by SlyOkami
Noticing how Erik was staring at her, Thea quickly glanced away, hiding her reddening expression. “I-I’ll speak with Genus!” she walked away for a few steps, stopping to glance back at him. “Just…listen for once okay?” she said, then continuing to walk off.
Erik watched her leave, still pondering what he felt at the moment. A hiccup from his right then caught his attention, turning to see Nerick and Shizuka stiffening straight and quickly turning to follow after Thea, Nerick starting to whistle away anxiously as he left. Leaving behind a half asleep Ivara, rolling in a pool of mixed seawater and ale with her tongue hanging out.
Erik approached the baby wyvern, sensing the xilfir moving away from him he glance up at the buildings before returning to Ivara. Erik crouched down next to her, dipping his finger into the thickest puddle of ale and then putting it into his mouth, wincing at the taste before spitting it out. “Tastes horrible…” he muttered while watching Ivara lick up some more, “Yet…good in a strange way.”
He sighed once more, picking up the drunk by the waist with his right hand before standing back up. (“So many bloody things in this life that I do not understand, adding up to what I already did not before…”) he mused to himself, approaching one assassin that was playing dead to avoid the still enraged pan-wielding dwarf.
Erik dropped Ivara onto the assassin’s chest, the wyvern then rising to stretch about its long scaly body over his chest as it drunkenly turned to face them. Ivara met the widening assassin’s gaze, licking its lips sleepily before suddenly snarling ferociously with wide furious eyes, surprised by the assassin’s face. Her highly venomous fangs in full view to the ice bound assassin.
What little of their face was visible beneath their mask, turned completely white. Their eyes widening in trembling fear.
Erik crouched down, laying ahead of the fallen man. Staring down into his eyes, the assassin meekly looking up to see Erik up-side-down before them. “She never said anything about what I could do with you…” Erik coldly stated, “Do you know what happens to a barb-tailed forest wyvern when it’s body reacts to sudden surprise?” he asked the assassin who made no move to respond.
“Their toxin sacks flow the noxious liquid that normally divides between their tail spikes, scales and claws…into a new fourth sack where they are combined into the most poisonous mixture on Faetera. It is then flowed into their fangs.” Erik explained plainly as Ivara hissed down at the assassin once more.
Suddenly the assassin lunged at Ivara with his right hand, a blade appearing out of his sleeve. Recognising the threat even when drunk, Ivara reacted swiftly, her instincts unaffected by the ale as she evaded under the blade and sunk her fangs into the man’s arm.
Erik held the man’s other arm down while also holding his mouth shut, muffling his scream as Ivara’s mixed poison entered his system. “You should feel it already, the tingling loss of sensation throughout your arm, as if your entire body is turning to stone. Followed by a single sensation to tell you that your arm is still there, raw pain running through your skin, muscles and bones, as if your arm is in constant limbo of being crushed.” Erik recounted exactly what the man felt.
“Nothing else, in a few moments you will feel nothing else but that for as long as the poison runs through your veins. Luckily for you this one is still young and the effects will only last a week, I can make it last a few more moments instead.” Erik said, slowly removing his hand from the man’s mouth. “Who do you work for? Who sent you?”
The masked man visibly winced and struggled through the pain, his eyes reddening from the agony as he held back his screams. “Ha-Ha…Wo-wouldn’t you l-like to kno-w?” the assassin chuckled painfully, “Y-You won-t get an-anything from m-me!” he exclaimed through the agony.
“W-We made t-the Pact! Th-There is no r-return! There i-is no hiding! The-There is no e-escape!” He exclaimed, suddenly freeing his hand from Ivara’s jaws and stabbing up towards Erik’s face.
Erik gripped the blade with his bare hand, electricity surging through his skin and running down the man’s arm. Paralyzing it.
The assassin though continued to chuckle, “My b-brothers and sisters will f-find you. There is n-no need to cou-nt your blessings! The gods can-not save you!” he said with madness in his eyes and tone.
“A shame.” Erik responded calmly, causing confusion to fill the man’s expression. “I thought I’d have to hunt them down, but if they’re coming to me instead…” Erik’s eyes glowed golden as Ivara climbed up to his shoulders, hers also glowing a fierce gold as they both stared down at the assassin. “I care not for the blessing of Gods. But anybody who would stand in my path…”
Erik stood up and away from the man, “Have their days numbered.” he said while turning away. The dwarf stepping in right then to slam his warped frying pan upon a surprised assassin’s face.
Erik walked away from the scene, the sounds of a metal pan slamming into squishing flesh and then bone sounding off behind him.
Again and again, the pan came down even after the man was dead.
Again and again, even once more after the dwarf snapped out of his magically induced daze. “Bloody…What have I?” the dwarf asked himself in confusion, then glancing at his destroyed tavern before turning towards another cloaked man, crawling away as the ice slowly melted off his feet.
The dwarf clenched his bent cookware, “Oi! What happened here?!” he bellowed in question at the assassin, who at the sound of his voice doubled his crawling speed.
Ch 23 - Pyra
Shadows, a thin black mist of dark energy covering the assassin’s body like a veil. They stepped out of it, appearing before the metal gate. Albeit the darkness faded from their view the energy still flowed about their body, like an aura it engulfed them.
“H-Hal-!” The guard tried to exclaim, two of them were standing at the gate. Crimson red armour trimmed with gold, wielding enchanted weapons held high towards them.
The assassin cocked his head, when suddenly two more of his own faded into existence behind the two guards. Red sprayed forth as their blades cut open their throats, making their words brief. The guards fell to their knees, choking on their own life blood as it pooled beneath them.
The assassin stepped to the gate, waving their right hand close to it, a barrier of blue shimmering over the iron bars with the proximity of his skin. Him and the two other raised both palms to the gate, three more shadows appearing by them doing the same.
Six of them now, darkness twirling about their fingers as the barrier twisted and cracked beneath the energy. Tendrils of shadow penetrated through the shimmering blue mana, bending it, cracking it further until it suddenly shattered.
The dark energy burst forward, blasting the gate wide open as dozens of shadowy figures rushed through. Ten times more than what was visible before, each one uncloaking and charging into the mansion’s yard. Streaks of black mist rushed over the moonlit grass, barely visible, each of their steps completely silent.
Each, stopping in their steps as a single man descended before them, the ground quaking as he landed. Blocking their path.
“Assassin’s Pact I presume?” the man asked with a raised brow. Tall with sleek white hair dyed back, bright green eyes and sharp features. The man wore his usual plain white suit and pitch-black glasses, alongside his impeccable, stern gaze. “The guild was expecting you, unfortunately it seems we misjudged your primary target. My men are still moving from the palace to this position.”
Kai Voltair, the adventurer’s guildmaster stood blocking their path. Some of the shadows glanced at one another, this person was an unknown even within their vast array of information.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to get through me if you wish for miss Selene’s life.” Kai pointed out, “I’ve also informed the crimson guard within the mansion, you’ll have a hard time in there as well so I would suggest simply lea-”
His words were cut short as several of the shadowmen charged at him, blades of rushing darkness appearing in
their hands as many surrounded him, the rest dashing past them. They lunged at him, each of the five blades slashing or stabbing at a potentially mortal area, slicing through his clothing with ease yet…
The blades could not pierce his skin.
The assassins struggled briefly but backed away the moment they noticed something was off, but it was already too late. Kai’s form blurred briefly and he then stood outside their encircle, eyes closed as a mild glow escaped from below his eyelids. His left a blue light, his right a golden shine, both quickly fading as he opened them.
The shadowmen behind him flowed into a black fog, turning blood red as they dissipated with the wind. Utterly disintegrated within moments.
Kai sighed, “Why is this Selene girl so important that you’d send so many?” he mused, watching the many more assassins approaching him before glancing back at those that made it through him. He grimaced as he was once more surrounded, “This is going to be a frustrating night isn’t it?” Kai muttered while glancing about.
Then noticing more shadows rush by, surprising even those that surrounded him. A battle broke out around him, shadows clashing with shadows, unable to tell which was which but able to see that one side was overwhelming the other with more than just sheer numbers.
“Go back to your people half-blood, this mansion is under our protection.” Said a cold feminine voice from his left, it surprisingly spoke elven. Kai followed the voice, seeing a dark figure fade in and revealing Pyra.
“Ah the night’s fist, I wasn’t aware the Selenes bartered with bandits.” Kai mused in elven, meeting Pyra’s annoyed gaze.
“Hmph, If I wasn’t busy, I’d kill you.” Pyra warned with widening eyes, anger flaring through them before she suddenly dissipated into shadows. “To the mansion! Leave the trash to this demi-alf.” Pyra ordered, more than half the shadows disengaging from combat and rushing to the main building.
Leaving Kai alone and surrounded once again.
He sighed, “Was it something I said?” he mused while fixing his glasses, the remaining shadows turning to face him.
* * *
Kayle woke with a start as her bedroom door burst open, “Miss wake up, we must move you to a safer location!” exclaimed the crimson guard officer.
“Huh? What’s going on? Why is there fighting outside?” Kayle blurted out in confusion, clearly hearing blades clashing within the mansion.
“Assassin miss, the Pact is here for you. We don’t know why.” The officer explained quickly, grabbing her right hand roughly and pulling her out of the bed, Kayle left with nothing but her nightgown as guards surrounded her.
“The P-Pact? Here in Druvia?” Kayle asked as they ushered her through the corridor, “Why? Why me?”
“Ma’am we must get you to the below levels, thoughts of why can come later.” The officer said sternly, his fearful brown eyes briefly visible through their helmet as he glanced back at her. Kayle questioned him no more, understanding the situation needed as much calm as possible.
They rushed through the second floor, the sounds of battle and death surrounding them, passing by several guards fighting off shadow engulfed figures. Reaching the staircase though they were met with a blockade of the shadowmen, two dozen compared to the half a dozen that was Kayle’s escort.
“Miss stand back!” one guard said as each of the six stood before her, shielding her from view of the assassins.
“Surrender the girl, and your lives will be spared.” Hissed one shadow as it stepped forth, violet energy surging through where their eyes would’ve been.
The officer snorted in amusement, unstrapping his dual axes. “Cultist scum, you’ll have to go through us first!” he exclaimed, a green wind forming at the edge of his weapons. The rest unsheathed their swords too, at the same time three more guards rushed from the corridor to join them by the stairs.
Yet still they were severely outnumbered. And the officer knew it, grabbing the closest guard by the shoulder and pulling him back, “Take miss Selene through the servant’s staircase! We’ll hold these here.” he told the young mercenary who saluted and pulled back.
“Come miss, we must go!” The mercenary said, grabbing Kayle’s arm and rushing back down the corridor they had just came from.
“Well if you insist.” Then hissed the lead shadow, the assassins moving to surround the smaller group of guards while they slowly pulled back, barring them entrance to the corridor. “Cleanse them!” the shadow then hissed, and both sides clashed.
The officer swung his axes down to the sides, forcing one assassin to his left to parry and the one to his right to die as his axe slashed through the shadows and into the man’s face. Pulling his right axe out of bone by kicking the corpse aside, he pushed at the assassin to his left, ignoring as another slashed at his side.
With abandon he charged at the closest assassin, barraging him with attacks, pounding at the crossed blades as the shadow tried to parry his heavy blows. Yet the daggers weren’t shields, one breaking on the ninth collision with the enhanced axe blade.
The officer took this opening, slashing aside the last dagger with one axe and cleaving the assassin’s chest open with the other. Then he stopped, feeling a sharp pain in his right shoulder, feeling the crooked blade tear its way back out of his flesh.
The man stumbled forwards, falling to a knee as he felt the poison flow through his system, a tingling pain that was sure to kill him in a few moments. He glanced about, his men’s corpses scattered around him, the assassins moving past them and into the corridor they could not hold.
Hunting after the life he swore to protect.
The man stood back up, struggling to hold his weapons as he turned to face the assassins once again. His eyes widening through his helmet at the sight that presented itself instead.
The shadowy assassins lay surrounded as more shadows flowed around them, blades rushing out of the swirling darkness held by chains of lightning. The xilfir massacred the assassins within moments, a whirlwind of electrified blades shredding through the shadowy figures like heated knives passing through butter.
Fading in from the misty shadows as body parts fell to the bloody floor, the cloaked dark elves glanced at the surprised mercenary but gave him no more attention, turning about and changing back into streams of shadow. They rushed forth, a black mist flowing down the corridor.
He watched after them, struggling to remain standing as another shadow passed by him, Pyra’s brief form fading by and causing his eyes to widen further. “Pact…Dreadblades…What has this world come to?” he mused as blood leaked out of his mouth, he fell forwards, losing all feeling in his body as the poison acted.
The man lay there, surrounded by vulgar gore, dying.
Then shadows began to form around his body, covering him alongside every whole corpse around.
The corpses rose, their skin paling as shadows fully engulfed them, the dead were brought back to life.
* * *
Kayle rushed down the stairs following the mercenary, reaching the bottom he pulled her forward and took a stance. Meeting the assassin’s blades with his shortsword, pushing the shadow back up a step before lunging forwards himself.
Clenching his sword with both hands the mercenary stabbed forwards, his eyes widening in surprise as the assassin met him with their open chest. His blade dug into the shadow’s abdomen and he pulled back from the confusion, unable to react as two shadows slithered by his sides, rushing at a defenceless Kayle.
Kayle watched as the shadows took form, crooked blades in each hand stabbing down at her.
Then blood.
Blood splattered across her face as a flurry of xilfir blades tore the shadows asunder, expertly avoiding the mercenary among their targets. The lightning held blades pulled back and out of sight, impossible to determine where their wielders hid in the dim staircase.
Only when they appeared could she, five dark elves materializing around her, each giving her their back as they stood solemnly with weapons in hand.
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“Damn! Dreadblades too?!” the mercenary exclaimed, struggling with his sword proving fruitless as it was now stuck inside the assassin he let go and turned to face the xilfir. He unsheathed his side arm dagger, “Release miss Selene at once!” he demanded.
But the dark elves ignored him completely, even as he raised his blade towards them, he was not a danger in their eyes.
But the shadows that still lurked about them were, assassins suddenly rushing past the confused mercenary and clashing with the barrier of xilfir that now protected Kayle. Lightning enhanced blades sparked brightly as they clashed with the crooked daggers, shadow after shadow being dispersed as more and more flowed into the staircase from both the bottom and the top.
The mercenary was pushed to the side as he flayed his dagger about helplessly, like a wave of liquid the shadows rushed about. Tearing, slicing and stabbing at anything in their path, the mercenary had no hope, falling to the floor dead after the dozenth wound.
But the dark elves held, albeit being overwhelmed they took each wound with as little as a wince, for each one they gained something died beneath their blade.
Suddenly the dark elves moved to only holding the stairs taking downwards, revealing Kayle to the shadows that flowed from above, not stopping to ask why the wraith-like assassins flowed upon her.
When the ceiling above exploded upon them.
Pyra descended with the stone rubble, her golden gauntlet crashing down onto the flowing shadows, lightning surging from her fists and into her surroundings. The shadows lost their malleable form, several assassins falling to the ground dead, their bodies charred from the sheer energy that was sent through them.
Pyra stood up, her solemn gaze falling upon a confused and terrified Kayle. “Secure the girl.” She said while several more dark elves appeared behind her as more of the shadowy assassins leapt down the broken stairs. The two sides clashing once more.
Ignoring the fighting about them Pyra approached the dead mercenary, waving her right hand about the corpse as her eyes glowed gold. Tendrils of violet energy faded into existence about where her hand moved, revealing the magic that was once invisible. It flowed into the dead man’s body, the corpse’s eyes shaking briefly before the newly resurrected zombie turned to look up at Pyra.