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Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Karthus always knew how to make nights dark, but calming. It was winter, and that meant that everyone had to hunker down, or simply just go to their homes and read books, make dinner, and spend time with their children, discussing topics such as what the kids have studied in school, or what the latest policies were, or what the effect was on the people. Typical Karthusians.
This was unlike Commander Kindred Osiris, of the Black Valkyrie Regiment, who was sitting in the meeting room of the Karthusian Black Valkyrie Regiment Headquarters. As a matter of fact, most assassins of the BVR were not like those Karthusians - some even stayed till death. However, some would live in a miserable life of countless innocent bloodshed. After all, they were still people. Living a life of torturing civilians to protect an entire city, nation, or region, would often take a toll on someone. Most assassins would retire at around the age of twenty five, or even around thirty. Kindred was twenty-nine. For some reason however, he had this feeling that he did not want to. It was… strange. But perhaps he shouldn’t dive too deep into this. Perhaps the former general William’s reforms were starting to make this faction less of a nightmare to handle. And even if it didn’t, he was the same age as Maria, whose words of authority muffled through the red door near the corridor, along with the screams of an RBR member he kidnapped from earlier. Reports have suggested that he had been with the People’s Liberation Front, entering through the province of Allaris - where Queen Saverine was to arrive for the announcement of the Royal Decree to defend against Porthos.
He sat peacefully in the meeting room, writing his thoughts on a long table, which was the center of the room. He was heated up by a fireplace on the side, which faced the corridor, where doors facing each other were visible. One of these rooms contained Maria, but the other rooms contained other torturers as well, making the meeting room a place of muffled screaming.
Two people arrived, walking through the corridor. It was Archduchess Eowyn, and Commander Valerie Deschenel. They each took their position. Valerie leaned her back on a wall, while Eowyn sat down across the table.
“She’s still not done?” Eowyn asked, prompting Kindred to tilt his head towards Maria’s room. A scream emerged, making Eowyn sigh in a bit of frustration. “King Rolim plans to attend the Allaris Council, I tried dissuading him, but you know how he is.”
“The plan still continues,” Kindred said, as another scream arose from the RBR member in the torture room. “I can take care of his necklace.”
Eowyn nodded, before going to Valerie. “Are you doing alright?”
Valerie didn’t answer. She was only here to listen. Eowyn hugged her… awkwardly. It was different this time, and she felt her hands dig closer to her. She was confused, but didn’t budge. She was her sister, and Adrien taught her that the only thing that mattered was her family.
Kindred continued to write, but couldn’t put any words on the paper. There was silence. Even the screams stopped.
“Sit down, Valerie,” Eowyn said, prompting the white haired girl to look at her. “Are you still feeling pain from time to time?”
Valerie nodded. “It’s getting worse.”
Kindred and Eowyn looked at each other. With a silent sigh coming out of the Archduchess’s mouth, she slowly placed her hand on Valerie. “You will need more healing soon. I will try my best to take out the pain and numb your nerves.”
“The other people don’t have such illnesses,” Valerie countered.
“That is because your brain was damaged,”
“How?”
Kindred looked down, knowing what the stakes were becoming. He started to continue writing once more.
“How?” Valerie said, causing Eowyn to stop healing her. Kindred slowly put his feet away from each other to prepare to stand.
“There’s a reason you do not want to hear that name,” Kindred said, before standing up. “And that’s not because that was the girl you first killed.”
Valerie started to breathe louder, feeling her body shake. “Stop.”
“You cannot keep living like this. You will only suffer and decay. The person who revived you was not a Necromancer, therefore unable to fully revive you,” Kindred said, looking at Eowyn. “Your brain was fried, Valerie, but it was salvageable enough.”
“I…. died?” Valerie asked.
“You would be revived at the orders of Duke Adrien, regardless of whether or not you suffered,” Kindred replied, before putting his right hand on his waist. “To ensure House Deschenel’s rule over Karthus.”
Valerie released a tear on her eye. Memories started to appear more. Fragments - shatters of scenes in her mind about Kindred wearing the uniform of the RBR, and how she was stabbed… by someone. Maybe a knife, maybe a sword. All she knew was that person had a fox mask. Eitherway, these details were unnecessary. She was suffering.
“I brought you here to stop that,” Kindred said, before Eowyn stopped using her magic, making Valerie scream in pain. “I can’t let you kill Saverine. Not right now when Karthus is on the brink of war.”
Valerie cried, as she felt like a massive nail was hitting her head, drilling down through her brain. Her head felt like it was pulsating, and as she looked up, she saw Kindred holding her red mana nullifiers and putting it on the end of the room.
Perhaps this is why she was able to numb the pain earlier.
“Make it stop….” Valerie softly said, holding her head. “Kill me. I don’t wish to live like this anymore.”
Eowyn looked at her adopted sister. Her life was on her hands, and this wouldn’t be the first time she would kill a person with a Deshenel last name. One last loose end… hopefully.
A snap from her fingers, and her glowing veins immediately reached her neck. Valerie felt a blissful trace on her neck - almost as if it was soothing, like she was going to sleep. There was no pain, no desperation, and no race to breathe. It was as if she was invited to stop breathing… to stop living. And soon enough, she closed her eyes, comforted by the eternal slumber she was about to witness. The last memories that she would have for her life was the sight of her body… decapitated.
Eowyn collapsed into a kneel. She was beginning to feel the weight of everything she was doing. First it was Adrien, now it was Valerie. Soon, who else? She wasn’t made for this. She was made to heal people and teach children about the beauty of Ravena - to be kind to others no matter the cost, and help one another for a better future, but here she was… killing the same individuals she was sworn to protect. The irony.
Maria walked out of the torture room to see the scene, late for the final act. Late for the climax. Already at the finishing bow. A pity. Well… in other cases, the show must go on.
“The man is an informant. I really think the RBR needs to check their soldiers,” Maria said as she leaned to her right with her arms crossed, looking at Valerie’s decapitated body, while Eowyn stared blankly at it. “He was given several gold coins to shut his mouth about the PLF’s planned attack on the Allaris Council.”
Kindred stood up, swiping his uniform off, before walking back to his chair. “Maria, kindly clean this, and put her head into a chest.”
“Sentimental about your former lover, are we? When did the great Kindred Osiris do that?” Maria smirked as she began to walk to the corpse, picking up the head by the hair.
“Just do it quickly and quietly,” Kindred said, looking at Maria precisely. Only her. “I want it preserved properly for King Rolim.”
Maria bowed as she looked at Kindred, before walking along to the end of the room to grab a barrel. “Time to make it look like another one of my works…”
John Triggerman, now a Commander of the Golden Eagle Guard, flew across the City of Vendeaux, looking at the bustling capital of Karthus in the spring, carrying a spear he crafted himself. From the sky, he could see the statue of Goner, kneeling in front of the gate of the Royal Castle. To him, it was a waste of concrete to create an arch when it didn’t even act as a second gate. But then again, maybe it was a good way to funnel in the enemies for better ways of maintaining their push - that is of course, if they could finish it on time. Porthosian Concrete was running extremely low because of this war, so the statue of someone insignificant such as an RBR Commander ruffled the feathers of the angel. Such purchases could’ve been used to make bridges, or roads, or even upgrade the towers. But Royal orders are Royal Orders.
Commander John saw the BVR jump from house to house, splitting into 2 squads. When you’re an angel, you tend to easily see things from a different perspective. One of them was being able to see the BVR from the sky. Perhaps this was why the airship doc was a bit far from the castle and the city.
Those 2 squads belonged to Kindred, and Siren. Siren was in charge of the squad headed to the east, while Kindred was in charge of the squad heading to the Camp of Freedom. 2 weeks have passed since the Allaris Council situation, and things have changed since Aurelia became queen. Yet, as it began to dawn on him, Siren Deschenel and him had begun to bicker. It started with smaller things, such as harsher and harsher “sparring” sessions, but soon, it became clear that they could not work together properly anymore.
Kindred and his squad arrived at the Camp of Freedom. After General Kai Ellington signed the alliance, they could now freely enter the camp. Of course, this created challenges to Kindred, as he did not want his former members to see him - Even Gold.
“Search the place,” Kindred said, as the rest of the BVR began walking around, spreading around to stealthily check other people’s belongings. Immediately however, Sir Juliste found a VAC-M1 in one of the sheds. “Report back to the headquarters. There’s nothing here, but perhaps the VAC-M1 could be a potential PLF weapon.”
Juliste nodded, before sending a paradove to report to John Triggerman about the incident. “What about the other squad? Do you think they would find something else there?”
Sir Elrohir crawled on all fours as he was kicked lightly by Commander Siren Deschenel in a forest, as the rest of the squad looked at them.
“Do not try to look at me the wrong way again. Be ashamed,” the Deschenel said, looking at Elrohir, crying.
Triggerman saw a person in one of the towers of the castle, who seemed to be armed with a crossbow. No… it wasn’t just any crossbow. It was…
In a swift move, he dove to the person, and immediately kicked the man.
The man fell down from the tower, landing on the smooth cobblestone road, creating a splatter of red below. The man coughed out blood, as the person in front of him was none other than Giggs Chitinni, along with his bodyguard, Gördim. The orc knelt on the ground to check his belongings. Inside one of his bag was a seal… from the Committee of State Security.
“Kill him,” Giggs said, followed by Gördim taking out his axe, and saying, “my pleasure.”
The axe landed on the hip of the CSS agent. Losing blood, he slowly died, but as they both looked up, they saw a GEG trainee holding their chest, as he was hit by a VAC-M2 bolt. Giggs walked to the man, taking out his arrow and putting a healing potion on it… though… it seemed like there was only a small chance that he would still be alive.
“Welp, he’s going to die. Didn’t get healed properly.” Giggs said.
“Indeed,” Gördim replied.
The Black Valkyrie Regiment finally arrived. It was Kindred’s squad. Seeing this situation, he simply ordered Riki to look for anyone that seemed Vonturian. With such a vague order, Riki’s eyes immediately went to the first thing he saw - Nicholas, who seemed to be wearing a Vonturian Gas Mask.
Commander John Triggerman landed on the castle grounds looking at the scenario and seeing the rest of the GEG go out to watch what was unfolding. One of them was Sir Twenty, who John was looking for the entire time. The spear he was carrying was finally given to Twenty, but this moment was not going to be just for a reunion, as one of their fellow guardians was still dying. “You better not think of eating that man if he dies, Twenty,” Triggerman remarked.
Twenty shook his head, then pointed at the dead CSS agent.
“No. No. No,” Triggerman said, as he then scoffed, then moved to the dead body. After looking closely as to who it was, Triggerman was surprised to find out who it was. It was none other than Sir Katsuo. Luckily, he seemed to be getting into a better state than before. “Looks like everything is going well at the moment. Right, Twenty?”
Twenty was not beside him. When Triggerman turned around, he just saw Twenty eating the remains of the CSS Agent. Darius saw this, and became furious. He could have punched, whipped, or simply killed Twenty. But no… he simply stomped near the cannibal and said, “I will not have a cannibal be in this order. You are fired!”
Twenty shrugged, and continued to eat. Soon however, he would be dragged by The Karthusian Town Watch out of the castle, as his mouth was still filled with blood from his lunch.
As Kindred’s squad returned to the Karthusian BVR Headquarters, Kindred looked at his comrades to brief on their findings.
“CSS Agents at the capital,” Kindred said, looking at the rest of his squadmates. “We need our assassins to roam more on the capital.”
“We can’t, sir,” Lieutenant Edd said, eating his apple. “The Allaris Council has prohibited the BVR from doing ‘hard surveillance’.”
“Things were much easier in Ravena…” Kindred said softly, not wanting to offend his Karthusian assassins.
The door suddenly opened, making Kindred kick the person who opened it. It wasn’t any sort of enemy, but a civilian. The rest of the BVR took out their weapons to get ready, but Kindred simply raised his hand into a fist, telling them to stop.
“Lady, please knock before you enter,” Kindred said, before seeing the girl struggle to stand up and wave at anything.
“Who’s there!??? Hello???” The girl said, making Kindred realize what he had done. He had kicked a blind girl. “I’m M-Miss Cadenza. I-I’m here to clean…”
Kindred sighed. “You shouldn’t be here,” before looking at his comrades, then he used the pommel of his sword to knock the maid unconscious. “Take her outside.”
The assassins nodded, before bringing her to the living room, only to be met by angry yells from a girl named Irene. Those screams fell from deaf ears, as the BVR had more important matters to discuss. The festival of knowledge was nearby, and war was coming. They were sure that something big was going to happen.
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