Chapter 76: Crushing a Conqueror!
Like a Ghost exorcised and unleashed by its unholy binding, Vega ran through the ruins and fires with righteous purpose and fervor. She was scared, for fires that rose higher than the cityscape roared around her like a hellish beast, and the clashing of steel made her worried not for own survival, but for those that couldn’t defend themselves.
As she ran from the terraced streets and homes, Vega saw all of Uvi Jantok. Not in the city but in the people, of all creeds and forms and nations. The Tripolians Ghosts alongside the Matigas Na Tao gangsters and the average Iozian folk, each doing their part to fight against the fires and soldiers that would be their end. And these very people held the line, held the line for their hero to arrive.
Feeling rather silly, Vega thought herself pretty disappointing, at least in looks. Afterall, scarecrows don’t often make for heroes. Scarecrows don’t make anything really. Really, scarecrows don’t do much outside than stand. But this scarecrow, wouldn’t stand for this, wouldn’t be petrified by its creator.
Hopping over flames and landing in rolls, Vega’s dexterity was on full display, which had caught the eye of a certain old man. Seeing Vega not running after but towards the fight inspired a loud remark.
“Hold on. Look, it's that scarecrow girl! Hey, look folks!” Stepping on a great piece of rubble, Ruiato Ng waved his arms to the people, pointing as Vega dashed past.
Twirling in the air like a dancer, Vega dodged incoming fire arrows which everyone ducked except herself. From out the rubble, Ruiato looked on as Vega carried the now glowing Soul Gems on her hip and guitar.
“Hey farang, what are you doing!? You’re gonna get killed!” Ruiato cautiously yelled, not wanting another person to become a victim of the invaders. Plenty of the people awaited, seeing this bizarre girl in such danger.
“I’m gonna go-go do the best I can! I’m going to destroy this guy!” Giving a most genuine and reassuring smile, which seemed to make all the war and chaos fade away. Like this scarecrow helped them by being there, and she was planning on saving them.
No, not plan. This scarecrow was going to save them.
“...yeah. Good luck little one!” Ruiato gave one last yell, before running to aid with the firefighting efforts.
But he wasn’t the only one to go deliver a cheer for the scarecrow. As Vega ran throughout the streets, getting closer and closer to the main battle, more and more people recognized the scarecrow and gave her cheers. Seeing the glowing power from her and the bravery on her stitched face made the whole situation become far more calm. That they all could defeat this demon of war.
“Go miss!” A mother of two cheered as she carried buckets of water to the firefighters.
“You got this! Show those fools the might of our spirit!” A young priest sang out, as he fixed up the injured watchmen and guards.
“~Give them all our heart and strength!~” A Tripolian Ghost spoke, as he operated pipes to flood the streets so the invaders would advance no more.
Just some of the literally thousands of cheers Vega received as she ran, with each person seeing a defender had turned up. One that would not close their gates, their hearts, or their hands to them.
Stop! You fool, you have no idea what you’re doing!
Carrying more weight and determination, Vega flat out hadn’t noticed the attempt of Ani Arma to speak to her. She wasn’t ignoring him, she simply couldn’t.
“Close-close!” Kaliba flew off her shoulder and soared higher into the sky, as if scouting out the battle ahead.
“Thank-thanks buddy! Let’s get ready to show them. They don’t know what the fucks about to happen.” With her pickaxe in one and her guitar in another, Vega prepared for a battle unlike any other. Instead of constantly running away or letting someone else do the heavy lifting, she wouldn’t be left to be support. Vega, with all the cheers of everyone behind her, going all or nothing!
Vega, did you not hear? Ah, you’re trying to be sour. Well, let me tell you this, Runtaii isn’t the same lad as a week ago. He’s mad, insane, he’s going to eradicate you. Strand by strand, fabric by fabric, he’s going to burn you alive!
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“Vega! Is that you?” A familiar and tough voice came from just behind her. A heavy soldier dressed in steel plates, with olive skin and black hair. Exactly what Vega would call a friend.
“Bolato? Wooo! Nice to see-see ya!” Vega raised her arms high, glad to see him after so long. Running alongside her, he only gave her a strong gaze and a kind nod. He planned on joining and had no fear in her presence.
“Nice-nice!” The crow chirped out.
“~Oh, finally. We fools have reunited.” A more tired but strong voice came from her left. A turbaned fighter, tall and carrying a journal and set of javelins, with his green makeup and fierce eyes.
“Amir? Good, we’ll have someone who can mess with Runtaii. We’re getting close!” Bolato focused, putting on his helmet and readying his tower shield and arming his leaf shaped sword.
“~Vega…~” Tapping Vega’s head as they both ran, Amir wished to communicate something he sadly couldn’t, to say thanks for all she has done for them. The look on Vega’s face seemed to do that for him, something true and truly universal. He sucked in air before speaking. “~...let’s show Ani Arma that we’re more than tools.~”
Rah! You are less than tools, you are goddamn fools! Tools are useful, tools don’t disobey! And tools like Amir are replaced. Vega, this is your last chance. Your last chance before I interfere.
“Go get them!” As the three ran, more people cheered them on, as if seeing them gave them rejuvenated energy to keep pushing despite the risks. Only a few hundred feet from a battle line, they could see Runtaii, atop his steed and clad in pure metal like a war statue.
This is it. Do you want to suffer? Do you wish to be locked away so far underground and so far away from sound that you’ll believe yourself to be the only person in the universe?! Give up! Give up! GIVE UP!
“Show them what we’re made of!” Another person yelled out, as them were nearing the edge of the battle line.
“Fight with all our might!” One more called out in front of them, a younger man who held out his hand. Doing a really awesome, ultra badass backflip, Vega proceed to give the coolest dap up in all of existence.
This is the shit that wiped out the dinosaurs. What’s a dinosaur, you might be wondering? Exactly.
If you die, if you lose… I promise an afterlife of torment….
“...haha! If I-I win, I promise a future where everyone is freed from their chains, from metal and orders. I will defeat you!” One with one last leap over burning rubble, Vega and those that joined her entered into the battle line.
With the cry of the crowd behind them, everyone who had seen them charge ahead knew their unlikely and uncommon savior had arrived. Vega had not heard the voice of Ani Arma, but a collective call for someone to help.
Now, and forevermore, Vega would no longer be under the influence of the Voice. The Scarecrow had learned the truth, and was set free.
Landing on the shaken street, there were many cracks and craters, all with a thick haze of smoke. As they proceeded forward, they took on a cautious approach, not seeing any Iozians there.
“Retreat! We can’t hold this street.” A commander ordered from deeper in the smoke. Followed by the order, they heard several men’s footsteps and weakened panting. They couldn’t see it, but they knew something awful had just happened. Very faintly, they could see blood on the ground, but no bodies or arrows with them. Something powerful must have driven them away.
“...keep calm. All we got to do is get Runtaii.” Bolato went ahead of the two, being alert of any threats that could emerge from the smoke. “We do that, we win this battle.”
“...hmmm…” Vega sensed a strange feeling, not too unlike her Soul Gems when she first detected them. However, it felt less like music and more like a crackling laughter, like joyful insanity. “...there’s something here. I can-can feel it.”
“Men! We can only flood this street. Move out, don’t try to fight it!” Another commander ordered, with fewer footsteps than the one earlier. Many of the soldiers seemed to have been in great pain. And much to their dislike, it was much closer now.
Amir holding his javelin, ready to throw them at whatever that would threaten them, noticed something on the ground. An odd thing, even for a battlefield. From the many bricks that formed the street road, one of them was pulled out. And on the brick, Amir saw, were teeth.
“~Wait! Don’t go any closer! Look!~” Amir told both of them, and immediately went to his journal. Flipping through the pages rapidly, he stopped on one and showed a terrifying image. Drawn out on the paper, a beast unlike any other in Iozia, one that if one was mad enough or rich enough, could tame. And carried a magic force for it was an ancient descendant of a monster.
“Move! INCOMING!” A soldier cried out, as a giant ball of flame lit up in the sky, and heading towards Vega’s direction. Stunned by the sight, Vega had barely enough time to leapt out of the way, landing on her face. The smoke now dissipated, they could now see what the soldiers had been running from.
Runtaii, with blood dripping down half of his face, carried a solemn grimace and crossed his arms when he saw Vega in front of him. He and his horse was clad in armor, so much you couldn’t see anything of him aside from his eyes and mouth.
Beside him were a great assembly of Snake Skins, all battered and unprotected, many of them sporting burns and cuts, but none wailing in pain or collapsing from the inhuman amount of damage. They stared forward, awaiting their next order.
And walking from out the Snake Skins was what Amir had warned them about. With foam in its mouth and hiding the color of gray death, a horrible beast snarled at them. A fierce Werehyena, as big as a horse and with teeth like broken glass. Eyes like moons, Vega could see it had no longer been an animal. Now, it was only a war machine.
The scarecrow, standing up to face the conqueror, prepared to fight. She was more than a war machine. She was art given life.