by Wolfe Locke
Every weapon was drawn by the assembled cadets, and the Cadre, but nobody moved. Nobody could. We could only watch as those three figures crossed the gate’s threshold and stepped out onto the Academy grounds. Each of the three was at least eight feet tall. Their large bodies were covered in corded muscles, but that’s where the resemblance to men stopped. Each of the three looked different, monstrous.
One had multiple eyes of dark obsidian that covered its entire body in spots it wasn’t covered with grey fur. On its back were two giant axes crossed whose sharped edges seemed to be stained and rusted. Ethnicity had the horns of a ram that extended just off the top of its head while the rest of its body was wolf shaped but stood upright. Its teeth were lined with razor points in a row much like a shark. While the last appeared more feminine. The monster had a mane of flowing dark hair and its bare chest flowed into hairy legs that ended in hooves. Most shocking were its eyes, which were two smoldering points of fire.
It became very clear to me that the uneasy feeling of dream that emanated from the gate actually came from these three beings. Their presence was titanic. Several of the younger cadets fainted on the spot, and a few could be seen turning around and running. Not that I blame them, all of five minutes ago that had been me.
These beings exuded power like I had never felt before. Not even when I had witnessed my father, the Elder Valdanes spar in the Swordsmen tournament.
The dark triad approached, and it felt as if death itself had just descended upon the world. They scanned our assembled group of cadets and Cadre with cold and calculating eyes, and I shuddered when those eyes met mine for a moment.
Then, the creature with the burning eyes spoke in a voice that I found surprisingly soothing, as if it was honey. A sense of calm came over me, a calm I believe my comrades also felt as the cadets running away stopped running and turned around to look.
“You have done well to repel our forces so far. We acknowledge the skill and discipline that you have shown. Your world and your people have shown merit worth exploring. We three shall explore. However, what we have so far unleashed on you pales in comparison to the rest of the forces that we have at our disposal.”
Sweat dripped off of my forehead as my hands grew cold. I wanted to do something, say something, but my body betrayed me. Then, Mister Toldarn took two steps toward the trio of monsters, holding his Scimitar out in front of him as it lit up in arcane energy as he activated a Sword Technique.
“We will repel each and every minion you send at us, monster. This world is the realm of men. It is our duty to protect it and the kingdom from all threats, and we shall do so until our last breath. You are not welcome here.” He yelled out.
The demon smiled showing a dark pit where its mouth should have been, a pit that threatened to shallow the whole world. “Brave words for someone so small and insignificant. You know not whom you address, human. You cannot comprehend our power. The power of the triumvirate”
“In my experience,” replied Master Toldarn interrupting the demon. “Those who outwardly proclaim their power are often unable to prove it. You’ll find we are not so powerless”
“If it was proof that you required, then all you had to do was ask.” The demon replied with a smile and a mock curtsy and looked at one of its companions as if to say, Go ahead.
Without a word, the monster with the axes moved forward, drawing its weapons in an exaggerated show. Master Toldarn and the rest of the Cadre braced themselves for battle. However, there was no battle. It was over before any of the Cadre could make a move or any of us cadets could assist them.
One moment, the monster was walking toward them, and the next it lunged forward in a blur, leaving only a hazy after image. The monster appeared behind the five Cadre faster than my eyes could track. A swing of an ax, a raised fist, a brutal swipe, a cleaving blow. Faster than the eye could keep up, the Cadre, our remaining teachers and the most skilled swordsmen in the academy, fell lifelessly to the ground in a haze of gore.
All I could see was blood. We cadets stood frozen, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
This can’t be real. There’s no way. It took all I had to not drop my Katana and scream.
The monster that had so easily killed all of the Cadre turned its dark gaze on the rest of the cadets, its axes held before it, dripping blood.
“As you can see,” said the demon with the burning eyes as the other assumed its place next to it. “Even your best are not strong enough to stand against us. The invasion is inevitable, you cannot stop it, However, as you have some merit, we will grant you an opportunity. The invasion may be called off. You have the power to prevent it from happening, if you so choose to accept our most generous offer.
Chapter 9: Till the Depths Give Up Their Dead
* * *
None of us cadets moved. Most of the others stood, slack jawed, with their eyes fixed on the dead Cadre. I wasn’t one of them, neither was Markus. Our eyes were fixed instead on the three demons that stood before us. The three seemed to be gloating. In a sense, they had absolute power here.
I was still scared. I was only human after all, and I had just witnessed most of my instructors cut down like they were nothing. How could I not be afraid? But I was also angry. Mostly at myself for not being able to do something. Anything.
One brave cadet, a Gold ranker, broke free of the paralysis that seemed to freeze us all in place.
“I’ll kill you all!” He screamed as he ran forward with an upraised sword at the three..
The demon who had killed the Cadre laughed as the cadet approached. The massive monster dropped his axes and faced the young swordsman unarmed. The cadet lashed out with his sword in attacks born from anger and frustration. Frantic attacks, but the demon moved with a speed that no one could track. Then, in a blink, the demon reached out and grabbed ahold of the cadet by his neck, easily ignoring the cadet’s angry thrashing and yelling.
That, more than anything before, got all of our attention, and we readied to help our comrade. We couldn’t just let them take him. A change came over us and we resigned ourselves to fate as we readied ourselves for battle.
“Do not be fools. Your lives are no longer your own to squander.” The voice of the lead demon stopped the cadets in their tracks, thoughts of helping their fellow cadet all but abandoned.
“Tokoth.” Said the demon. “That is enough. The point is made is slaughter. We have not come here to massacre those who may yet serve us.”
The demon holding the cadet, nodded and the ground rumbled as he let the young cadet go. The cadet quickly scrambled away and spit on the ground once he was in the relatively safety of our group.
“Now,” said the lead demon. “Here is my offer. The seal will fail in time and the rest of our forces will join us. You should all know that you cannot possibly stand against us as you are now. You have seen what only one of us did to those who were considered your best. Their defeat was without any effort on our part. It might interest you to know that Tokoth is the weakest member of our Triumvirate. That being said, we are not complete monsters.”
“Should we chose, we could destroy the seal immediately and call our forces to this world immediately and not wait until it fails. However, your world has some merit we wish to explore. We will not kill you all and lay waste to everything in our path, as had been the plan. Instead, we will give you a chance, a chance we have not granted in an age.”
The demon raised a hand, gesturing to the gate from which they had come.
“Beyond this gate lies one of the realms in our domain. It is a place of monsters and demons. Of Pandemonium. There you will find; a series of challenges awaits to any who feel they are worthy enough to attempt them. If any one of you can overcome the challenges that we have set, then we will call off the invasion of your world and take your strongest as our soldiers.”
“Know this, however. If you do accept this
offer, your academy will remain sealed from the rest of the world until you either win, or you die in the challenge. If you all chose not to take up this challenge, then we will prematurely break the seal that has given you this opportunity and will personally lead our armies against you. None will survive, and when we are done here, we will set our sights on the rest of your world and set it afire.”
The demon finished speaking and silence reigned once more. In the pause, no one spoke or made a move. No one said anything. How could we? We were in the presence of something so far beyond us.
“How do we know that you’ll honor this pact?” A voice spoke up.
My voice. Not Markus, Not True John. Me. I was just as surprised as everyone else when I realized it had been me that asked the question. The demon turned its burning eyes toward me, and it felt like my very soul withered under its gaze, a gaze that glanced over the mark on my arm in seeming approval.
“A fine question Crest Bearer.” Said the demon mockingly . “The brief history between our kind and yours has been… chaotic. That is why we are willing to make a blood oath, here and now, that should any one of you pass our challenges, our word to call off our invasion will be kept. Besides, what choice do you have when we can simply cut you down here and now?”
Murmurs went up among all of us. Most of the higher-ranking cadets knew what a blood oath was, and the explanation of what it was, was now being passed to those that didn’t.
A blood oath was an unbreakable contract. To do such an oath, one would paint a seal using their own blood, while reciting the oath that they promised. If the oath was broken, the penalty was death. The magic in the oath would take the life of whoever breaks it. That might be enough.
“These are the terms as have been set.” Bellowed the demon. “You all have one hour to confer among yourselves and come to a decision. Do not tarry or put our benevolence to the test.”
All of us remaining cadets looked at each other. Looked up the chain for leadership. The Cadre were all dead, so who would lead them in the decision making? Shouts began to spring up from cadets trying to voice their opinions when True John said nothing, and no one stepped up.
“We can’t agree to this,” some shouted. “Just look what they did to the Cadre! They’re monsters!”
“If we don’t, we’re as good as dead!” Others argued. I agreed, but I didn’t feel it was my place to step in just yet.
“We’re as good as dead anyway. We can’t stand up to that power!”
The arguing just got louder and louder until nobody could hear each other. There was no semblance of order, and no chance as it was they would come to any sort of consensus for what to do.
“So much for discipline.” Said Markus as the big cadet poked an elbow into my side. I nodded.
“Can you really blame them?” I asked. “After what happened yesterday and with what we just saw, they’re as scared as we’ve grown numb. They don’t care about discipline; they care about survival.”
Markus looked away for a moment before answering. “I’m scared too, man. I think about it and it kind of freaks me out. I fought those things, I took them head on, and I’m not sure I can again. But now is not the time to have a meltdown.”
“Some would argue that now is the perfect time.” I replied as a few of the Bronze and Iron ranked cadets wandered around with dazed looks on their faces. Elder Valdanes used to talk about that look, they won’t last long.
The moment was interrupted as a fight broke out between some of the others. There was no effort being made towards a civil discussion. They’re all letting fear drive them. I knew without even looking that the monsters of the triumvirate fed on that fear and enjoyed the spectacle.
“You seem pretty cool for what’s happening.” Said Markus as he noticed I was able to keep my composure. Truthfully, I was surprised too, but I guess I’d already done enough panicking. I felt, I’m not sure how to describe it, supported by the mark on my arm. Fortified.
“It’s a front, I promise.” I replied, sparing a glance at the triumvirate of demons that waited for the decision of the cadets. “I’m terrified. All of us are. It’s taking every ounce of self-control and will power that I have not to break down like they are. But I know that would accomplish nothing. I need to be strong, otherwise we all die.”
“Yeah, well, I wish that the others felt the same way.” Markus replied glumly as he looked at another fight breaking out.
Those cadets that were not fighting and arguing were either staring at the ground with expressions of abject terror or staring at the demons with a simmering hatred.
“We need to get through to them. True John doesn’t seem like he’s going to step in, and the chain isn’t working. Nobody is covering down.” I replied.
“Good luck with that Valdanes.” Said Markus. “If you have a way to even get them to stop arguing and listen to you, I would love to see it. You’re still an Iron and I’m still only Silver.”
“Maybe so, but I’m a Valdanes, and everyone knows who your father is, Markus.” I commented. “I think we’ve got the pull if needed.”
With that said, I walked toward the gathered crowd of cadets as confidently as I could manage.
“Oh, this is going to be good. But you’ve got my permission, do what you need to do.” Muttered Markus.
I knew that it was pointless to try and be heard over the roar of the crowd and all the infighting. But I know one way to get their attention. I walked straight to the center of the crowd and lifted up my Katana and activated my Sword Technique with a yell, “Lightning Blade”.
A streak of lighting cracked under the otherwise cloudless sky, and there was a crack of booming thunder. Instantly, the assembled cadets fell silent, staring directly at me. But unbeknownst to me, the triumvirate of demons had snapped their attention toward me at the display of my Sword Technique.
“Where is your training?!” yelled I to the cadets. “Where is your discipline? You stand here, with the enemy literally at your backs, arguing like children. Our teachers are dead, our comrades are dead. But that does not mean that their lessons and what they have taught us died with them. Their legacy lives on. The kingdom still lies on the other side of the seal. We have a responsibility. We need to come together and decide what we are going to do.”
“And who the hell are you to be lecturing us?” asked one of the surviving Gold rankers.
“I’m one of you, and that should be enough” Replied Tristan. “I’m a member of this academy, sworn to protect the world from the monsters that wish to harm it and the kingdom from whatever enemies should appear. I am a weapon, as are you, the extension of the sword that defends.”
“We are not each other’s enemies, they are.” I pointed my finger toward the trio of demons that waited near the gate. “But here we are, fighting amongst ourselves when it is them that we should be fighting against.”
“You saw what they did to the Cadre.” Chimed in a Bronze ranker. “What hope do we have against them?”
“Maybe none.” I replied truthfully. “But we have to try. It is our duty. If we do not take on the challenges that they have set, their armies will destroy us and then seek out the rest of our world. Countless innocents will die. But if we take their offer, then at least we have a chance. At the very least, even if we fail, we can buy everyone else some time, and we can say that we tried. We can say that we fought, instead of cowering in fear. We can resist”
Murmurs came from the assembled cadets. A few in agreement, but more in disagreement and anger that me, an Iron ranker spoke out.
At least I got them to stop fighting long enough to talk it over.
“He’s right!” yelled Markus in support.
The cadets turned their gazes toward the big cadet. As a Silver ranker, his word held more sway without having to lean on his family connections.
“We can’t just lie down and give up.
We need to make a decision. Either we accept their offer and do our best to make it through the challenges, or we deny it and go down fighting in a sea of monsters. Either way, we need to fight back. For the fallen cadets. For the fallen Cadre. For the world.”
“Well.” Said the Gold ranker that had challenged me before. “I, for one, am not about to let the scrubs of the academy show me up. If I do, the next thing I know a damn Bronze ranker will be coming up to call me a coward to my face.”
The Gold ranker thought for a moment and then yelled out, tossing in his support. “They’re right. We need to fight, and we need to fight together. I know we’re all scared. Hell, I’m terrified. But the Cadre trained us better than this!”
There were small murmurs of agreement from the crowd as the Gold ranker spoke and yelled out, “We need to come together and show these bastards what we’re made of!”
The cadets began to appear livelier. Some shouts of affirmation could be heard, and I was able to dismiss my Lightning Blade and sink back into the crowd as the Gold ranker stepped up to lead.
Raising his Hooked Sword to the sky, the cadet yelled out. “For the fallen! For the world!”
Markus and I nodded in agreement and took up the cheer, encouraging the others to do the same. Everyone quickly took up the chant.
“For the fallen! For the world!”
“For the fallen! For the world!”
“For the fallen! For the world!”
Together for the first time since the portal had opened, we formed up, and with disciplined steps the cadets of the academy marched up to the triumvirate of demons. There was a fire in our eyes. Determination. We were still scared, but we would not let fear rule over us. I hope.
As we approached the demons, the triumvirate seemed to be pleased with our decision. They had been watching the whole exchange and had their attention turned to the approaching cadets. The cadet who had started the chant marched in front leading the formation, while Markus and I flanked him on both sides, acknowledging him as the leader.