“Priest!” The four remaining members shouted out, crying for their dead partner.
“These guys are a bunch of dramatic babies.” Ria huffed “They always like this?” she leaned back, tapping her sword’s flat end on her shoulder
“Most of the time, the weak ones.” Mia said, finding it annoying because of what these people do when they are on the winning side, without mercy and even sadistically mocking their victims. She was happy to share their lack of mercy, however.
She raised her hand, forming four spears, all aimed at the remaining members. She was about to fire them when a voice rang out in her ears.
“How pitiful…” A soft voice rang out, the two sisters’ attention brought to the figure in the gold trimmed cloak. The figure knelt, picking up the severed head and raising it into the sky “Felled by ones such as these fellows.”
‘Forgot about that one.” Mia flicked her wrist, sending all the spears towards them, shattering upon hitting a barrier. ‘Eh?’
“Please, a moment.” The voice rang out like a bell, the figure looking over to Mia, their face hidden by their cloak “I must see them off.”
“High priest!” “Save us!” “Punish these lower filth” “avenge the priest”
The figure turned their attention back to the head “Soon.” They said, raising the head higher “rest, our task is not done, yet you have been offered rest… return to sweet Gaia’s embrace.” They threw the head into the sky, up into the light of the sun, rays of light pierced the head, juggling it mid air and tearing it apart until nothing was left “He has returned, the rest is up to us.”
“High priest!” “High priest!” “High priest!” “High priest!” they chanted, weapons now held high and at the ready.
“….and that one?” Ria pointed towards the apparent high priest.
“…Might be trouble.” The two readied themselves, watching as the figure turned to them and reached up, removing their cloak and revealing the face underneath.
An older woman with peach covered hair tied into a bun, a soft expression on her face “Beasts that they are, they are still Gaia’s children.” She spoke in a soft, almost motherly voice, it rang out like a bell each time she spoke “misguided and tainted, but not forgotten “she spread out her arms to her sides as if expecting a hug “Gaia’s grace is not out of reach, come, let us dance in her light.”
Three spears collided into the lady’s barrier, Mia answering her request “No.” She spat “load of bull, I know what you do.”
The lady paused, glancing down at the shattered ice on the floor, her expression never changing “A trap, mayhap?” she said to herself, bringing her attention back to Mia “Are you one with the guild?” she asked, crossing her arms “The church will be most unpleased with the unwarranted attack.”
“Hm, don’t care.” Mia said.
“Yeah, you guys attacked first!” Ria yelled
“Did we?” the women stepped to the side, bringing the headless corpse into view “our side has only suffered loses, gentlemen?”
“Yeah, we did nothing wrong!” “Attacked without warning!” “Our poor priest!” “He owed me two gold…”
“Who do you think they will believe?” She gave a small smile “Gaia is forgiving, if this matter is settled peacefully-“
“Don’t care.” Mia launched another barrage of ice, this time at the four idiots at the front. Her spears collided with a barrier, but broke through it, zipping past the four as they scrambled to avoid them. She barely missed, readying another barrage but switched to putting up an ice barrier of her own as the women leaped in front of her, her fist colliding with the barrier “Ria!”
“Got it!” Ria dashed forward, heading towards the four on their own.
“This one is-!” The women leaped back, spears of ice shooting out in the now empty space.
A wall of ice rose high into the sky, cutting off Mia and the woman from the rest of the group “Just us two.”
She stood up straight, staring at the wall of ice “Will she be ok?” she asked, her narrowed eyes falling on Mia “will YOU be ok?” she took a few steps to the side, dropping her cloak and taking off her robe, leaving her in a light shirt and shorts, a small symbol of Gaia dangling from her neck “A guild member attacking a high priest of Gaia, it will be a national incident.”
“Not a guild member, just an adventurer.” Mia shrugged, balls of flame forming at her side “Know what you guys do, don’t know why you are here, but… She narrowed her own eyes “don’t care, you die.”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“…A troubled child, Gaia is sending me a test.” She clutched the symbol, holding it close “Gaia guides, Gaia protects, may I over come this trail-“
Mia opened fire, countless flames colliding with the women, meanwhile she made a giant spear of ice and started spinning it in the air, having it pick up speed. A second passed and she launched it, barreling forward into the flames it collided with the barrier, it grinded against it before cracking through, a loud clang soon followed.
The flames died down and standing next to the spear stuck halfway into he ground was the women “-This one called Anabelle, will be your Sheppard, guiding you to purification.” She raised the symbol to her lips, kissing it.
“…” Mia shivered; she found this display a tad bit disturbing. ‘can try my ne-‘Anabelle vanished, Mia’s eyes widened as she lost track of her, she looked quickly to her sides before activating her slow ability, finding her appearing behind her. Not moving to that location, she just teleported. Her fist was raised, and Mia raised another barrier just before she hit it.
“Oh? Very good child.” She said “Are you evolved? It always impresses me what you beasts accomplish while misguided.” She leaped back, just as fire burst from the barrier “Those flames, look tainted.”
Mia’s eye twitched, ‘tainted? The heck did she mean, tainted?!’ She focused, two balls of ice forming at her side, quickly bending down to avoid a ray of light burning past her, she then willed her magic, the ice balls taking shape, a combination of some of her skills and abilities. Two swords made of ice floated by her side “Hm, can only do two.”
Not waiting any longer and failing to hit Mia with her light, Anabelle rushed forward, swinging her fists down, aiming for Mia’s head but only managing to collide with a floating sword “You-?! Why do you struggle?” she vanished, disappearing from sight and reappearing behind Mia, another sword intercepting her “Do you not understand? Your fate as a beast?”
“Lies.” The free sword flew towards Anabelle, who kicked off the intercepting sword to avoid it, stepping back as flames started pelting her barrier from the front. The swords didn’t go unused, they flew to each of Anabelle’s sides, slashing at her past her barrier.
“Lies?! The words of Gaia hold no falsehood.” She parried the swords, unable to move from the constant bombardment from the front and the swords attacking her from her sides “You are not forsaken, love is always extended to your kind. The sins of the past will be forgiven.”
Mia scoffed “What sins, didn’t do anything.” She snapped her finger and instantly one of the swords split into two daggers, increasing their assault on the women while not letting up from either side. She snapped her finger again, the remaining sword lengthening into a spear.
“Without sin? I-impossible.” She said, struggling to find the leeway to reply, now dodging instead of parrying “T-these things.” She clenched her teeth, her expression wavering “Gaia knows what your kind has done!” She shouted in frustration, vanishing once more.
Mia didn’t even bother turning around, erecting a barrier behind her while recalling her weapons. When she didn’t feel the impact her eyebrow rose, she turned around and didn’t see her “Where…?” She slowed down time, looking back just in time to see a ray of light aimed at her face. She dodged, time returning to normal as Anabelle teleported right in front of her, fist speeding towards her “?!”
She ducked to the left, avoiding another follow up fist, now on the defensive as fists rained down on her. She tried to regain her focus to cast magic, but the barrage prevented her.
“Your kind ignored the demons, allowing them to raid and pillage the lands.” She swung around, landing a kick square on Mia’s stomach and sending her flying into her own ice wall “Tainted by their influence… the others do not see it, but we will purify your kind, and guide you to salvation against the demons.”
“S-shut up.” Mia checked her health, not that bad, she could take a few of those but she didn’t plan on taking any more. She formed another ice spear “We didn’t do anything!” she launched the spear, sending it barreling forward.
“Gaia sees everything but forgives.” The ice spear collided with the barrier, it strained and caused a few cracks but then shattered “Come with us and she gui-ARUGH!!!”
“That one works.” Mia smirked, once the spear had shattered it had burst into flames a second later, the flames rapidly spreading out, seeping into the cracks and filling the inside of the barrier with flames. That wasn’t all, her weapons were still flying back to her, and on their way they changed course, flying into the cloud of dust.
“AAAAAAAA-!!!” Another scream, followed by 2 weapons exiting the smoke, a dagger missing from them.
They flew to Mia’s side, the remaining dagger splitting to make two. She smiled happily, glad she could puppet these so well. Floating weapons fully taking advantage of her weapon crafting skill, her ice magic, and the ice manipulation from her title. Deadly combination she could use to both lock down her opponent and defend herself while bombarding enemies from afar. She seemed limited depending on what weapons she was using, but for now it worked.
The two daggers flew in front of her, coming together to block a ray of light that was shot out from the clearing smoke ‘not dead yet.’ She sighed, watching the smoke clear.
“G-Gaia…” Anabelle panted, her clothes burned and her skin-stained purple from the frost bite, with an ice dagger firmly planted in her side. Her necklace had also broken apart, laying at her feet “P-protects… the faithful…” she had raised a hand to her chest, a glow emitting from it, the skin around her glowing hand regaining color, she was healing herself after barely surviving.
“…who is the misguided one?” It wasn’t her…this time.
Mia raised her hand, the final perk of this technique. She twisted her hand, one of the daggers at her side falling to the ground, the one embedded in her Anabelle’s side thrusting forward, the women screamed as the dagger entered her, clasping at the gushing wound but it was too late, the wound froze over.
“W-wait. I only wished to save! The people of the next generation will not suffer! They w-wii-a-aack ak-aack” A chunk of ice forced itself out of Anabelle’s mouth, followed by two out her nose. Her skin paled, then turned blue, her limbs creaked, before she fell to the ground and burst into blue flames. A moment later, a pile of items appeared next to her.
“Save… huh?” Mia walked over to the pile, ignoring the dead burning women and kicking a pile of slave collars “Sure…” It was obvious what they had come here to do, but seeing proof of it didn’t help, especially with them in the lowest level of the haunt where children of all races frequent.
“Sick…” she said, feeling queasy, the question of how many they had captured or killed filling her head.
She had to tell the guild to get these monsters off this continent.