Valentina?!” Nethaniel exclaimed surprised as he saw her dying just a few moments ago.
‘Don’t tell me that she also is…’ Nethaniel thought briefly.
On the other part, Caut and Valentina were still heavily tussling with their weapons as their blades screeched upon contact, creating burning sparks from the friction of their blades.
Without wasting even a second, he immediately lowered his arms to his dual blades, removing the insurance skillfully, and then took the hilts.
But when he was about to draw his swords and help Valentina…
“Don’t do it Nethaniel! I will be fine!” Valentina shouted as she managed to push back Caut skillfully.
“I will make her come back to her senses... If I fail, kill her, Nethaniel.” Valentina shouted sternly as she rushed to clash with Caut.
*SHIN! SHIN! SHIN!*
Valentina and Caut’s weapons swiftly clashed multiple times.
The Princess Caut was no longer in her senses, as she was now evidently under a foreign influence fueled by a dark murderous intent.
“I shall spread...the seeds of misfortune!” Caut shouted to Valentina while both were skillfully fighting.
Valentina by her part, didn't say a single word, only focusing all her strength in her fight; as her mind focused on just one thing: save her daughter.
‘I must save Caut...before it is too late!’ Valentina kept thinking to herself to help focus on the battle, as she kept nimbly and skillfully parrying and fending off Caut’s attacks with her sword while maintaining her ground.
And while the intense battle between mother and daughter rages on, Nethaniel and Zekka attentively observed the fight, although only Nethaniel was ready to intervene if necessary, with his hands on his dual swords hilts.
Credits to I4MD34TH for editing!