In the end, they turn around, deciding they cannot charge the formation with their numbers. After all, they know who their opponent is: the Red Demon.
Tenil is laughing. “Did they really think I wouldn’t prepare for a pursuit? Are they dumb? Hah!”
***
After the nightfall, several campfires are lighting the hill and keeping the soldiers warm as they rest. Some are stationed to keep watch, taking shifts throughout the night. It isn’t exactly the coldest day of the summer, but it isn’t the warmest either.
“Sir, wake up,” someone is shaking Tenil.
“What is it?”
“We captured a suspicious person.”
Tenil stands up, dragging the dragon’s fang with her. Now that she is awake, she can hear a commotion at the edge of their formation. The soldier who shook her is a sergeant.
“...If I were you, I’d let go right this instant!” The captured person is a young woman, apparently.
Two bulky soldiers are holding her left and right. More are surrounding her, swords unsheathed. Tenil walks through the mob to see the woman.
“Who are you?” Tenil inquires.
“An Elementalist,” she states.
“And what might that be?” Tenil isn’t convinced. She’s never heard of such a profession.
“Listen,” the woman with a long, loose hair looks Tenil in the eye, “if I wanted to, I could easily erase all of you, so can you just let me go?”
“A spy, I say!” A soldier grunts.
“Spy!? Shall I kill you first!?”
“If someone is going to die, it is you,” Tenil threatens.
“Oh?” The woman isn’t intimidated at all. “Wanna try?”
“Fine. Kill her.”
The bulky men holding her still draw daggers from their belts, stabbing the woman in her abdomen—only that they miss their mark. The supposed spy has disappeared briefly. She is now behind the two soldiers, tapping their shoulders with her fingers.
“See?” Her eyes are mocking Tenil. “I can do this as many times as I like. So, will you let me go, or must I use force?”
“Who are you!?” Tenil demands.
“A certain lady.”
“If you won’t tell, I’ll make you tell!”
“I told you, I have nothing to do with your kingdoms and empires!”
Then, as if to make the situation even stranger, a girl appears out of nowhere, right beside the captured woman. Her head has a crystal stuck in it, and blood is streaming from the wound. The two bulky knights pull away from the two suspicious ladies. Without a delay, spears are pointed at the newcomer, but the girl doesn’t seem shaken by that.
“What’s going on here?” The girl exclaims.
“State your names!” Tenil is losing her patience.
With a sigh, the captured woman answers, “Louir.”
The girl follows suit. “Alexiana.”
“And who do you serve!?”
Louir answers first, “Her.” She points at Alexiana.
“No one,” Alexiana answers. “And who might you be?”
“Silence!” Tenil roars.
“You know, I’m busy. Can you move on?” Alexiana says while moving closer to Tenil, spears pointed at her.
“Kill the girl!”
All in vain. The spears pass through her.
“So, who might you be?” Alexiana repeats the question.
Tenil is baffled. Is she dreaming? No, of course she isn’t. But the sight of a girl with a crystal sticking out of her head makes it hard to believe. She clicks her tongue before answering. “Tenil.”
“So, Tenil,” Alexiana addresses her, “can we go?”
“No. We cannot take the risk.”
“What risk?” Alexiana inquires.
“Shut up.”
The strange girl sighs deeply. “Louir, show them what you’re capable of, but don’t kill anyone.”
“As if I’d let you!” Tenil closes the gap between them, striking at Louir with the dragon’s fang.
A dim flash of violet light stops the weapon midair. Confused, Tenil backs away.
“Miss Tenil,” Louir speaks, “I have the power to halve this world. Are you sure you want to pick a fight with me?”
Everyone around the two strangers is displaying a perplexed, yet irritated face. Some have drops of cold sweat streaming down their foreheads. After witnessing two unnatural tricks, they can’t dismiss the claim as a baseless statement.
Haha! She ain’t lying! I can tell! Aoveon laughs in Tenil’s mind. That woman is the real thing! I bet she could easily halve the world!
“Oh?” Alexiana is suddenly surprised. “There is a dragon in your head too?”
W-wait, s-she can hear me? The dragon stutters.
“Ayep. What’s your name?” Alexiana asks.
Aoveon.
“How?” Tenil is genuinely dumbfounded.
“Well,” Alexiana explains, “the dragon I happen to have in my head is a god, so yeah.”
A god? Aoveon is intrigued. What’s his name?
“Dracon, the Supreme God of the First World.”
The soldiers are scratching their heads. They have no idea what’s going on. It’s really bizarre to listen to a girl talking to an immaterial person.
“I wonder,” Alexiana smiles mischievously, “is that dragon of yours a god as well?”
N-no, I-I’m not...
“Oh? That’s unfortunate. I want to meet the Supreme God of the Fourth World as soon as possible. Do you happen to know where he might be?” Alexiana asks Tenil and Aoveon.
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Tenil says.
“Fine. Then we’ll keep looking—”
Wait! Aoveon interrupts. Why do you want to meet him?
Alexiana answers with a smile, “Because I’d like to cooperate. This world might be consumed if we don’t do anything.”
What do you mean?
The soldiers who can’t hear the dragon think the girl is crazy.
“Unless I’m mistaken, a black rock has appeared in this world, right? It’s the Seed I’m going to destroy. If it’s ignored for too long, it’ll consume everything, including the Supreme God.”
Are you sure?
“Absolutely.”
Then, the dragon states, I guess I’ll have to cooperate, eh?
Alexiana, Louir, and Tenil are taken by surprise, especially Tenil. Aoveon is implying that he is the Supreme God.
What!? Tenil cries out in her mind.
“Heh, a liar god, huh?” Alexiana smirks.
I’m tired of playing this little game anyway, so I might as well reveal that I’m the one and only god of this world. My real name is Ouroboros. Aoveon was a made up alias. You might’ve heard some stories of a great serpent who devours everything, including itself, only to repeat the cycle. That’s basically what I do. I recreate the world by eating it. But did you say this is the Fourth World?
“Yes, this is the Fourth World. I’m from the First World.”
And Dracon is like me?
“Correct, except he doesn’t eat worlds.”
Tenil orders her men to go back to their stations. “Back to your posts! I will handle these two.”
The soldiers salute and scatter.
Then why are you imprisoned in a little stone!? Tenil demands an answer from Ouroboros.
Er, I’m not exactly imprisoned. This is my home. I can come out anytime I want.
Tenil is getting a headache. Then why!?
Because.
That’s not an answer!
Well, you see, Tenil, I like games. I made a game for myself that I must make a mortal break the crystal, and that’d basically trigger the next dinner for me.
Shivers run down Tenil’s spine. You’re joking, right?
Not really.
Then what about the promise!?
I’ll keep it, naturally. If you succeed, I’ll do your bidding. That includes not eating the world, if you say so.
Tenil
is supporting her head as she sits on a stump, Alexiana and Louir next to her.
“Ouroboros, can I share some of my memories with you? It’d help you understand why the black rock is a threat.”
Sure, if you can actually do it.
“I just need to touch you physically.”
Then touch the big sword. It’s my fang.
Alexiana nods. Tenil holds the massive weapon straight, and Alexiana touches it with her palm. She transfers a portion of her memories to Ouroboros. It’s possible thanks to Dracon. In short, he manipulates the Threads of Existence to alter reality, and that’s how the memories are shared.
I see now.
“Louir can’t destroy the Seed alone, not when it’s still intact and protected. And Ouroboros, I don’t think you should eat it. It’ll corrupt you, and you’ll turn into a mindless servant. Therefore, we must cooperate. Louir can erase the Seed, but only with help.”
Tenil, I can vouch for this alliance.
“Fine, fine! But know this; I will not help you until I have had my revenge. And I do not allow you to meddle. I want to earn Eon’s loyalty. I have to earn his loyalty.”
This is getting complicated.
“Eon? You mean Ouroboros?” Louir asks.
“Yeah, I call him that.”
“So, we all agree to the alliance?”
“I guess,” Tenil says, averting her eyes. “Since Eon vouches for you, I’ll comply. But remember, if I do not earn Eon’s loyalty, he’ll have a snack. Therefore, do not meddle.”
“Fair enough. We won’t meddle with your war campaign, but if the Black Demons attack, we won’t hold back.”
“Do you mean those dark creatures the Seed spawns?”
“Ayep.”
And then, howling can be heard nearby. From the sounds of it, it’s a very, very large wolf.
“It seems Ti’s had her fill,” Louir says.
“Who?” Tenil asks.
“My adorable little Wolf.”
Chapter Fifteen
Tactical Invasion
Now that Tenil knows Ouroboros isn’t restricted at all, she could take the dragonic form anytime—except that it’d ruin the ‘game’ Ouroboros is playing. Tenil has to play by those rules and win, or the whole Fourth World will be eaten by the Supreme God. But then again, it wouldn’t spell the end of their world. He’d recreate the world, and the cycle would repeat.
“Adorable she said. Little she said...”
It’s early in the morning. The camp is slowly preparing to move out. Tenil—and many more—are staring at a majestic animal. It’s Louir’s Wolf. The knights aren’t speechless because of the size alone. The fact it can speak is the biggest contributor.
“Well, isn’t she?” Louir says, having mounted the Wolf.
“I guess.” Tenil rolls her eyes. “Lieutenant Lerrot, are the preparations done?”
“Sir, we are ready to go in no time.”
“Did everyone eat?”
“Yes.”
“Great. Tell me when the men are ready.”
“Yes, Sir!”
Some of the soldiers are mesmerized by Louir, mainly because of the unnatural colors. Her hair is dark violet, almost black, and her eyes are violet too, just not so dark. She is very charming and young, like a maiden. However, they’re equally scared, as they’ve heard what happened last night. She claims she can halve the world at any time, and those who saw her yesterday believe it.
“You!” Tenil turns to Alexiana, Louir, and Ti. “Stick to me at all times, except when I’m fighting. You might risk revealing our plans if you loiter in the wrong place at a wrong time.”
I recommend you listen to her, Ouroboros adds, she knows what she is doing.
“Sure,” Alexiana nods.
By the time Sun has risen, the Knights of the Red Flag are on the move again. They have a long way to go before they reach the border. Furthermore, the hostile forces of Phyr must be fortifying towns and villages, so they’re likely to run out of resources, should they stay in one place for too long.
The soldiers don’t care about money right now. All that matters is survival, though there have been reports of deserters. The deserters number only a few, however. The whole division has been marked for execution, and therefore, they can only flee and fight.
Tenil is aiming to cross the border in three days. They can’t remain in Valoria for any longer than that. They’ll get their last supplies from the next town they raid. The next time they get a chance to resupply is in the republic.
The toughest part will be crossing the border. It’s likely the whole border is guarded well. They may have to use force to get through. With the element of surprise on their side, Tenil reasons they can pull it off. Since the land is rather even at the border, it’s relatively easy to invade the republic.
The only troublesome disadvantage they have is exhaustion. That is why Tenil will use their meager cavalry force to clear a path, assuming they run into resistance. The republic has built several fortresses at the border, but they aren’t exactly covering the whole border. In the dark of night, they can slip through, Tenil hopes.
“Hey, Milady, does that wolf eat humans?” A curious soldier asks Louir.
“If I need to,” Ti answers. “But I prefer something like deer.”
“And if I may add,” Louir speaks, “her stomach can digest just about anything. I know she’s eaten iron without getting a stomach ache.”
“R-right... She won’t eat us...”
“No I won’t! But if you try to attack me, then of course I might.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Tenil’s been sitting most of the morning. She strained herself too much yesterday. With the wound she has, she shouldn’t move much, yet she helped the soldiers with mowing down the spruces. But then again, since she can fell a tree with a single swing of her massive weapon, Tenil’s help was needed.
“Sir, we are ready to go,” Lieutenant Lerrot reports.
“Great, we are—aagh!”
No matter where you go, I see you, a voice rings in Tenil’s mind. It isn’t Ouroboros, but a Oreon. Now, languish! Suffer the worst agony the Old One can offer! Until I kill you, there will be no escape! Hahahahah!
Tenil writhes in pain. The wound is the source, but the pain is radiating all over her body. She is crying loud. Never before has she anguished like that. Each and every nerve of her body is screaming.
“Sir!?”
Lerrot tries to hold her still while checking the wound. To his horror, the area around the wound is becoming black. It doesn’t look like a disease, or at least Lerrot hasn’t seen such before.
“It seems the Black Demon curse has been instilled in her,” Alexiana says, standing on the side.
Tenil keeps crying as Lerrot turns to her. “What do you mean? Is she dying?”
“No, she won’t die. I don’t know what it does to her, but my guess is that she’ll turn into a Black Demon at some point.”
“Is there a way to heal her?”
Still writhing in agony, Tenil tries to free herself from Lerrot’s grasp. She is acting on instinct rather than reason.
“I don’t know.”
“What is going on here!?” Staff Sergeant Ireine rushes to them.
“Tenil’s wound is getting worse.”
Suddenly, Tenil stops crying, staring in the space with empty eyes. Her chest is going up and down rapidly. She’s lost her consciousness, although her eyes are still open.
“Sir!?”
“She can’t hear you,” Alexiana points out. “Her mind pulled the emergency switch, if that makes sense.”
“Then who will lead us?” Ireine is worried.
“Until Tenil can issue orders, I will,” Lerrot declares. He is the second highest in rank. Therefore, he receives the burden.
“Understood. Orders?”
“We are moving out at once.”
“Sir, what about Tenil’s weapon?”
“I can carry it for you,” Alex
iana proposes.
“If I can’t carry it, how can you?” Lerrot asks.
“Well,” she moves closer to the weapon, seizing the hilt, “I suppose I’ll just lift it.” And she does exactly that. Lerrot, Ireine, and several soldiers who see her do it let their jaws drop. A short girl has lifted the weapon no one else other than Tenil can.
“See? I can carry it.”
Lerrot and Ireine nod.
***
Today is the last day the Knights of the Red Flag raid for supplies in Valoria. They won’t reach the republic until tomorrow evening. Tenil had planned their route early on, and she’s shared it with Lerrot.
Although the distance between Loraan and the old border of Phyr was hundreds of leagues, the gap between Loraan and the republic is rather short. The reason is that Valoria had conquered land in East and North over the centuries, but not even a yard in South or West. Therefore, the closest border is in South.
Once the Division of the Red Demon has raided a town for supplies, they continue the march. However, an hour after the raid, a scout reports a threat.
“Sir! Incoming cavalry! 4,000 riders, half from Phyr, half from Aera!”
Lieutenant Lerrot issues orders, “Everyone, off the road to the right! Form a defensive formation two hundred yards off the road! MOVE!”
Lerrot has Tenil on his back. He’s removed his armor to lessen his burden, lest he’d tire out. Tenil might be an adult woman, but she isn’t too heavy for the veteran.
The Knights of the Red Flag set up a defensive formation under the cover of trees. The hostile cavalry will have to slow down because of the terrain, and the strong formation of footmen and archers will definitely punish the riders if they attack. They are tired, but at least they aren’t on the offensive. They should have the upper hand.
The moment they complete their formation, the hostile cavalry of Phyr and Aera combined halts at the line of trees to study their target. Both sides can see each other clearly, and it seems the cavalry isn’t backing away this time. They aren’t charging their ranks yet, however. The trees and the rough terrain off the road aren’t ideal elements for a cavalry charge.
“Their archers are shooting!”
“Protect the colonel!”
Soldiers with shields form a turtle shell around Tenil. A hail of arrows is shot at them, but thanks to the trees, only a portion of the arrows hit the soldiers, and even fewer wound or kill.
Languished Life Page 17