Squire

by Payton Cavallo

  “Of course.” Veliane’s reply rather cold and blunt.

  “And then there’s the frontier, or as it’s called on the western front, No Man’s Land. Minor nobles seeking their fortune and fame, funding small towns on recently conquered territories that we tore from the hands of the Lusus. Not exactly my cup of tea, since there are plenty of tales of it going horribly wrong, but I won’t blame them. If it all goes well, they’ll be rewarded with riches and a new place to rule. Then again, if it goes wrong…well, there are many tales of that.”

  “Yeah…” Craeft said. Living life on the frontier was not easy, but it paid off. There were tales of flourishing villages, mining rare ores from the earth, or discovering ancient ruins full of artifacts of a bygone era. But there were also those tales, those ones that made his skin crawl. Of ghost towns, entirely depopulated by those creatures or barely surviving as they pulled through assault after assault, eking out a mere existence among the strife. “Many tales.”

  “And there will be many more. The western lands are almost entirely unexplored, and what was seen by our scouts was filled with the Lusus. Someone will have to annihilate those creatures before we can take the land. Perhaps it’ll be you? Or maybe your students in the future?” Sir Finguine shrugged. His eyes wandered towards the window, his eyes looking longingly at the surrounding terrain. “Would you look at that?” He pointed out the window, Craeft’s eyes following where his finger pointed. “There it is. Krasnolovka in all its beauty.”

  Craeft spotted a massive wall surrounding the city, large towering barriers made of concrete. Several outposts jutted out of its large frame, allowing the guards to look down upon any creatures or Lusus that got too close to the city limits.

  Towering above even the walls were the rounded tops of the buildings, many of them as old as the city themselves, hundreds of years of history put into each one. They were unique, every inch seeming to be dedicated to carving out beautiful images in the structures. Many of them depicted religious themes, like symbols of wheat and scythes, and a caring father that readied himself to reap the harvest. It was far, far different from Rubrary, Craeft not spotting the more pointed tops that had defined his birthplace.

  His eyes winced as he noticed a large red orb of magic shoot up into the sky. Craeft knew that he had learned about that in one of his classes, but he couldn’t remember just what it…

  Craeft hissed through his teeth as he recognized the spell for what it was.

  An emergency flare.

  The talker on Sir Finguine’s waist began to ring loudly, and the man touched the front of it with his armored finger. The voice that rang out through the device was loud, filling the cabin with a sense of panic and desperation.

  “If any of our forces are hearing this, please respond! Lusus have come out of nowhere and began attacking! We only have so many enforcers to fight them off, and the knights on the wall aren’t enough! We need reinforcements!” The voice cried out.

  Craeft could feel his stomach drop. The thought of fighting those abominations made his heart clench in fear, and judging by the look on Veliane’s face, she seemed to be faring little better. Sir Finguine on the other hand, seemed to lose any playfulness in his form, his body going from slack to rigid at a moment’s notice.

  “You two, follow me.” He motioned them to follow with his hands, and they listened. The way he spoke was not the casual one he had spoken to them with before, but one of an officer expecting to be obeyed.

  They arrived at the front of the train, a small space with only a seat and a few panels with buttons on them, blinking ever so slightly. The train driver, an average sized man with brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a buttoned-up shirt and pants, turned towards them as he pulled the lever on the brakes. He had a frightened look on his face, a few beads of sweat dripping down his face as he looked at them, the train slowly grinding to a halt on the tracks, just a couple dozen meters away from the city walls.

  “I’m sorry sir, but this is the end of the line. Krasnolovka is on lock down till the Lusus invasion is dealt with. They won’t let us in.” The train driver grew even more nervous as Sir Finguine drew closer to him, an expectant look in his eyes.

  “Get us closer.” Sir Finguine demanded.

  “But-“ The train driver bit his tongue as Sir Finguine’s held up his right hand, the bright purple amulet on it glowing with power. A few wisps of magic wafted off the thing, indicating the strength of the spell as it sought to be released from its confinement, the magic inside the magical foci begging to be released.

  Whatever it was, it would certainly turn the man into a red smear if it was released.

  “I said. Get. Us. Closer.” Sir Finguine’s voice was calm, saying the words as if it was merely a statement. But Craeft knew better. It was an order, one that would be very bad for the train driver’s continued existence if it was disobeyed. The man acquiesced to Sir Finguine’s demands, and the amulet stopped glowing as its user reabsorbed the power from it.

  The brakes were released, the train chugging along at a slow pace so as not to ram the gateway into the city. They managed to get just outside of the gateway, a large chunk of steel having been slammed down, blocking anything from getting in.

  Or out.

  The train grinded to a halt only a few meters from it. “That’s as far as I can take you.” The train driver seemed terrified now. Craeft wondered if he thought that Sir Finguine would order him to ram it. Though, he too wondered if the man would.

  If only to get inside.

  “You two, follow me.” He said, and they did so. They managed to get on top of the train, climbing out a hatch. Their boots clanked against the steel of the locomotive, as they drew closer and closer to the city walls. They hopped off the train and ran towards the wall till they were right in front of it. “City is locked down. Normally, knights and members of the military would be able to use the port systems to get in, but we don’t have that.” He shrugged. “Looks like we’ll have to scale it!”

  “Scale it? Are you mad?” Veliane asked, incredulity in her voice. It was the most emotion he’d ever heard from the girl. “Do you see how tall that wall is?”

  “I didn’t think someone trained to fight magic eating abominations would be scared of heights.” Sir Finguine commented.

  Veliane scoffed at the man’s insinuation. “I am not afraid of heights.”

  It was clear that Sir Finguine didn’t believe her. “Regardless of your fears, that is the only way. Both of you, raise your feet for me.” He commanded.

  Craeft raised an eyebrow in confusion, before doing as he was told. The knight aimed his right hand at the squire, his index finger pointed out as his amulet glowed slightly. “Viscido.” A bright green wisp of magic left his amulet and hit him on the soles of his armored boots.

  Craeft didn’t feel any different. He wondered what had happened before he tried to lift his foot, only to feel it sticking to the ground. “Whoa, that’s different.”

  “Shame that it wasn’t taught to you in charms class, but we’ve had to rush out the last batch of squires.” The knight shook his head. “Still, should be enough to help you climb the walls. Now, Veliane, if you would.”

  She mimicked Craeft, raising her foot and allowing him to cast the magic on her soles. She frowned at the resistance the spell made in lifting her leg, but didn’t seem to voice the complaint. Craeft wasn’t sure whether it was due to obedience or simply not wanting to be chewed out by the man.

  Sir Finguine cast it on himself, before he looked at his two students. “Now, let’s go.” He raised his right foot and laid it on the wall. It glowed green underneath the sole for a second, and he lifted his left leg to make sure it took hold. A small grin lit up his face as it did, and the knight began scaling the wall at a rapid pace.

  Craeft was next, marveling at the strange feeling of traveling upwards. It was a bit more difficult, but he got used to the feeling quick enough. He took several steps, his boots clanging against the wall befo
re he looked back at Veliane.

  She was hesitant, sticking one foot to the wall, but not putting the other one on it. She seemed to expect it to fail, to give out on her and let her plummet to her doom. Slowly, she stuck her other foot up, and managed to go a bit higher, reaching Craeft’s position.

  They scaled to the top together, slowly but surely reaching the edge of the wall. With a careful step, they found themselves atop it, the magic on their soles wearing off as Sir Finguine canceled the spell. Though, Craeft found himself a little too distracted to notice.

  Smoke rose through the city as several buildings were alight, the anti-fire wards and runes built into them seeming to have failed under the infernal onslaught of the Lusus. Screeches, inhuman in origin were heard, like a mixture of an animal in agony and a human screaming their lungs out.

  Craeft shivered slightly, the dreadful and sickening feeling of being near the Lusus touching him. The hair on his arms rose underneath his armor, the wretched presence of those abominations touching his soul.

  A few screams and cries could be heard of those who were fleeing or…worse, and a couple explosions rang out as the local forces did their best to keep the Lusus at bay.

  “This isn’t good.” Craeft heard Sir Finguine mutter before he spoke up. “Craeft, you see those enforcers over there.” He pointed towards a small group that was barely holding out against a horde of the creatures, firing dangerous and borderline illegal spells at them, while casters lanced out with their deadly payloads and injured the beasts. “Go and help them. Veliane, follow me. I’ll help reinforce the Third District.” He pointed towards a section of the city, a large dark purple mass moving through it. “Now let’s go!”

  He cast the viscido charm once more, and they descended down the wall.

  And into the fight.

  Chapter Four

  Craeft could feel the heat of the fires as they raged around him, several buildings having caught alight under the Lusus onslaught. The screams of the living and the dying filled the air, only drowned out by the howls of the Lusus as they craved their next meal.

  He tried to ignore it as he followed Sir Finguine’s orders. Quickly running through the streets, brushing past people fleeing towards the shelters in the inner districts of the city. He surmised that once upon a time, the city must have been a beautiful thing, religious icons plastered nearly every building, as if the God of the Harvest, Miion himself, was watching over the city.

  Though, if he was watching, he would surely be weeping.

  He heard the roars of the casters as they fired their deadly payloads and ran towards them, coming up behind a dozen enforcers who had set up makeshift barriers in front of themselves. They were clad in long red sleeved shirt and pants, with red vest over them, each with a badge showing their status as those who upheld the empire’s laws. One who wore a cap and a vest that was adorned with a golden badge unlike his compatriots who wore silver ones, turned and he spotted Craeft. His eyes widened at the sight of the squire, before a snarl of anger crossed his face.

  “This is all the backup we get? A single squire?” He scoffed as he walked towards Craeft, the older man’s gait off. His knee was glowing green with stiches, a bit of blood leaking out. Clearly a makeshift job, but something he’d had to make do with. “I’m Captain Osin Christov, and you are?”

  “Craeft Proudhill, squire under Sir Finguine.” The man’s eyes narrowed at that.

  “Well, not exactly what we wanted, but the knights that guard the walls are too busy in the Third district with that…thing,” He growled out the last word, “stomping around. If you could help round up some civilians, we’d be grateful. We’re stretched thin enough as it is.”

  “Will do.” Craeft’ replied.

  “Good. Now, you guys are known for being able to seriously hurt these things, yeah?” Craeft nodded. “Then head deeper into the district. They keep coming after us since they see us as a large amount of prey, and we’re dealing with the bulk of them, but there’s a couple civilians still left in there. Follow the red signs, you can’t miss them.”

  “I’ll make sure to save as many as I can.” Craeft said, his voice barely being heard as another enforcer roared out. “Another wave coming!” The enforcer’s proclamation was quickly followed by the roars of the abominations. The heavy caster, a large thing made of steel with a biped holding it up and its glowing potion ammunition contained inside the stock, spun to life. It spat death into Lusus, the abominations falling underneath the powerful weaponry, disintegrating into nothingness. It stopped many, but not all of them, one getting close enough to tear the throat out of an enforcer with its jagged teeth before it died. Craeft looked away from the grisly scene. Bile built up in his throat, but he quickly pushed it down as he spoke. “I won’t let you down.”

  “Good. And if you see Officer Dmitri, help him get back here. He went in towards where the fighting is heavier, and never came back. Make sure he’s alright will ya?” Craeft nodded. “Now get out of here, we’ve got this part covered…for now. Send any you can back towards District One. It’s the safest place in the city in this mess.” The man’s voice was hollow and tired, and the bags under his eyes could attest to his state of exhaustion as he slunk back towards his enforcers, caster in hand to help hold the line.

  Craeft quickly walked down the alleyways between the buildings, seeking to go deeper into the heart of the district. There were claw marks against the ground and walls, huge chunks taken out. Many bodies were sprawled all over the place, gashes and huge tears in their flesh, some of them fresher than others as blood leaked out of them onto the pavement.

  The blonde held back the urge to vomit as he ran faster and faster. His stomach flipped and flopped in his gut as he ran past gruesome scene after gruesome scene, carnage spread throughout the way. The Lusus hungered, whether it be for flesh or for souls, and it seemed they satiated themselves on quite a few people.

  He nearly lost his breakfast once he saw the small bodies. Those who were too young and too weak to get away from the horde, or left behind in desperation. He held a hand over his mouth as he dry heaved, before the sound of a scream caught his attention.

  Turning down one street, he saw what looked to be a small child with black hair and bright green eyes crouched near an enforcer with similar features. A Lusus stood over top of them, the first one Craeft had managed to see up close.

  The name of its kind filled his mind. Shade. One of the minor types he had learned about in the Academy. About as strong as a human, and one of the weakest variants, yet they always traveled in packs. Judging by the lack of one, the enforcer must have taken a few down before succumbing to his wounds, and the Lusus decided to eat the small morsel before it.

  The abomination was around the size of a man, with horns that went along the back of its head, and pitch-black skin. Purple veins ran along its form, ending at its fingertips and toes, the clawed digits glowing the same shade of violet as its veins, bright red blood dripping off its fingertips. Baleful purple eyes glared at its prey, its maw filled to the brim with sharp teeth, ready to rip the child to pieces.

  Craeft would not let that happen.

  The squire pushed down the revulsion that he felt as he looked at the creature and held his palms together. He pulled them apart, using the ice elemental magic he had practiced with since he was a child to create a javelin out of magical ice, and threw it.

  It struck the creature in the chest, the Shade shrieking in futile rage as it collapsed and disintegrated.

  Craeft walked towards the child, her small form quivering in fear. “Are…are you alright?”

  “Daddy.” Tears leaked out of the child’s eyes as she looked at the corpse of the Enforcer. “The bad things, they attacked him and now he won’t get up.” The little girl hugged his leg as she bawled, her cries echoing throughout the street.

  Craeft kneeled down, wrapping his arms around the child in a hug, trying to comfort the girl the same way he comforted his younger siblings. It didn
’t seem to work much. “Shh Shh, don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get to a safe place.”

  “What about daddy?” She asked, looking up at him with those bright green eyes of hers.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Sasha Miroslav.” She replied. Craeft felt a bit of guilt wiggle its way into his heart for the lie he was about to tell, but the child was young. Very young. She couldn’t understand the concept of death. His eyes glanced towards the man. He was an enforcer with the name “Dmitri Miroslav” plastered onto his uniform, wounds covering his body like tattoos. He must have gone down fighting the Lusus in a bid to protect the child, but ended up succumbing to his injuries.

  “Well Sasha,” He looked directly into her eyes. “Your dad is…is a bit hurt. I’ll need to go back and grab a Healer to help him, but I can’t leave you here. Why don’t you come with me and I’ll get you to the safe place before bringing a Healer back here?”

  She looked up at him with teary eyes.

  “Promise?”

  His heart clenched as the guilt intensified.

  “I promise.” He lied, feeling his heart plummet at the hopeful sight in her eyes. She would never see her father again, and instead of telling her the truth, he lied to her face.

  His grandfather’s words rang throughout his head.

  ‘You’re a disgrace to our family name.’

  “Shut up.” He said to himself in a low voice, anger coloring his tone. “I’m not a disgrace. I’m not.”

  “Who are you talking to?” Sasha tilted her head in a questioning glance. He made to reply, before the roars and howls of the Lusus drew his attention.

  Eight forms, cobbled down the street, looking humanoid from a distance. Though that façade dropped once they grew closer, their maws snarling open, saliva slipping down their lips at the thought of devouring his body and soul, eating the magic contained within. They leaped over broken bits of buildings and roads, not even bothering to take notice of the bodies around them.