Chapter 4: Sanctuary of Worship

Harpya stays with Edward for a while until the guards arrive. He runs to the castle to warn the king.

On the way, he thought: "This can't be, tell me this isn't real."

Harpya was scared and angry; he feared Volny would suffer the same fate as Vein.

In the king's chamber, Harpya reports on the enemies, and the king orders the guard reinforced for the night. Harpya asks to be the leader of the guard, and the king agrees.

He runs to his room and retrieves the golden sword that belonged to the voice of power.

He looks at Isz, still expressionless, and says that he will prevent that hell from repeating itself in their new home.

Returning to accompany the new guards, Harpya encounters Ida.

Ida: What was that? Please Harpya, be careful, I heard that thing came from Vein by sea.

Harpya: It's alright princess, we'll take care of it.

When Harpya returned to the port, a soldier was almost crushed by another creature, but was saved by Edward who cut the creature in half and finished it off with a shot.

Edward: Get out of there soldiers, you have no way to fight them.

Soldier: What does a former pirate have to teach us about combat?

Edward:  I have far more experience than you young men, get out of here now.

Edward was fast and killed more of those monsters; the soldier who tried to intimidate him was impressed. His sword was quick, and his shots were too.

Harpya appeared and used a single blow of his sword, driving away several monsters.

The red sea gradually returned to its normal color, but Harpya and the others spent the entire night on guard.

The following morning, a message from the nearby village said that creatures similar to those were there, and adventurers who had gone out to face the monsters had disappeared.

The king then summons a new expedition and wants to go along again. Harpya asks to go with the king, who agrees and takes Nyx. They set off early in the morning with all the equipment.

On the way, Nyx talked to the king about what these things could be.

Nyx: Sir, wouldn't it have been better to take the armored vehicles?

King:  No, I don't want to scare the population even more. Whatever this could be, I have no intention of worrying the people.

Harpya: I've never seen anything like it before, they looked like a fusion of flesh and bone. King, can I be honest about something?

King: Of course, go ahead.

Harpya: Volny has great technology, good soldiers, and a large force, but some weapons and lack of experience are allowing the monsters to advance into areas with civilians.

King: I have an idea, but unfortunately we've never faced these enemies here, at most goblins, which have been extinct for years. The only ones with the necessary experience are our veterans who fought alongside you in the war.

Harpya: As I said, the soldiers are good, but the lack of relics makes fighting these creatures very difficult. I think only Edward and I have ours.

Cerberus came running alongside Harpya near his horse and barked.

Harpya: Of course, there's Cerberus too.

King: You're right, lad, I realized that a long time ago. I think the only ones with the experience are you and Nyx, but his weapon is a pseudo-relic. I think the scientists in the workshop could make it if we had more leftover relics.

Harpya ponders the matter, and they ride to the village.

King: Stay calm, we've arrived with reinforcements and will help everyone.

Villager: Good morning, Your Highness. My son disappeared two days ago in that direction. He was a newcomer to the guild, but he had fought before. I heard there are demons around here, and I'm afraid it's the same thing that happened to the neighboring kingdom.

Harpya sounds cold.

King: Calm down, I will do what I can. I've already requested more reinforcements to come to the village.

Villager:  It wasn't just my children; many women have disappeared too, farmers, housewives.

One managed to return and said they were being used to help the Advent child. Two days later, the man who survived committed suicide by cutting his throat, and his blood was black.

The king was startled by the news and ordered half of the men who had gone with him to remain there on guard.

Harpya clenched his fists and said: Black blood... Transmutation or some kind of alchemy for ritual, but who would do that here?

Nyx:  Have you seen this before?

Harpya: - No, but an old comrade has, his name was Hindal, and when we were colleagues he went on a mission against some cultists, and the report contained that same description.

Nyx:  And what was their objective?

Harpya:  To create a sanctuary of worship, with flesh, blood, and magic.

In the distance, Cerberus barked, pointing in a direction. They followed, and the day quickly passed, growing late. Cerberus led them to an old farm.

A soldier searched the main house and found it in disarray. There were signs of a struggle, but it was impossible to tell if the family had escaped or died, as there was no blood.

Cerberus barked towards the barn, which was located below a hill. When they entered, the smell was very strong; it was the smell of blood mixed with various other things.

Soldier: - My god, what is that stench?

When Nyx pointed a flashlight upwards, he fell backward.

A pile of naked, hanged corpses with their bellies ripped open hung there, symbols drawn on their chests; that scene was something difficult to forget.

Suddenly, laughter echoed outside. They were locked in the barn, but Harpya, with a sword strike, destroyed the door.

Cultist: "See, brothers, our sacrifice has just improved."

The cultists laughed at the situation. The king and the others seemed cornered; the bodies in the barn fell and came back to life.

Their teeth gnashed strangely, and they advanced against the soldiers.

They engaged in a brief confrontation, but the soldiers had the advantage until the cultists began casting magic on them.

Harpya: "Purple light?"

The soldiers were hit and burned on the ground, the corpses rebuilt themselves and returned to attack. Harpya commands Cerberus to use his purifying water magic. Cerberus spits a giant ball of water that burns some corpses and cultists.

The cultists rush in with ritual daggers to kill them. Harpya, seeing that if she fights one-on-one many will die, uses the roar of her sword.

It was a roar so shrill that it shattered the heads of all the undead and killed some cultists, then a golden glow emanated from her.

The form of a lion cut the leader in half and the soldiers finished off the rest.

Harpya falls to her knees, feeling very exhausted, and the king says:  This sword is very strong, well done son, you saved us all.

Harpya, panting:  I was here for this.