I Meet A Legend Amongst Legends

We flew across the skies, the thunderstorm fading past the horizon behind us. We were protected from the blowing wind by the Sarie's raised steel feathers, which acted as cover from the drag.

I grunted, closing my eyes as I lay down on the giant bird, breathing slowly while enjoying the cold breeze. Yumii sat cross-legged further down the bird of prey, arms spread as wide as her smile, chuckling to herself. I wonder what she's thinking about, I wondered with a single eye open. She must've felt my gaze, because Yumii looked at me straight away and crawled closer.

"How are you feeling?"

I shrugged.

"Ok, I guess."

But my face betrayed me, as tears formed in the corners of my eyes. I frowned, my eyes squeezing tight, and aggressively wiped my hands on my face to remove the liquid.

"It's okay not to feel okay," The faery’s tone softened up.

Is she using arcane to allow us to speak despite the wind?

"I'm alright," I bit my lip. "L-look, I was never… Well, I hadn't been close to my father in years."

"Since you left for the Cerberus Islands?"

Huh, I guess she did hear everything when Atos and I fought.

"Right," I nodded. "It doesn't mean we haven't seen each other but… I never connected with him emotionally. He was always distant, scared to get attached. I know why, but it still hurt."

Yumii leaned her head, inquiring.

"Why?"

I guess he won't be there to complain about me spilling the beans…

"Atos adopted me, picked me up from the streets of Dandelion, after I'd run away from my orphanage."

I shivered as I mentioned St Öllor, the nightmarish place I'd set on fire a few years later. I wish I could burn it down again right now.

"Mhm."

"Despite choosing to save me, it was difficult for him to act as a father. He was a soldier for years, until his battalion was decimated in a bloody battle against the monsters in the Ashen Lands. He lost his son in that battle… He's been suffering from nightmares, panic attacks and episodes for years, so he turned to drinking…"

Gods, saying it out loud makes me realise how shit he had it. Yumii looked at the white clouds that passed us by, emotionless as she listened carefully to my every word. I cleared my throat, rubbing my face.

"Anyways, he's a bad drunk… Not as bad as some."

I clenched my fist. I pity even Damien now, ugh.

"But still, he could get difficult to deal with."

We both remained quiet for a while, the words hanging in between us, until Yumii broke the silence.

"If he's struggled so much, why are you mad at him still? I don't understand."

I stared into Yumii's soul, who was looking at me with curious, innocent eyes. Right, she's not human.

"Just because he's had it rough his entire life does not entitle him to do the same unto me."

Yumii chose to get back into her cross-legged position, though this time she held her head with her hand while looking at the earth below, pondering. My own voice echoed in my mind, repeating the words again and again as another realisation dawned upon me. I clenched my fists, sighing deeply to control my emotions, rage surging through my body.

Yeah, he wasn't entitled to be such a piece of crap, I gritted my teeth. And he even dared to try to fix things before he died… freaking asshole! I CAN'T EVEN PUNCH HIM FOR MAKING ME MISS HIM!

I grunted in frustration, pulling my hair out, my thoughts going crazy. Yumii put her hand on my shoulder, looking at me with worry. I smiled weakly at her before leaning slightly backwards to pull away. I'm fine. I am fine. I. am. FINE.

"I never asked, where is your home? Wouldn't you like to go back there instead of sticking with me?"

"Not really, no," Yumii played with her thumbs. "I've never stayed at a place very long… Faeries are hunted, you know?"

Yes, I do. I sighed, leaning my head back with a grunt. Another damn entry on the unending list of things I failed to fix.

"But it's alright. It's made me discover beautiful places, and meet incredible people, like you!"

The woman smiled bright, her compliment temporarily warming my aching heart.

"Thanks," I smiled bitterly, "but I'm nowhere near a good person, Yums. I've done, and still do, bad things for my own gain."

Like dragging you into this when you’re being hunted by the Angels. The faery waved off my rebuttal.

"Nonsense, we've all done bad things at some point, or so I've been told!"

She pointed at her chest, staring into my eyes.

"You've defended me, saved my life and tried to save all these people on the boat. You're a great person, Storm Cleaver!"

If only you knew what I've done to people before. I chuckled bleakly. I should just focus on Sam instead of lingering on the past, but I guess I can't help being a mess… I wonder what this ‘Hollow’ thing’s goal is. I turned my gaze to Yumii, the woman blowing bubbles with her mouth in the wind. And why the Angels were interested in her. Ugh that’s so much to think about.

I groaned, crawling on all fours to reach Sarie's head. The blasted animal shook its neck as I got closer, the sharp steel feathers brushing against me, tearing some of my clothes.

"Hey!" I pointed a finger at the creature, "I haven't even said anything yet! Just listen, crazy feathered beast, you might like what I’m about to tell you."

I crawled further, this time the hawk allowing me to close the gap, and leaned onto its head, wrapping my arms around its neck, or at least barely holding on for dear life.

"How about we have a friendly contest?! I need to spend some of my energy!"

The hawk shrieked, blinking at me.

"I'll take that as a yes!" I smiled. "Let's see how many air tricks each of us can do before we reach the ground!"

I straightened up, adrenaline pumping in my veins. Finally!

There was no jump, because as soon as I looked to the horizon, I saw a huge stack of black smoke rise from afar. Ah godsdamnit, I wanted to fly!

"Yumii!" I somehow caught the faery's attention, pointing at the smoke. “Can you tell where it’s coming from?!”

The woman crawled to me, small white circles covered in symbols appearing in layers in front of her left eye. The circles moved around her eye as if she was adjusting her eyesight. Yumii turned to me in a panic, throwing her arms wildly around in the air, unable to speak at first.

“T-T-The…”

“Use your words, dear”, I patted her head.

“T-The cities are on fire!"

"What?!"

"The cities-"

"I heard you! I meant… HOW?!... Go faster, Kári!"

Yumii giggled next to me as I used a name for the creature. Oh whatever. I rolled my eyes with a small smile.

Kári flew upwards, batting his wings heavily until it felt like we'd gone into space, the terrain in front of me bending over the horizon. Sunlight pierced the dark skies, its rays blinding me. Gods, it's so cold here. I shivered, my teeth chattering.

The arcane beast leaned forward, channeling lightning as we broke the sound barrier.

BANG!

I screamed at the top of my lungs as we plummeted to the ground, and dared look below us, villages passing by looking like dots on a map. They were distinguishable from the green grass terrain by the amount of black smoke that rose from them. The entirety of the Sacred Lands is on fire! It's got to be the Angels’ doing!

We passed by at least twenty destroyed villages before we reached the first fortress that stood intact atop a hill, wooden pillar defenses and watchtowers rising.

"Drop us down there!" I pointed to the main entrance.

"Then you're free to go!" added Yumii.

So long as you don't turn us into a burnt set of legs afterwards. Kári dove even faster, and spread its wings just as we reached the ground, the sudden deceleration crushing me into its feathers. Ow, that's sharp!

The creature flipped in the air, a few meters off the ground, both Yumii and I slipping off.

"Bastard!" I flipped the animal off as I fell.

I can't believe I just got metaphorically shown the bird by a HAWK! The creature cackled as it flew away with haste, turning into a ray of lightning and disappearing in the sky.

"OOHMP!"

I rolled and slid across the grassland, dropping off a three-meter cliff, taking chunks of dirt away with me until I came to a full stop with a long stretched out groan.

"Fuuuuuuuuuuck…"

I rolled onto my back, muscles aching all over. Pretty sure my back isn’t supposed to make that sound.

"I'm too old for this."

One day, I promised with hatred in my heart, I'll go back there, and make chicken nuggets out of you, Kári... I know what you look like, you feathered criminal!

"Are you hurt?" asked Yumii, appearing above me from the natural stone wall, interrupting my revenge plot.

My pride sure is. I raised a thumb, not trusting my throat to not yell insults out of pain.

"Good!" exclaimed Yumii, throwing a thumbs-up back at me, smiling so wide her teeth reflected the sunlight in my face.

"Ughhh okay, I'm getting up."

The guards welcomed us at the entrance gates, crossbows aimed straight at our heads.

"Who goes there!"

Do I really have to…? I leaned over my hips, disgruntled.

"...Echis, Storm Cleaver!"

The men stepped back, their weapons put away as a guard yelled to open the gates, screaming when the other soldiers questioned why. The doors opened quickly enough. I guess being a famous mercenary has its perks. They led us to the biggest house of the village, standing at the highest point of the hill, its wooden facade stretching upwards in a failed attempt to reach the skies. Many of the villagers stared at us, some children pointing directly at Yumii's hair or my torn tunic. I didn't bother looking back at them all.

How pretentious. I looked at the wild beasts' stuffed trophies and clean skeletons hung by the bungalow's entrance. I've slain bigger. Yumii stomped the ground, cheeks puffed as her gaze stopped onto an arcane beast’s skull. I felt like letting the place burn to the ground from whatever was attacking the villages. Sacred Lands are meant to be peaceful, I growled. There's nothing peaceful in trophy hunting.

We entered a huge ballroom which also served as a throne room, a great oak seat covered in animal furs, multiple long tables leading up to the grey-haired man who sat on the seat, a crown of elk antlers wrapped around his head, surrounded by armed guards. They don't look like an army. They were under-equipped, lacked good armour and held rusty or bent weapons. More like farmers. They were tense, blinking heavily and sweating as Yumii and I approached.

"The Storm Cleaver!" clapped the leader, standing up. "Am I glad to see you, legend in the flesh."

I held back a disgusted grunt.

"How may we help you on your journey? If you are travelling through, that is. We offer you our hospitality."

I looked around, scratching the back of my head.

"You're right, I am travelling. But it seems to me I may help you more than you me. Tell me, who has been attacking the surrounding cities?"

The man sighed, falling back onto his seat, holding his head.

"You very well may be right. We have been overwhelmed by constant raider assaults. We’ve been sending scout parties to find out where they were coming from, and all we found is that an army of cultists assembled by a great tower on the Eastern road, controlling trade and ravaging the nearby cities, parading a disgusting banner of a winged eyeless-"

"-screaming face," I finished for him, my anger flaring up again. I feel like I could explode any minute just at the thought of them. He stared at me for a moment, nodding slowly.

"Indeed. Only the villages and cities with defenses, such as the one we currently stand in, have been able to withstand so far."

"You took this city from the raiders?" I questioned. The man nodded.

"Yes, with the toll expected from such a task… There aren't many of us left to defend it."

Right, that makes sense. I gazed upon the disheveled guards. A hungry dog would probably fight better.

"And the trophies outside?" bit Yumii, crossing her arms.

The leader looked surprised at her speaking up, but still raised his hands in apologies.

"Poor taste from the previous owners of this fort, we have unfortunately not been able to remove them yet… But, understand, miss, that we will… Who are you?"

"She's a friend of mine," I pulled slightly on Yumii's arm.

Don't bring too much attention to you, please, I told her through my eyes. We never know whos’ listening. She huffed and turned her head away, pouting.

"To tell you the truth… I've been travelling, trying to gather information on this cult. They aren't active only here, and for some reason I haven't been able to figure out yet, they assimilated with the Angels."

The room went quiet, the guards sweating profusely. The man stood up, squinting his eyes.

"Are you certain of this? The Angels have returned?"

I clenched my jaws, rubbing my ring.

"They took something… someone important to me. Yes," I looked straight into the leader's eyes, "I am absolutely sure. And I will ensure these vermin die off for good this time."

I spat my venom, my teeth cracking as I pressed them together. Yumii stared at me from the side, dancing on her feet. I told you, you don't really know me.

The man stepped closer, ignoring his guards' calls to remain near them, and held out his hand. He'd lost two fingers, and long white strikes carved his forearms all the way to his elbows. His face looked just as decorated, various scars painted onto his skin. He smiled coldly.

"They have done the same to me… and I intend to repay the debt. Care to join forces, Echis?"

A flash of silver caught my eye: a small coin wrapped around a chain hanging out of his coat's pocket, a silver tentacle carved onto it. Ah, I see. I smirked. I know who you are. I grabbed the legendary man's forearm.

"It would be my pleasure, Palleus the Kraken Hunter."

Alarm bells rang off outside, the sound of the gongs resonating throughout the village, sending a wave of panic and fear through the villagers inside the hall. Palleus' smile grew bigger, a murderous intent lighting in his eyes.

"Let us slay some Angels, friends!"