by J. J. Pavlov
That's all assuming they won't get attacked on sight. As a dark elf with a cursed arm, she could pass as a demon, but the humans in the group would have to disguise themselves. But demons could see through that using their sense of smell, so entering any settlement would become a tightrope walk.
"Are you alright, Kamii?" Gram suddenly asks her, and she turns to look at him. He has caught up and is walking by her side, looking ahead while awaiting an answer.
"I just want to go home." She states in a sullen tone. Even though there's no reason to keep up a childish appearance in front of these people, the little dark elf subconsciously falls back into that kind of behavior from time to time. During her time as a slave, she learned to incorporate her true feelings into these acts, and this time is no different. She's genuinely anxious about getting back as quickly as possible, not just for Mahkotoh's sake but also for her little sister Daica's.
"We all do." Hreidunn comes up to the dark elf and puts a hand on her shoulder. "Let's take things one step at a time."
"First, we need to procure food for the journey ahead." From behind, Rolan's voice announces, and they turn to look at him. He's scanning the horizon for wild game.
"I hear horse meat tastes great." Leif says with a grin directed at Vigdis. She has always been fascinated by horses, even if she could have never afforded one with their uncertain lifestyle. The water mage shoots her brother a deadly glare before turning her head away from him.
Only Sigurd remains quiet as he cradles his chin in thoughtfulness. He's trying to think ahead and come up with a way out of this crisis. That has always been his role, but it more often than not ended in brute-forcing a solution. However, for the first time, they have been thrown into a situation in which that won't get them anywhere.
The steppe seems to continue on endlessly. The group marches for the better half of the day without finding anything to eat. For now, they can live off their rations, but if this continues, they will run out by the day after tomorrow.
Sigurd also voiced his reservations about eating anything that grows in this land, as it must be overflowing with corruption. There are historical records of sickness running rampant in armies allowed to forage for food on their path across this nation. Once the reason was found out, all subsequent invasions have been done while taking great care to maintain supply lines all the way from the empire.
At one point, they noticed an artificial structure in the distance that could be signs of demon activity. It was still too far away for even Hreidunn to see, so they decided to trek toward it as a new destination. After all, their current path was decided by the chance of a falling arrow, dropped at the whim of a wayward little dark elf.
"Attention to our back." Hreidunn, who's on rearguard duty, suddenly warns just as everybody has started to grow dull from a lack of sleep. They were woken up in the middle of the night and have been on the move since, after all.
Kamii looks back to see a dust cloud approaching them. It may be the band of horses coming after them, but that shouldn't be a reason for alarm. The only other possibility is that they were spotted by a group of centaurs.
Gram takes his shield from his back and braces, while the two mages brandish their staves. Sigurd brings out his crossbow and readies a bolt, and the little dark elf puts down her backpack to lighten her load.
"What do your eyes see, Hreidunn?" Rolan asks the ranger.
"Horses, not centaurs. The sun is in their back, so I can't tell their exact numbers. No riders, but something's wrong with them." She replies while furrowing her brow.
"What do you mean?" The leader inquires further while straining his eyes to get a better look for himself. The still glaring sun makes it harder to make out any details on the shadowy figures.
"They have fire coming out of their eyes and burning manes." Her expression tells him that she can barely believe it herself.
"Nightmares." Vigdis mutters in a grave tone when she hears that description. Everybody has heard stories of the horses utilized by the Dominion's cavalry. The most elite contingent among them, the Ghost Riders, has been turned into a common tale to pacify unruly children.
Without warning, the entire band of nightmares swings right, leaving the collision course they were on before. The group is taken aback by the seemingly coordinated movement, and Rolan glances at Hreidunn with a silent question.
"No, I can't spot any riders still." She replies while staring intently into the dust cloud. It hides the exact numbers of the herd, but there should be more than a dozen.
"Let's continue onward, but keep an eye on them." The leader suggests while keeping a hand on Roshanee's hilt, ready to draw it when necessary. The Sword of Light takes a lot of stamina to wield, and he never tried it against an opponent larger than a human before. He now understands the terror that cavalry can instill in infantry lines when they charge at them.
The entire group wants to believe that these nightmares possess enough animalistic self-preservation instincts to avoid a confrontation. But Vigdis is shaking in fear, as she knows the less-remembered part about the horror stories. Nightmares aren't strictly herbivores, and their sharp teeth regularly rip apart human soldiers on the battlefield.
As if sensing her fear, the leading horse suddenly changes directions once again and begins to approach them in a straight line. It seems that they have come to the conclusion that these are humans and easy pickings.
"If they still don't change course at thirty paces, shoot to kill." Rolan knows that he doesn't need to remind Sigurd and Hreidunn of their roles, but gives out orders to raise everybody's morale.
Gram kneels at the front and braces his shield against the ground at an angle so that when they collide, he doesn't get pushed back. After all, they've seen horses in the capital and know that they weigh more than any human does. The leader draws his spare sword, keeping Roshanee in reserve; he doesn't think that he could utilize it to its full potential against a charge.
Sigurd and Hreidunn loose their projectiles at the central lead nightmare at the same time when they show no signs of stopping or turning away after crossing the threshold the leader set. They hit, with the ranger's arrow lodging into one of the horses' front leg's tendon, causing the limb to cramp up. The beast trips and falls, flipping over its neck from which a nasty breaking sound emerges. Two of the following horses are unable to avoid their fallen comrade, get their legs tangled, and trip as well, but avoid fatal injuries. The others disperse to both sides and begin to steer away.
However, there's no time for celebration, as a new leader makes itself heard with a whinny and signals for them to regroup. The two groups run back in a large circle and meet before stopping to stare at the group of humans. The flames hide their eyes, but the intelligent intent in their movements and gazes is undeniable. The two that have fallen quickly get back to their feet and run back to the safety of their band.
Now that they have come to a halt, their exact numbers become apparent. There are more than two dozen, aligned in a wedge formation. Even without riders, these animals know the most effective method of breaking through enemy lines. Maybe they are feral nightmares, descended from those that have seen war with humans.
"Wait until they come straight at us again." Rolan raises his hand to stop Hreidunn from loosing another arrow. Sigurd's reload time is much slower than hers, so he is only now ready to shoot again. The two mages have caught their breath and prepare to chant, but wait until the nightmares get into range.
"Target their center." Kamii turns to Leif and Vigdis with this suggestion. They blink at her in surprise, but after a moment of contemplation, realize that it's the correct move. With the lead horse down, the others behind it had to split toward the sides to avoid a chain collision. They should try to cause the same this time.
But as if having learned from their last failed attempt, the nightmares charge once more while spreading out with enough space between each other. Sigurd and Hreidunn change their targets and shoot at the flanks of the c
harging wedge, forcing them to instinctively dodge toward the center.
"Muro Ignis Ardento!" Leif is the first to finish, as he raises a wall of flames a few steps before Gram.
"Wait-" Vigdis interrupts her spell when her line of sight is blocked. "They don't fear fire!"
Several nightmares break through the wall of flames, unshaken by the sudden burst of magic. The first gets an arrow from Hreidunn into the shoulder, but it doesn't slow down its charge at all. They're hardy beasts that can survive on the battlefield, so a single arrow won't do much unless it hits the perfect spot.
The new lead horse crashes into the big man's shield, and even though he braced it on the ground and at an angle, the impact still knocks him over. It's a four-legged animal easily more than three times his weight charging at full speed. He did stop the demonic beast in its tracks, though, which goes to show just how steadfast he is.
Due to that obstacle, the other horses part like a river hitting a rock. That puts Sigurd and Hreidunn into safety, as they stood right behind him. One nearly kicks Rolan in the chest while he attempts to slice at it with his sword. Vigdis pulls her brother out of the way of another just in time before he gets trampled. Only Kamii manages to nimbly step out of the way while swinging her cursed arm horizontally to hit the legs of the one that targeted her.
It flips over from the impact and hits the ground hard, but struggles to get back up. Only the charge of subsequent nightmares prevents the little dark elf from bringing down her crab arm onto the fallen one's head to finish it off.
Rolan quickly draws Roshanee and let its magic flow into his body, causing him to feel as light as a feather. His thoughts are perfectly transmitted to his limbs, and the world around him seems to slow down as his perception sharpens. It feels like he's moving normally, as he performs one slash after another while walking past the next approaching horse. The blade's edge smoothly flows through the solid mass of muscles and bones as if it were paper.
Two nightmares pass him by as he flashes his weapon at blinding speed. They walk a few more steps, then collapse into piles of cut-up meat. He sheathes his blade again before falling onto one knee from exhaustion. Then the charge is over, and the remaining horses scatter in every direction after witnessing Rolan's display of prowess.
"I think... that should have been enough... for them." His breath is ragged, and his arms feel heavy as if he had just swung his sword a thousand times. Even after training with it every day, it still taxes him this much. But he can tell that with every subsequent use, he's getting slightly better with it. "I'm sorry... I need a rest."
"Wha?! Why did you kill them?!" A female voice shouts angrily across the steppe in a strangely familiar accent.
Everybody turns around to find a lone figure running toward them from the direction of the artificial structures. It's a girl around the apparent age of Kamii, with extremely long fluffy white hair resembling a sheep's wool, covering her shoulders and back like a coat. Aside from that already inhuman trait, it becomes immediately apparent that it's a demon. A pair of backward curved horns like those of a sheep grow from near the top of her head. She wears earthen-colored overalls and a simple white shirt that may or may not have been woven from her own hair.
The last time any of them heard somebody speak like that was when they first met Chloe. Back then, they still thought she was from the Mineva Republic, but now they know that it's the Dominion's accent of Imperian.
As she approaches the group while stomping her feet furiously, Hreidunn points her bow at her. At the sight, the girl stares at them in shock and lifts her empty hands in a gesture of surrender. She's most likely a civilian rather than a fighter, but the humans don't let their guards down in front of an unknown demon.
"Who are you people?" The demon girl shouts with her hands still raised, but her tone makes it clear that she can't suppress her anger. "What are you doing on our ranch?!"
Rolan stares at her, dumbfounded. The others do the same at the revelation that they just fought a herd of domesticated animals to the death.
Chapter 79 - Nightmare Breeders
"You breed these beasts?" Gram, ever the eloquent, asks in blank wonder. Upon that question, the girl drops her hands, kicks the grass in irritation, and shoots him a glare with puffed-up cheeks.
"Yes, we do! They're damned expensive, you know!" She raises her fists to rant at not only him but the other members of the group that just attacked her nightmares. One of them circles around to her back and nudges her head, and she pets its snout while her expression softens.
Kamii is reminded of Lenoly. She may be the same kind of demon as the first friend she made in the academy. But unlike the girl with the oversized hat, this one's hair is long, white, and so fluffy that she has to consciously suppress the urge to run over and touch it.
"How are you going to pay for the damage?" The girl turns to the humans again and shouts with her hands on her waist. She seems to have forgotten that a bow is still aimed at her. Rolan motions for the ranger to lower her weapon since it appears that she poses no threat to them.
"We are really sorry, young lady, but they attacked us." The bard walks forward and begins to explain, but she shoots him a glare.
"Nightmares never attack for no reason. You must have agitated them first!" She points at him with this unreasonable accusation, causing him to exchange a confused look with Rolan. "I know! You must be poachers here to steal them!"
"Now look here, missy. Don't you go accusing people of things without knowing the whole story." Gram steps in and defends the group.
"Yeah, we were just walking through here when they started running toward us." Leif explains, but the sheep-like girl suddenly opens her eyes wide as if having caught onto something.
"You attacked them because they ran toward you?!" She grows even angrier upon hearing this, causing the nightmare by her side to whinny in surprise. She puts two fingers to her mouth and lets out a loud whistle that echoes across the steppes.
Moments later, the scattered herd, which had settled with observing the humans from a distance, begins to gather behind her. Turning to them, she extends her arms in invitation, which several of them take. The one who was by her side first comes back to lick her face, and the others nudge her playfully, causing her to break out in laughter.
"See? They're highly intelligent but mischievous creatures. I'm sure they just wanted to play with you." She turns back to the astonished group with a glare. "But when you started attacking, they retaliated!"
Rolan and the others stare in astonishment when they see how kind these evil-looking horses appear to be in her presence. They exchange glances with each other as if asking what to do before looking at their leader for guidance. The demon girl's irritated expression is mixed with a hint of triumph when she sees that they're beginning to understand.
"I'm really sorry for what we have done in our ignorance. Can you see it in you to forgive us?" The leader speaks in a formal tone and bows his head in apology.
"You should say that to the nightmares." Not accepting it so easily, she turns her head to glance at Rolan sideways. Then she immediately changes her tune when she looks past them toward the three horse carcasses - two of which can barely be recognized as such. "And you should think about how you're going to pay for that."
She scrutinizes the group's clothes and equipment with a skeptical expression, clearly wondering whether or not they're even able to pay her anything at all.
"Umm, how much is a nightmare?" Rolan asks cautiously, earning him a reproachful glare filled with indignation at his ignorance.
"Ours are the best of the best, so they are especially expensive." Shaking her head, she takes the standard approach of overpricing one's wares when the other party doesn't know its actual value. "Just one is five."
Her disdainful glance at the humans makes it clear that she doubts they have any money on them in the first place. She then looks at the three nightmares that Hreidunn and Rolan killed before turning back to them,
who flinch under the harshness of her gaze.
"That makes fifteen orons." She sums it up with a tilt of her head.
"What are orons?" Leif blurts out, causing everybody to spin their heads around to him wide-eyed.
"... huh?" The demon girl blinks in surprise.
"Ah, he's a little slow. Pay him no heed." Hreidunn grabs her nephew by the scruff of his neck and pulls him out of the limelight.
"Oh, you're humans!" The demon girl states in astonishment when understanding dawns on her. Scratching her chin, she examines them one by one, her eyes stopping on Kamii and widening in response to seeing her cursed arm.
The little dark elf prepares herself for words of pity or an expression of disgust, but neither comes. Instead, the sheep demon continues after a thoughtful hum.
"You're deserters, right? From that last invasion. Took you long enough to get here." Finally, she draws this conclusion all on her own but speaks in a casual tone devoid of any judgment or fear. "My grandfather saw them come through here the last time there was a great war. He was still a kid back then, though."
"You're not afraid of us?" Rolan asks, dumbfounded. He knows well what humans are capable of when they're scared and lost their cause. Those who would run away from war are capable of doing unspeakable things to the civilian population.
"You're with her, aren't you?" She points at Kamii and shrugs, thinking that she's a demon and that humans traveling with one won't attack.
That's when the little dark elf realizes that in the Dominion, nobody will discriminate against her for looking different. According to Mahkotoh, there are plenty of unique demons that have only a single representative of their species. Many of them have appearances humans would consider horrifying or monstrous.
"I heard that humans fear demons, though. Are you afraid?" The demon girl asks while grinning mischievously.