Klyn might be the emperor, but the Spirit Garden was the center of the beast kin; it was where they all came from and where their ancestors spirits rested.
It was Klyn’s duty above all else to protect and honor their ancestral spirits. Without them, the beast kin would lose their ancestral tattoos and heritage.
The ringing of the bells didn’t die down; there was more and more of them ringing out. Different clans were calling their people back, announcing that they would be having an immediate selection of champions. Ancestral shrines and totems that people carried with them started to glow. Beast kin across Dena were tested and questioned by their ancestors.
The tattoo shamans sharpened their tools and checked their inks as they readied themselves to act as the conduit of their ancestors’ power.
“Emperor, it is not just the fighting clan spirits—all of the lost spirits have returned!”
Klyn felt his clan spirit, Meraki, shift within him.
“All of them? That is not possible!” Meraki said, creating a projection from Klyn’s body.
The messenger made to talk as something landed in front of the grand hall.
A man and an ox kin stood up.
“I, Damien All-Hammer, challenge Klyn, leader of the Boret.” A voice carried across the great hall and through the palace grounds.
Meraki snarled and retracted back into Klyn’s body.
Klyn stepped forward, his anger sweeping him up as he marched out of the hall. He looked at the armored knight in front of him. “Some young pup who does not know how big the world is? I do not have time to waste with you!”
“Damien All-Hammer, once leader of the werewolf clan, brothers to the Boret clan. Or has the emperor forgotten the law he put down, the old laws, going back before the union of all clans?”
“You!” Meraki hissed, projecting upon Klyn.
As their anger combined, Klyn was filled with rage that burned him to his core. He had worked hard to contain it—the mounting pressures, not knowing what was happening; he was losing his control.
“I do not need to worry about some pup! Not even full grown, just some human throw-off who pretends to be beast kin! I accept your challenge!”
***
Fool. Bruce shook his head.
Meraki, Klyn’s Clan Spirit fused with Klyn’s body, lighting up his tattoos as he grew slightly with the power coursing through his body. His armor pulled tighter around him, a hybrid between a human, a panther, and a bear. His body showed the signs of endless fights that had allowed him to gain his right to be Emperor.
Bruce watched Damien grip his hammer tighter, Bruce had seen Damien go all out only once on the battlefield, leaving a wave of destruction behind him. He wielded the power of three different Clan Spirits and that had been hundreds of years ago, not long after he had become a champion of his clan.
The generals and attendants wanted to do something. But this was a duel and no one was allowed to stop it unless one of the groups cheated. It had been laid down by a clan leader and the emperor had accepted.
“To the death!” Klyn yelled and rushed forward. He swung out his fist.
Damien moved forward, casually, stepping inside Klyn’s attack. He raised his hand and grabbed Klyn’s hand. Air rushed around him; surprise appeared in the depth of Klyn’s eyes.
Damien pulled on his arm and stepped forward.
Klyn stumbled as he saw Damien’s hand moved for his face. He felt the slap burning on his cheek, hotter than any wound he had gotten before. He rolled and dug his claws into the ground as he looked at the back of the knight.
“I am the pup? We shall see,” Damien said.
Klyn pulled out his twin swords, taking Damien seriously. He wanted nothing more than to rip him apart.
How far has his reason been eroded by Meraki talking in his ear and the chaotic power burning within his body?
Damien clashed with Klyn again. His movements were swift and agile as he used a hand to deflect the attacks.
“How strong must he be to deflect those attacks?”
“Strong. Think of how fast his eyes and movements are to be that accurate to deflect the blade and dodge attacks while moving forward.”
Two slaps sounded out as Klyn was then kicked away.
He ran forward again clashing with Damien. Only to be thrown away yet again, it was like a child trying to fight a seasoned warrior. Damien held his Warhammer to the side, using it would be too much.
Klyn let out a roar black and silver tattoos glowed, his muscles bulged out and a shadow appeared around him for a half second. Damien stood there with mild interest. Waiting for Klyn to finish the transformation.
Klyn stepped forward, raising dust around him.
Silver light traced where his sword had been. Damien’s clothes were buffeted by the wind as he was forced to use a foot to counteract the attacks.
He didn’t move from his spot once, a statue that seemed to be hitting the wind randomly.
“His strikes are all hitting Klyn perfectly, deflecting his attacks with ease.
It was like watching a master against an apprentice, pointing out the others’ weaknesses as he avoided their attacks.
“Probably can only keep that form for a limited time,” Damien said.
His voice was calm but everyone heard it and Klyn’s eyes constricted.
Damien released his war hammer, it dropped to the ground as Damien stepped forward, his movements seemed slow, but they were counteracting Klyn’s barrage of attacks.
Klyn was unable to stop his attacks as he was under Damien’s tempo, being pushed around. Klyn showed panic now, but he kept fighting with everything he had, blood ran down his teeth and dyed his eyes.
He stuttered and tilted, about to fall. Damien kicked Klyn’s side and hit him with a palm strike, forcing him back onto his feet.
Klyn raised his sword just in time to defend against a punch aimed at his head.
Wind rushed past his face as Damien’s fist’s blurred, striking Klyn’s openings.
Klyn grunted and coughed as the attacks rained down on his body.
The crowd was silent as they watched this stranger play with their emperor, beating him easily. Their eyes burned in rage and shame.
Damien swept Klyn’s legs.
Klyn dropped to the ground. As he started to return to his original form, new cuts and bruises covered his body, swelling already taking effect. Damien stayed where he was, clearly in control of the entire fight.
“You might have defeated me, but you’re just a human. Take off your helmet and prove that you aren’t!” Klyn said, coughing blood.
Damien started to laugh and reached up, grabbing his helmet. He pulled it off, revealing his skull and his flaming blue eyes.
“You!” Klyn and the others were shocked by Damien’s true appearance, trying to distance themselves from him.
The spectators grabbed their weapons.
“Kill him, kill the demon spawn!” Someone yelled.
“Demons spawn,” A deep voice resonated in other’s chests it seemed to taste the word, finding it amused.
Tattoos appeared on Damien’s skull as he started to expand, a black miasma created a shadow behind him. Red tattoos ran down the right side, black the other, with a strip of green in the middle.
Damien started to change and power swept toward him. His eyes turned purple and an emblem appeared on his chest while his bones elongated and his teeth extended into fangs.
The spectators watched, stepping back as Damien turned into his werewolf form.
“Emperor Klyn!” Damien’s voice boomed through the palace grounds. “You have failed in honoring your position of Emperor. Though that is not your fault as you were betrayed and corrupted by others you placed your trust in. You are a fighter, not an Emperor. Through your rules I claim the power of the Emperor and abolish these archaic rules of championships. Leadership of the beast kin will be decided by the clan spirits of every faction. Officiated by the Guardians.”
&nb
sp; Klyn’s face distorted as his clan spirit pushed forward.
“What have you done?” It yelled as purple flames appeared from within.
“You betrayed your oath, you betrayed your fellow clan spirits!” Damien
One of the guards rushed forward as Bruce released his aura.
“Do it Damien,” Bruce’s voice grated in everyone’s ears.
Damien darted out, his fists glowed with purple flames as he struck out at different people. They screamed out with purple flames appearing within their bodies.
The squirrel kin from the Spirit Garden appeared out of the ground, next to Bruce.
“I have repaired the Guardian Flames.” She tilted her head to Damien, who stood there with his werewolf form.
Others were splayed out on the ground, those who remained standing all stared at him in fear.
He tilted his head to her.
“If you could guide me?”
“Certainly.” She led the way.
Bruce and Damien left behind the upper echelons of the beast kin nation.
“Why did you want me to defeat them first?” Damien asked as he walked along with Bruce.
“The corruption within them is high and they create a powerful voice. If they were to talk out against us, it could divide the people. We need them to work together. With them being cleansed of their corruption and unable to speak, and with the clan spirits spreading the truth and raising the power of the beast kin, combined with you igniting the Guardian Flames to cleanse the city, it puts you in a position to lead everyone, instead of looking for their acknowledgement,” Bruce said.
“Thinking three steps ahead,” Damien said.
“We need the people to work together. Sometimes we need to guide them. We don’t have time to allow the muddied waters to clear themselves, or allow them to form.”
They reached the exterior of the palace, where the fountain there had been torn apart and the flame enchantment underneath revealed.
The surrounding people were all looking at the powerful clan spirits around the fountain. They bowed to Bruce and Damien, making the people within the crowd drop to their knees. Honor was deeply ingrained within the beast kins’ bones; if their ancestors bowed, then the person was of a great position.
They peeked up at Bruce as his Guardian emblem appeared on his chest and a purple flame appeared on his hand. He sent it forward. It rested within the middle of the enchantment. Purple light filled it and several wisps of flame sped off, appearing in other locations where the clan spirits stood guard. The flames touched down on the enchantment and bloomed into purple fires.
From them, courts appeared above them.
“Soon Bracegar will be cleansed and a new leader can be elected,” Bruce said.
“Once that is done, then I will head to the north,” Damien said.
Bruce bowed to Damien. “Thank you for all you have done.”
Damien gave a terse nod and didn’t say anything more. Bruce and the small Penelope that was watching dispersed their forms.
They returned to Anthony, who was moving with the United Army and the armies that had stood on the line, clearing out doorways.
“Bracegar is now held by Damien. The clan spirits have been released and are moving to test their people and pass on their teachings,” Bruce reported.
“You’ve worked hard. There are already some of the beast kin among our ranks who have been called by their clan spirits.”
***
Lord Dion Lemar stood on one of the towers inside Skalafell, watching the tide of chaotic beasts that were charging in from the area surrounding Skalafell.
There was fighting down on the walls. Different tall buildings that had been struck with the blasts from the beasts’ mouths had dropped rubble on the buildings below.
There were holes in the wall where it had been breached. Rubble had been thrown together, with alchemical concoctions to bind it all together poured on top to create ad-hoc walls.
Dion looked at the gates that had appeared all around Skalafell. The boats and their harbor had been torn to shreds in the long-range attacks.
“Any word from the Emperor?” Dion asked as beasts poured in from every direction without pause.
“The war is still going on, these strange creatures only just appeared.”
“So, it is likely that we are on our own.” Dion muttered to himself, looking at the orderly lines of odd creatures that commanded the chaotic beasts from the rear.
If they were to charge in, instead of hitting us from long range then we might not be able to hold. Even if they keep attacking from range, we cannot last a long drawn out siege. All of our supplies have been sent forward with our main fighting forces to fight the humans. Dammit!
“Breaches have appeared on the northwestern side!” an officer called out.
“The legion forces and our reserves have been pushed out. We don’t have anything more to give,” Commander Jaclu said.
“The Black Scarves.” Dion turned to face her.
“They aren’t a military unit.”
“No, but they’re the ones holding this city together. They’ve been the ones policing people while this siege is going on, running the medical clinics, passing out the food rations, moving our supplies around.” Dion looked into Jaclu’s eyes.
“Bring in the representative!”
The door opened. There was a bear kin man. His body was powerful and he carried a commanding presence with him. His face was hard but there was a soft light to his eyes.
“How can Ubi of the Black Scarves be of service?”
“The walls on the northeastern side are falling. We need your help,” Dion said.
“The Black Scarves do not have weapons or armor. We will need time to put it on and assist,” Ubi said.
“The city’s armories are open to you,” Dion said.
Ubi let out a whistle. Three smaller members of the Black Scarves appeared: one crane kin, a crow kin, and a flying squirrel kin.
“Send messages out. Those who are willing to fight are to attend the armories for weapons and armor. Medical staff and rescue crews are to remain in their roles. If they are free, they are to get weapons and armor to defend others with.” Ubi looked to Dion, who nodded.
“Go.”
The squirrel kin dashed out of a window, spreading out his wings; the crane and the crow followed.
Their voices could be heard across the city as they passed the word.
“I will head down,” Dion said.
“You’re the city lord,” Jaclu said.
“Yes, and this is my city. I was not able to defend it when the plague came, but now these monsters are upon us, it’s my duty to stand with my people.” Dion looked at Jaclu.
She sighed and waved her hand.
“Mind if I join you, Lord Dion?” Ubi asked.
“Could always use the strength, Ubi.” Dion headed out of the tower and down the stairs. His personal guard followed. Someone gave Ubi armor and a war hammer as they jogged across the city.
Chaotic blasts arced overhead, hitting the ground. They slammed into buildings here and there, hitting them like an oversized hammer, tossing wood and stone across the street, leaving a half-melted mess of what remained.
A stone building was struck; the guards and Dion raised their shields. The bricks and stone rained down on their armor.
They pushed on, seeing people running in the streets to find better cover. The Black Scarves crews were out, working in broken houses and buildings, pulling the wounded free.
Others were carrying people through the streets to the aid stations or taking the rubble and transporting it to the walls to fill breaches or to be hurled down on the enemy.
It was a scene of chaos, with people working against the destruction of battle.
Dion turned his head to the side.
“Are those bells?” Ubi asked.
“Those are spirit bells, announcing that a clan spirit has returned. Though, it’s not just one bell.” Dion f
elt his blood pumping as spirit bells from across Skalafell started to ring.
At first it was only a handful, then it reached dozens possibly hundreds as even the general ancestral bells began ringing in the large cemetaries.
***
“What idiot is out there ringing bells?” Jun asked his friend Mai as Mai pulled the last buckle on his armor tight.
“Don’t know—don’t matter,” Mai said, checking his work.
“Good to go?” Jun asked.
“Good to go,” Mai said.
The square had guards pulling out weapons and armor, tossing them into piles.
Jun took his black rag and tied it around his left arm. Mai followed suit.
“Never thought that the guards would be giving me armor.” Mai laughed.
“Me either, but a lot of things changed since Anthony showed us a different way,” Jun said.
“That is true.” Mai tied up his black rag.
Jun checked his sword; he slid it away and grabbed a bow. He felt his simple tattoos itching. His parents didn’t have enough money for him to get more detailed tattoos that might draw out the potential of his bloodline.
“Damn, must have sand or something in here,” Jun complained as he shifted his armor around, trying to get rid of the itch.
“Jun Fleet-foot.” A voice came from the air in front of Jun as color seemed to gather together, showing a woman with feline features wearing a robe.
Jun felt a resonance with her and a deep sense of respect.
“C-c kin spirit!” Mai’s long tongue worked before his mind as he hissed and spluttered out the words in shock.
Jun rubbed his eyes, looking at the woman, who smiled.
“I am your ancestor Natsu. You have had a hard life. You fell into darkness for a time, but here you stand, leading people in defense of Skalafell. You look to help those around you now. You say it is due to your chains, but it is because of your character. I can lend you my strength for this battle.”
Jun’s body shook.
A large reptilian clan spirit appeared. “It seems that you have good friends, Mai,” the reptile said with a smile. There was a ferocious aura to the man but he seemed to have a kind disposition.
“Krem,” Natsu said in greeting.
A Lich's Love (Death Knight Series Book 5) Page 3