S4:CH2

The sound of chains rattled around the dungeon of Northkeep, Ravena. House Deschenel was in charge here, but now that Duke Adrien was imprisoned, a new leader had to be in charge. Right now, however, there was only one thing to think about. Commander Kindred Osiris was being dragged by two Black Valkyrie Assassins. He wasn’t bleeding or anything, but it seemed as if he ran out of energy. The Commander looked to his left to see the different rooms for interrogation.

“Why were you in Porfalington yesterday, Richard?” sounded one of the interrogators, while the person being interrogated cried, his face pale like snow.

“I.. I don’t know..” Richard spoke, his stuttering speech immediately cut off by a slam on the desk, making him squeal.

Kindred ignored it, and went on to look at the next room they passed by. It was another interrogator, beating up a woman who had the uniform of a PLF soldier. “Give me a name!” he shouted, but the woman refused to speak.

Kindred passed by the third room, and it had a man, tied to a bloody cross. His skin was peeled off, as well as his nails. The man couldn’t even speak, and his neck was stabbed by a stake. On top of the cross was a glass filled with healing fluid. Each drop healed the man’s wound on his neck, but everytime it did, the interrogator would just stab the man’s neck again.

“Now let’s answer our little quiz again, shall we?” a woman spoke with an all too familiar voice. She pushed her round glasses back to her eyes, then looked behind her to see Kindred. It was none other than Maria. “Oh, hi Kindred!”

Kindred’s hair stood on end. The way Maria looked was just too haunting. Pale, ragged hair, and a sick grin, as if she was enjoying this moment.

“I give up,” the tortured man said. “The People’s Liberation Front… is in the mountains… near Grandtur.”

Maria’s grin immediately turned to a frown, as if she was disappointed by the fact that she got her answer, and could therefore stop torturing him. She sighed, and then cocked her VAC-P2 crossbow pistol. “We were just about to get to the good part, Lyonnel,” she said.

“Wait. I told you everything….” the man said, losing his energy.

“And I thank you for that,” she said.

“Wait. No. No, please, I beg you, I told you everything —NO-”

Kindred was dragged further towards the fourth room’s door right before the clicking sound of a broken skull. Facing this room was a cell, where to his surprise, was Duke Adrien, tired, and beaten. His eyes were bloodshot, and his skin pale, clearly not having slept in the last few days. Kindred found himself being carried towards the fourth room. Inside it was a well lit interior, filled with plants and flowers, floored with wood. In the middle of the room was a singular wooden chair, facing the door. This was where Kindred was put, tied by ropes with several assassins taking out their blades while looking at him.

“You know how this works, Kindred.” a voice came from outside the room. It was none other than Requiem, the other assassins gave their salute to the man. Kindred only smirked at him, before feeling some sort of lingering pain in his chest, near his heart.

“The information we received revealed that you hesitated.” Requiem said.

Kindred looked at him and sighed. “Whoever gave that intel forgot about the golem,” the commander said, before getting punched by Requiem in the chest, resulting in a great strike of pain in his rib.

“Because of your rushed drink from your healing potion, you only managed to heal your organs, such as your heart… but not your broken rib.” Requiem said, before seeing Kindred try to fight to breathe. “Don’t struggle. You’ll run out of oxygen the more you do it.”

Kindred tried to conserve his breathing. He felt his broken rib pierce through parts of his heart. He shouldn’t move drastically. The rib was still plugging the hole of his heart. If he moved violently, it would cause massive internal bleeding. 

Requiem walked back, watching Kindred’s slow death. He saw how fragile the human body was in its raw form. No magic. No healing potions. Just a pile of flesh, muscle, and bone, all clumsily put into one organism. He could just kill him here, but there were other plans for him.

“I already told you….” Kindred spoke softly. He gave his answer, but it was another large chunk of oxygen that he used. He only had 6 minutes to spare. No one had any healing potions here. Not even a Sanamancer. This was Ravena, not Karthus.

Requiem looked around the room, and he noticed that the plants on the walls started to grow more and more, faster than they should be. “She’s here,” the general said.

Every single assassin scattered to the side of the room, making sure that they stood straight and proper. A woman opened the door.

“Your grace,” the assassins said. Kindred couldn’t look up. Another swing of his head upward would make him use more oxygen. He could feel his body shrink and struggle for air now, as his body slowly grew pale.

“Is this him?” the woman asked, the assassins nodding in unison. The woman walked towards one of the plants on the wall, before touching it, making it wither in an instant. She walked towards Kindred.

“The legend himself, being brought down by a mere spellsword? Last I heard, you killed all the old assassins of the Shifter Genocide, in the Old Church,” the lady said. Kindred felt a rising frustration leaving his body. All that reputation was beginning to really test his patience.

“Aye,” Kindred said, using his last bits of oxygen. He felt his body weaken before him, pulling him more into darkness. “I also heard that this legend can shoot fireballs from his eyes and can throw a bolt of lightning, instantly killing an actual golem.” The lady seemed to look surprised, but Requiem only scoffed.

Eowyn knelt beside Kindred, showing her hand with a glowing green vein reaching towards her wrist. She then held Kindred’s hand, and a streak of glowing green veins reached towards Kindred, tracing towards his chest. Soon, the pain disappeared, and he could feel his broken rib move back to its original place, fully healed. He could finally breathe again. But this was no other healer, nor any sort of Sanamancer. She was a Malumancer, one that does not only control plants, or heal muscle, but manipulate flesh, blood, and bone. And if there was any Malumancer in the Black Valkyrie Regiment, that would be…

“Welcome to Ravena, Lady Eowyn.” Kindred said, realizing who it was. “I never thought you would be this beautifu-”

“I know who you are, Osiris. Don’t start with me.” Eowyn said, before walking back to Requiem.

“You should’ve let me die then,” Kindred replied, smiling at the situation before looking at the assassins in the room. Then, something brushed up his mind. They weren’t letting him die. By the second he could breathe properly, the assassins had gripped their blades harder. Strange. “But guessing how you didn’t, it seems like you want something from me.”

“Maybe.” Eowyn replied, as she opened the door. “Or perhaps because I don’t want you to die yet.”

The assassins all left the door, along with Requiem. “Ah.” Kindred exclaimed, smirking as he looked down. “You order the assassins to tie me up in this chair, inside this colorful room, play with my heart, only to ensure that it’s just the two of us. Of course I wouldn’t start with you. You already made the first move.”

All the plants in the room instantly withered as Eowyn raised her hand into a fist. Kindred saw this and saw the glowing veins of Eowyn reaching to her elbow. Soon, a wooden echo of steps arrived from outside, going towards the room. Once it arrived, it was revealed to belong to none other than Maria. Her gloves were filled with blood and bones, and she simply wiped them off using a white cloth, which soon turned crimson red as she finished cleaning. Kindred’s newly fixed heart started to pump a lot of blood. 

“Fine. Fine,” Kindred said, after sighing. “What do you want?”

Eowyn crossed her arms. She closed the door behind her and then looked at Kindred. “Uncle Adrien has soiled this family for too long. Now that we have threats from the outside, we have to be ready for what’s to come. I need to make sure that this inside is not soiled with traitors.”

Kindred looked around, and towards Maria. If he were to be tortured now, there wouldn’t be anything to answer, only perhaps for Maria to enjoy. Eowyn maybe, but she was... different from the other Deschenels in a way.

“You’re going to kill me?” Kindred said.

“If it comes to that,” Eowyn replied, before looking at her glowing hand. “No matter the mission. Even if it killed you. You’re supposed to be an assassin serving the Deschenels.”

“I may be part of this brotherhood but you know who I am,” Kindred replied, before glancing at Requiem, then at Duke Adrien, who was still weak. “You’re trying to find this Kindred Osiris that you have envisioned in the past, who kills innocents with no regard. My life is for the people. Not for any lords or ladies like you.”

Maria walked towards the man, slowly revealing her knife, and showing it to Kindred with a smile. “Thank you!” she exclaimed.

“Do it, then,” Kindred said, making everyone look at him. The assassins outside soon watched as Kindred looked down.

“You don’t seem to understand,” Kindred said, before lifting his head to face Eowyn. “What we Ravenians lack in intelligence, we make up for with loyalty.”

Adrien laughed from behind, before being silenced by the assassins outside. These assassins turned towards Eowyn and the others, now looking at their eyes.

“When I killed the elders in the church, it was to prevent more pointless shifter deaths. While yes, you Karthusians hate me for what I did, but the Ravenian version of the story is… different,” Kindred spoke, looking at the assassins now entering the room with swords in hand. Maria looked at these, as well as Requiem, then prepared their weapons. “Kindred Osiris was a man who saved Ravena from the shifter terrorists, and avenged those who killed the innocent, including his wife.”

“The Assassins of the BVR won’t believe this,” Eowyn replied.

“Oh but what about The Red Blood Regiment? The Ravenian Clan of Aeryth? The peasantry?” Kindred asked, before smiling at Maria. “You can try to make me kill an innocent man, to be a man bowing his life to the Magrins. But I am no innocent man, and I don’t bow my life to any noble.”

“He’s still a Democrat.” Adrien said, his laugh grew, before slowly turning into a cackle. “You wasted your time, little bunny.”

Eowyn’s look of frustration stayed, and slowly, it turned into a look of reassurance. “Well played, Kindred Osiris.”

All the assassins sheathed their blade, and Kindred looked surprised to see Maria look frustrated and annoyed while she walked back. Requiem looked at him blankly, while still grabbing his dagger, while the assassins untied him from the chair.

“As for you,” Eowyn stated, walking to the cell of Adrien. “Your role as Duke has damaged this nation for too long. Scarlett would fit nicely, as she wouldn’t create such drastic massacres as you.”

Eowyn put her hand forward, and Adrien’s veins slowly glowed green, reaching all throughout his body. He walked back, but only hit a wall. He panicked, and started to cry, but Eowyn only looked at him in a blank state. “The last thing you will see today is the coronation of the new Archduchess of Ravena. Farewell, Uncle.”

Requiem pulled out a tiara, before putting it on her head, and soon, Adrien found himself feeling something terrible inside. He felt his bones transform, his body shifting. His muscles pulsated, and he felt his… spine… turn into a sharp… thing…

Eowyn struggled, and tears started to form in her eyes as the pain from using such magic took a toll on her. As Kindred looked, he saw Duke Adrien’s spine become a spear, and immediately stabbed his brain, forcing him to kneel with both knees, as the spine became a third leg to prevent him from falling. Kindred looked at Eowyn, the glowing veins reaching her chin. It was too much of a close call.

Kindred and Eowyn moved out of the Dungeon, and into the keep’s grounds. Some children from the local orphanage flocked to the Archduchess. One of them was a child who had bruises on her arms, and hugged Eowyn, crying in her arms. Eowyn consoled the child and shushed her, calming her down. Then, the Archduchess knelt down and healed her injuries, causing her magical veins to glow to her mouth and lower cheek. Kindred clenched his hand in a fist, suddenly alert about what could happen. The child smiled, and then Eowyn put her hand on the ground, causing multiple flowers to grow, causing her glowing veins to grow to her nose. Eowyn felt her nose bleed, and she immediately covered it up with a scarf of hers. As she went to grab a flower, she gave it to the little girl, making her giggle. “Go to your friends now, little one. They’re waiting for you.” Eowyn said.

“Yes, Mother Eowyn,” the little girl replied, before running off to her friends.

“You could’ve died.” Kindred said, while still looking at the orphans playing tag.

“I thought you said your life was for the people.” Eowyn replied.

“Those are my words.” Kindred said, as he decided to walk back, heading out of Northkeep. “You’re a Deschenel.”

“Kindred,” Eowyn called, causing him to stop. As the man turned around, the Archduchess was looking at him. “I need people who I can trust. Not people who will serve me, but people who I know will do things honestly to do what’s right.”

Kindred scoffed, and then nodded. “You’ll do well as an Archduchess, Ms. Eowyn. I’ll make sure to keep an eye on you while you do that.”

Kindred reached for his pocket and it revealed itself to be a glass bottle of a black liquid. As soon as he dropped it on the cobblestone ground, it cracked, causing a thick cloud of smoke to erupt from his feet, engulfing him in the murky darkness. By the time the smoke cleared, he was gone. Eowyn watched as she looked around. Much work had to be done in Ravena now.

In the misty seas of the Ekajian North, a fleet of ships pushed towards the black rocky shores of the Ekajian Isles. Fireballs rained from the skies, along with arrows and small rocks. The boats themselves were stuck in a precarious situation, with some getting caught by the blasts of the fireballs, while others were killed by the arrows or rocks. Gilgamesh looked towards the city they were raiding. He knew that his greatest opponent would be there.

“The Generation of Miracles will be arriving soon,” Gilgamesh said as he took cover with his shield. “Let’s just hope they arrive before the battle ends.”

The Sellswords Adventuring Guild fought back with everything they had, mustering through despite the circumstance, and working with the Caedian Government to breach the sea walls. The boats landed on the black sand, and countless armies of Caedians, Sellswords, The Great Army of Jeebertch, and even some Hrothgarians pushed through as the arrow rain increased in its intensity. Luckily, the Wyvern Riders of Caedia arrived to drop hundreds of flechettes on top of the archers, giving the infantry below an opening to reach the gates and breach it. The uniting forces cleared the streets, and different camps, until they reached a hill. On top of it was a clearing of black grass. No one could be seen, except for one person. Ekaj himself.

“It’s over.” Gilgamesh smiled at him. “We all have our Mana Nullifiers, and you’re surrounded.”

“Red.” a voice sounded from below the hill.

“What?” Gilgamesh exclaimed, puzzled at where the voice came from.

“Red mana nullifiers.” another voice replied, this one from behind Gilgamesh. It was one of his most trusted sellswords, and he was struggling to hold his neck, trying to stop himself from speaking, but he could only struggle more, while his eyes started to bleed.

“You Selyrians are naive.” another voice erupted, this time coming from a Caedian soldier. “You think a Red Mana Nullifer could stop an aspect?”

Ekaj raised his hand with an open palm, and it showed no glowing vein of any sort. His red eyes scanned the area around him, and he simply smiled. He closed his hand into a fist.

Pops. Explosions. Guts. Blood.

Half of the entirety of the troops in the hill found their bodies exploding, while some found their bodies being pierced by their own ribs, growing further until the bones pierced the ground, making them look like a spider-shaped corpse. Blood poured down like a river on the hill, causing some to slip up and lose their mana nullifiers, causing them to suffer more from Ekaj’s magic. Everyone screamed, and by the time Gilgamesh looked at Ekaj, he saw a small glimpse of his hand.

His black vein grew towards the start of his middle nail…

Gilgamesh then found himself feeling a surge of something controlling his insides, specifically his left foot. He saw his left foot peel off from his leg slowly and slowly, and he realized that Ekaj wasn’t able to control his upper body. Immediately, he saw that his green mana nullifier was stuck to his chest armor, and he realized that Green Nullifiers were enough to stop him. He felt his toes separate from his foot, and the pain sent his body a quick surge of adrenaline. As quick as he could, he collapsed himself on the floor to grab one of the green nullifiers from one of his dead sellswords and put it near his foot. Soon, it stopped, but he knew he was still in the battle. The forces felt their morale pull down, and started to slowly retreat. Gilgamesh saw this, and he decided to stand up nonetheless despite his left foot broken.

“Soldiers!!!” Gilgamesh shouted, causing the others to turn. “If you wish to retreat, know that your leader did not make that choice! Never surrender!!!”

The sellswords saw Gilgamesh shuffle towards Ekaj. The Aspect raised his hand once more to fight, but this time, his black vein grew towards his finger’s middle phalanx. The ground shook slightly, soon becoming filled with groans and whispers. Soon, hands and scythes leapt out the black grass, attacking the soldiers. They disappeared as quickly as they had materialized, as if their bodies turned into smoke. These were reapers, Gilgamesh finally realized, and they’d fallen into their trap.

As the reapers jumped up from the ground, the sellswords decided to continue this fight and help their leader. The Apothecary Wolves Institute arrived, pulling out the bodies towards the shore, while the Caedian Army worked to create tents for the wounded. Gilgamesh stood up, and pulled out his executioner sword. The reapers turned their heads towards the leader of the SAG, and they soon began to move towards him even closer. Gilgamesh gripped his sword even tighter, before counting the reapers around him.

4…

As soon as he finished counting, the reapers dashed towards the orc with their scythes. Gilgamesh tried to slash the first one that went towards him, but it immediately turned into smoke. With his mana nullifiers however, they immediately turned back into their human form, preventing them from continuing their spell. The reapers started to pick up javelins from the ground, and started to throw it to Gilgamesh at massive speeds. While the SAG leader could block some of the attacks, four javelins at the same time was too much to handle. He was impaled from his left leg, then to his right arm. He moved his sword to his left hand. While it wasn’t his dominant hand, he still knew his techniques. The reapers then sprinted towards him, slashing at him with their scythes. Gilgamesh tried his best, but he knew it was over. But as soon as he and the reapers made contact, he realized how physically weak they were. They relied mostly on speed. And he knew that this could be his advantage.

He noticed that the Reapers tried their best to get close to him and rip his clothes off, perhaps to destroy what little armor he had. Parries, blocks, and overwhelming force was the combination he used despite his weakened state. He was losing a lot of blood, but surprisingly, he was keeping up. He even wounded one of the attackers. He was gaining ground, and soon, it was enough for the SAG to gain back their morale and charge at all the reapers. A great battle emerged on the hill, and Gilgamesh finally had a break from the fighting. The reapers only stared at him, and a look of confusion grew from the orc’s face. However, he noticed something. The reapers were a couple of meters away from him, and they weren’t using their ghost form. His confused look turned into a face of terror, as the reapers turned around to reveal several mana nullifiers on their hands. He then turned around to realize that the reapers who were fighting the SAG, Caedians, and the Jeebertch Orcs, were also retreating. Ekaj then raised his hand once more, and Gilgamesh felt the desperation move up to his body.

“RETREA-”

Gilgamesh couldn’t finish his word, and his entire skin was peeled off from the top of his skull, to the base of his feet, turning into separate strips of meat that melted down to the ground, while the last thing that was present was his skull.

Namaari, of the Apothecary Wolves Institute saw it firsthand, and screamed, as she started to walk back and retreat to the tents, only to see a massive explosion of flesh coming from the hill, made by the bodies of the SAG sellswords. Then, Ekaj raised his arm in the air. This time, his dark vein grew to his middle finger’s proximal phalanx. The bones of the killed army, along with Gilgamesh’s, were lifted into the air, with each part slowly disintegrating itself to become a sharp arrow-looking structure. It was soon flinged into the air, towards the tents, and into the shore. Thousands of lives were immediately lost, and soon, Ekaj finally walked.

A fireball hit his hand…

Ekaj turned to his left, and saw a group of young adults, each wearing what seemed to be of low noble origin, except to the one in the middle of the group who had dark blue hair. Ekaj looked at his hand which was burning. With his magic, he immediately healed it, back to its place.

Namaari peeked from the shield she used and she saw a group of SUV Students from afar. “The Generation of Miracles have arrived!” she shouted.

“Marzia, I told you not to take a shot until I say so,” the blue haired man said, looking at his classmate beside him, who was a girl with black hair, wearing a black armored corset.

“What do you want us to do? Have a choreographed dance to fight a single mage?” Marzia replied, still looking at the aspect, while she prepared another fireball in her hand.

“You don’t understand,” the man said, before preparing his manite crystal on his back. “He’s Ekaj.”

“You talk too much, Wave.” Marzia retorted, before dropping strapping her own manite orb near her back, and absorbing the fire, before making her fists burst in flames, immediately propelling her across the fields.

“Marzia!!!” Wave shouted, before immediately turning around to see his three other friends.

“Starting the fight already!?” A tall man said, jogging to arrive at Wave’s position, looking at Marzia who has already blasted towards the aspect himself. “This is going to be fun!”

“Remember our plan, Adriel,” Wave replied to the tall man. He looked at the girl beside Adriel. “Enoki, are you ready?”

Enoki’s light purple hair waved as she nodded with a determined face, holding a staff and making sure her bag’s straps were tight enough. Here, she seemed out of place; her milky-white skin and light dress contrasted against the dark atmosphere. But, she planned for this, and she was ready.

“First phase. Now!” Wave shouted, kneeling to the ground and looking at the sea from afar, before holding his hand towards it. Adriel quickly placed his hand on the ground. The ground below them shook, and stones from below crawled to his arms, slowly covering himself in a suit of stone. This suit of stone armor slowly grew into a massive golem, which he used to charge at Ekaj. By the time Marzia arrived mere meters close to Ekaj, she found herself immediately being pulled by reapers. She struggled, immediately recovering to burn the Ekajists, but the hooded mages were quick to dodge it. What they weren’t quick to dodge however, was the giant stone golem charging to the middle of the hill. While most escaped his path, some of the reapers were stomped by the stone legs. Behind Adriel was Enoki, who struggled to keep up. Ekaj tried to push Adriel away by controlling his body, but it was futile, as if someone was shielding him from such flesh magic.

The aspect had enough.

An explosion occurred in the middle of the water leviathan. Wave collapsed on the ground as it happened, weak and exhausted as he tried to trace his glowing blue veins. As he looked, he realized that he almost suffered from Sorcerer’s Syndrome, as his mana vein was just about near his chin. Ekaj had a black aura of fire occur from around him, and his eyes flared bright red. Ekaj put his hand down, then raised his hand back up, causing his dark vein to reach his knuckle. The Generation of Miracles found themselves being lifted into the air, being choked, all except for Enoki, who kept kneeling, preventing Adriel from being lifted as well, but it was no use. Upon seeing this, she absorbed more from the manite crystal, and used more mana to now protect all of them. The rest of the Generation of Miracles saw this, and they got back down to the ground. Ekaj saw this, now fascinated at the capability of Enoki.

“Impressive…” Ekaj said, as Enoki heard the deep gravelly voice of the aspect. “Such massive potential.”

But he had to stop playing. They had already tested his patience…

Ekaj gripped his hand tighter, and the mages found themselves floating again, but without choking. Enoki dug her hand more to the ground, causing the others to go back down. Ekaj smiled, seeing Enoki’s veins grow exponentially faster the more he provoked her. Wave fell to the ground after Enoki pushed herself harder, while her veins were now on her shoulder, now growing to her neck.

Time stopped for Wave. He could order the Generation of Miracles to run while they had the chance, but they would see Enoki die of Sorcerer’s Syndrome. However, they would leave without a lot of injuries. The alternative was to use a spell to try to knock Ekaj out, but it would only kill him. He thought more, but Enoki’s vein was now on her cheek.

Wave gulped, then quickly looked around. He found a sword from one of the fallen sellswords. Without any thought, he quickly picked it up and charged at the aspect, determined to swing it to save his friend.

Ekaj choked him, using his magic.

Ekaj let go of the others, and now only focused on Wave, who felt his bones change a bit in shape, extremely slowly. He felt each living second of pain, and he screamed. Enoki tried to raise her hand to stop Ekaj, but Wave collected a splash of water to knock her down.

“DON’T!” Wave shouted, as he kept being magically strangled. However, as he looked around, he saw Falqareis, now behind Ekaj, with a dagger, stabbing his liver.

The half-demon screamed, before turning around to slap Falqareis immediately, making him get knocked down. However, this made him let go of Wave, who fell down next to Marzia, who had her eyes only for Ekaj. “I’m getting bored,” she said, before reaching out to the sun, and looking at him. “Ferrum Ignis.”

The dagger that stabbed Ekaj quickly burst into flames, burning his insides. Ekaj quickly took it out and healed his body. However, by the time he recovered, he looked at his hand only to see that his dark veins had reached his wrist. Wave saw it, then looked back at Marzia, only to see something she couldn’t see - her own status.

Marzia reached out to the sun once again, and a trail of fire went around her body, this fire turned into electric waves, and she was ready to turn it into a lightning bolt.

“NO!” Wave shouted, before tackling her to the ground. Marzia found herself falling with a loud thump on the grass. Marzia immediately recovered and was about to throw Wave away angrily, until she saw her reflection in one of Wave’s puddles. Her glowing veins were now at her top cheek, near her left eye…