We Head To War

I got flung by the elephant, ribs cracking as I flew across the pathway and through a wooden house's walls. I barely hung onto consciousness, fighting the darkness forming around my vision with all my might. Move! Move! Move! My body ached in pain as I slowly shoved the rubble off me, my sword nowhere to be seen. My skin was no longer glowing red. Yumii's protection is gone. Damn it.

I felt a hot liquid running from the top of my head, my hand reaching out to examine it, bringing it to my crossed-out eyes for my brain to figure it out. That's a lot of blood. I chuckled, my hand covered in the red substance all the way to the wrist. My stomach twisted and contracted, my body beginning to steam like a teapot as I began healing from the sigil pill.

"Arghhhh,"

I convulsed, crawling out of the house I was thrown into, coughing up blood, leaving a trail behind me.

"So fragile," pitied the entity, grabbing me by the neck, lifting me off the ground easily. "I could make you stronger."

The arcanist's hand glowed purple, just like his eyes, the air smelling like rotten eggs and outdated fish as dark blue energy waves formed around his arm. He reached his hand out towards me.

"I will get stronger on my own!"

My shadow blade cut the entity's arm off as it flew into my waiting hand. I dropped to my feet and immediately stabbed the arcanist through the chest. Black blood poured out from the man's mouth, spilling on the mud below us. He smiled creepily at me, ignoring his wound.

"Ruina."

An invisible mountain dropped onto me, crushing me and dropping me down to my knees as I yelled in pain. The ground collapsed, web cracks forming around me. Waves upon waves of energy kept me pinned down as I yelled in defiance, teeth gnashing. The weight was so heavy, I couldn't lift a finger. The sigil pill did its utmost to heal my torn muscles and tendons, my skin practically smoking more than a hot spring. The entity pulled my blade out of its chest, throwing it afar.

"Did you really think," he leaned onto his knees, "that you ever stood a chance? Stupid girl. Your world is but one of a long list of dimensions I've conquered. You. Are. Nothing."

I stared at him defiantly. The man straightened up, sighing.

"So primitive… What is it you said? 'Let's see what your guts are made of'? "

He pulled his arm back, fist clenching in a punch. Blood poured from my pores as I pushed my body beyond its limits to get out of the arcanic hold. MOOOOVE!

He threw his arm forward, reaching for my guts.

"Seriously?! Stop stabbing me!"

The man screamed, a spearhead suddenly appearing out of his sternum, bothering him more than hurting him. But it worked well enough.

The arcanic weight dissipated.

Now!

I jumped to my feet, hand reaching out in the air, grasping my sword's handle yet again. I swung hard, yelling at the top of my lungs, releasing all my bloodlust.

"DIE!"

The arcanist's head popped off his shoulder without a sound, black blood covering my face. I watched the body drop to the ground, and stabbed the detached head a few times, just to check. It probably isn't really dead, this is just a body to whatever this Hollow thing is.

I looked at my saviour, and was greeted by the vision of Palleus drenched in blood from head to toe. Every time he'd move his feet, all I would hear was SPLAT. I snickered. The old geezer still has it. The grey-haired man was left unharmed, though his armor was covered in gashes, nicks and dents.

"Thank you," I nodded at him.

The man moved silently next to me, turning around to watch the end of the battle. Almost the entirety of the raiders had been wiped out.

"What was that thing you fought?"

"I don't know," I kicked the body, a grimace appearing on my face, "but it's the source of both our problems."

"I see."

I watched as Yumii, who had apparently succeeded in her mission, entangled the war elephant in vines that grew from the surrounding wood planks that had been scattered all over the place. She brought it down to its belly with a yell, the huge creature yelling as it smashed onto the ground so hard it shook the valley. Of course she'd try to save it. I smiled while Yumii whispered at the elephant's ears a second, and yelled at the soldiers trying to attack the creature the next. They backed off, definitely scared of her.

"She's got guts, your friend.”

"She does," I nodded in agreement, a small smile creeping up on my face.

"Sir!" yelled a villager, running at us. "There's another army incoming!"

Palleus' head flicked towards the villager, body already in motion. He's a damn machine.

"Show me!"

The villager pointed towards the other side of the camp, where all the non-warriors had gone to keep themselves safe. The man's long sleeves slid down his arm as he aimed higher than he should've. Is that-?

He brought his arm down. I drew my sword and cut through his shoulder quicker than he could avoid the strike. Palleus stepped aside and aimed his spear at me soon after the villager's arm dropped onto the ground.

"Echis! What is the meaning of this?!"

I steeled my gaze, squinting my eyes at the villager, who was screaming his head off, holding his stump. Yumii came running at us from afar, but she ended up stuck behind a crowd of soldiers and villagers.

"Look at his forearm."

Cautiously, the old man flipped the limb around, revealing a strapped blade, along with a tattooed winged heart. Palleus sighed heavily, lifting his spear up, his soldiers doing the same. Yumii pushed herself through the line of guards and joined my side. Having her by my side already makes me feel much more confident.

"Care to explain, Huèdo?" asked the Kraken Hunter, bags forming under his eyes.

"... It's all their fault!" the accused pointed at Yumii and me. Seriously? I facepalmed. "Had they surrendered to their fate, none of this would've happened! I wouldn't have had to… I wouldn't…"

"Wouldn't have had to… what?" questioned Palleus, tightening his grip around his spear.

Huèdo stuttered so hard his answer was unintelligible. I rolled my eyes.

"He means that he killed the guard,” I answered for the man. “That is why there was no alert until they came knocking on our doors."

The crowd gasped and yelled, throwing mud at the spy.

"How are you not bleeding out right now?" I questioned, pointing at the already cauterised wound.

He cackled to himself, whizzing as he leaned over his knees, neck turning black.

"Faeries are powerful, but their arcane is so costly it's a joke," he chuckled. "Do you even remember why you are here, freak?"

I punched him square in the face, sending him flying at Palleus' feet.

"Answer the damn question, puppet,” I growled.

What the hell did he mean by ‘remembering’? I sent a side-eyed look at Yumii, who had turned her head away.

He wiped his bleeding nose, leaning his head back in uncontrolled laughter.

"Oh Echis," he smiled at me, "your sacrifice will be our masterpiece. The Lord will feast upon your soul, your world WILL BURN AND AL—"

SHCRRRR!

A spear put an end to his rambling, the holder twisting the weapon before pulling it out of the backstabber’s skull.

"Burn his body with the arcanists'," Palleus spoke calmly as he wiped the blood off his spear.

He looked at his men, the villagers under his responsibility, who were all staring at him, scared, uncertain about what would come next and how they would keep surviving these attacks. He took a deep breath, and stood straight.

"If what Huèdo said was true, then the world is under threat. We've seen before, and we saw today again, that this threat is not to be taken lightly."

He paused, allowing a moment of silence for the fallen.

"I disagree with him." He pointed at Huèdo's corpse at his feet. "This world isn't anyone's, it's everyone's… Life may be chaotic, and violent, and far from peaceful, but we cannot forsake our duty to defend it. Such is our vow, and our way, as people of the Sacred Lands. Is it not?"

Many of the villagers nodded, even those who'd taken part in the battle and were clearly exhausted or hurt.

"In spite of our suffering, in spite of how much Fate demands of us, let us rage again, and again, against those who threaten to take it all away from us. Even if we stand alone in this world, let us stand, proud, above the flames of madness! Let us be the light in the darkest of nights, and let us march against the hordes of evil!! Let us pluck it out at its roots and put an end to the damnation of this world! Here, and now! Who's with me?!"

The villagers roared as one, screaming for justice and vengeance. Their cry echoed in the star-littered night sky. The hair on my arms rose up, my blood pumping hard in my veins. So this is what a leader is supposed to be like. I shivered, my hands twitching, eager to get back to fighting. Palleus smiled and tasked his people, sending most to rest while the ones he trusted stayed to prepare tomorrow’s assault.

"We're going to need some reinforcements," I whispered to Yumii.

"Don't worry about that," she smiled at me, handing out her hand like a perch for a big orange bird to land, red arcane energy pouring off of the animal. "I have just what we need."