Year 2: The Battle of Rhodes - Chapter 10

Stephanie’s barrier blasted Hermes’s black bolts to the sides, causing the bookcases either side of her to explode. Then, she swiped her hand and the Book of Thoth turned rapidly through its pages, arriving at a spell that summoned a giant sword made out of light.

She thrust it towards Hermes who easily flew to the side of it and fired another black beam at Stephanie. She clicked her tongue and jumped to the side, the ground exploding behind her. Stephanie held her left hand out to the side and a giant light sword manifested itself there. With a mighty roar, Stephanie swept the blade through the air towards Hermes, the sword extending itself to reach him.

Hermes’s right hand levitated another grimoire from his belt into his palm, its pages flipped a few times and a solid blue wall emerged; the sword disintegrated upon impact.

He’s not just like me as a mage or a scholar, but even the way we fight! Stephanie frowned. But he’s got a hell of a lot more books and spells at the ready…dammit!

Stephanie’s Divine Artifact swiftly changed to another page and dozens of small, teal bolts of magical energy formed behind her, then shot off towards Hermes from all direction. Hermes’s books changed again and a spherical barrier surrounded him, easily deflecting the bolts.

But.

It’s a different colour to what he used before - then!

Stephanie changed back to the sword made of light and swung; just as she suspected, Hermes dropped the spherical barrier and brought back up the blue wall to protect himself.

“Impressive,” Hermes praised, lowering himself to the ground. “Experimentation is at the core of all scientific discovery, though I must say your Divine Artifact feels rather inefficient.”

Stephanie’s eyes narrowed slightly. “…So, you say, but I noticed something else from our exchange earlier.”

“Oh?”

“Your spells are powerful, but mine have the greater raw potential.”

“…Go on.”

“The Book of Thoth has been a bitch to try and translate, far more so than Blake’s rings, but I finally understood why back at the Rivers House. This book.” She held up her Divine Artifact for emphasis. “Is written in so many languages because it’s spells are so dangerous. The ones I’ve been using so far have been relatively simple combat or helpful day to day stuff, nothing major, but the words I recognise in some of the harder to comprehend languages imply that these spells could wipe out armies. Of course.” She grunted. “I’d have to be able to decipher the lot to use them.”

“A pity then that you shall not be there to see that morning come.”

“Well, it doesn’t help by the fact that we’ve been destroying the library as we’ve fought.”

“Do not worry.” Hermes closed the grimoire he was holding. “Everything you see here is a replica. The real books have been safely teleported to the city library the moment battle was joined. Further, I created a copy of each book and sent it back to the Dread Keep to my tower where I intend to study them all when I have the time.”

“…How weirdly considerate of you.”

“I might be a demon, but I am not a barbarian. Knowledge is to be treasured.” Hermes held out his hand towards her. “I ask again, pointless though it may be - do you have no intention in coming over to our side?”

Stephanie shook her head and smiled. “Sorry.”

“You know of the great things we could discover together, surely? Yet you still refuse?”

She chuckled. “Then, I take it that means you’ve never thought about defecting and joining us?”

Hermes retracted his hand. “Such an act would be blasphemy and warrant death.”

It’s okay. I know Duncan and the others are doing their best elsewhere. All I have to do is hold on or wait for a moment to escape. Stephanie held up her arm again, the Book of Thoth answering her call. I believe in you guys!

***

The Demonic Legion hadn’t expected to take part in the attack at the King’s Palace.

Truth be told, their orders had always been the same since their formation: find and crush rebels either working for or linked to Princess Raeanne’s forces in the north-east. Then, two hours before the attack was to begin, the Demonic Legion had two hundred members swept up and taken to the King’s Palace under the command of the former Divine Paladin, Lawrence.

Together, accompanied by demons and Gørviligr, they were to take and hold the east gate of the palace, preventing anyone from getting in or out until the attack was complete.

Their battle, however, had gone very poorly.

Less than a third of the Demonic Legion were left standing and more continued to die as King Alexander’s forces drew ever closer.

Lawrence, for his part, had slain dozens of Alliance soldiers, but he was starting to see defeat on the horizon.

“The Demon Emperor entrusted this to us,” he mumbled, roughly pulling his sword from the chest of a dead knight. “Failure would be a worse fate than death. Still.” He swung his sword, shaking most of the fresh blood off. “This is an appalling display from the Legion.”

Not that they were ever intended to be first class warriors like the Dread Knight. Expendable would be too great an honour to give them. Lawrence chuckled. Well, not that they know that.

“…Is that really you, Lawrence?”

The former Divine Paladin shot a look to his left and saw a wearied King Alexander approaching him. He, like Lawrence, had been dyed crimson and his blade was stained with blood.

Unlike Lawrence, however, the King of Rhodes was escorted by hundreds of soldiers.

“I’m impressed you still draw breath, old friend.” Lawrence turned to face him properly as the Demonic Legion’s last thirty troops fell into line behind him, Hysminai and Machai at their backs. “I’m even more impressed that you’ve risked so much to fight in the open.”

King Alexander grinned. “A king who does not inspire others is no true king.”

“I could not have put it better myself, but this is folly, King Alexander.” Lawrence aimed his sword at Alexander’s heart. “You are marked for death by the Tyrant of the East. Bringing him your head will be the greatest of honours.”

“…You might remember me and the times we trained whenever I visited Rhodes, but you are not the Lawrence I know.”

“You wound me, old friend. I wonder if Duncan would say the same when he’s reunited with Dame Chelsea.”

King Alexande reacted strongly to that. “…So, they really did do that to her?”

“It was her suggestion, to protect the young princess, not that it matters now.”

“…I disagree.” King Alexander’s aura flared violently as he gripped his sword tighter.

Then, the king charged forward, his knights close behind.

Lawrence’s blade locked with the king’s briefly, before shattering into two. Then, without a second of wasted movement, Alexander punched Lawrence in the jaw with his free hand, knocking him to the ground. Lawrence was too stunned to react as Alexander dropped his boot onto Lawrence’s ribs, knocking the wind out of him.

Finally, as the former paladin struggled to catch his breath and recover, Alexander kicked Lawrence in his temple, knocking him out.

“We might not be able to undo the Awakening process, but you still have some value to us alive, Divine Paladin.”

***

The Blades of Yun had fallen dead.

Lord Akechi and his wife, Princess Hiiragi, remained standing, winded and wounded, but alive.

Two Dread Knights remained and they too were exhausted, barely able to keep fighting.

The one with the poleax and the one with the sickles.

The chakram Dread Knight had been slain by Captain Hu as his last act in Aangapea, while the trident user had fallen to Akechi’s swords.

It took everything we had to whittle them down to even numbers, Hiiragi noted, casting a passing look at the corpses littering the hallway. The woman with the sickles is very fast, but Akechi can deflect her strikes. The big man with the poleax makes up for it though. She frowned ever so subtly. She pins him down; he finishes off my husband. What an annoying matchup.

Just as the woman with sickles was about to charge, she suddenly stopped and stood up right.

The Dread Knight with the poleax didn’t move or look at her in confusion, but as if it was a normal thing to happen.

How curious. What are they-?

“It would seem this is where this battle ends.” The female Dread Knight sheathed her weapons and the poleax Dread Knight relaxed his guard. “Consider yourselves lucky, monarchs of a doomed people.”

“…Why is that?” Akechi asked.

“We do not know nor need to know. The Demon Emperor directs and we obey. Enjoy the few remaining minutes of rest you have left; they won’t last long.”

The two Dread Knights then simply walked away, seemingly leaving their backs open for attack, but the rulers of the Yun Shogunate did not leap at the opportunity.

They waited until their enemies had left and then nearly collapsed.

“Takahiko!” She ran to her husband’s side and began casting a healing spell on his wounds. “Are you-?”

“I’ll live, Sakura, don’t worry.” He smiled at loving stroked her cheek. “Captain Hu and the others…their memory shall live on.”

“…That will comfort their families little I fear.”

“No doubt, but it shall inspire their friends and comrades to fight. The Dread Knights are not to be underestimated, but they can be killed.” He gestured with his head to the three dead ones. “We even have proof.”

Unless they all grow stronger than we can ever imagine.

***

“Novem? What’s wrong?”

“…We should have won that,” the Dread Knight whispered. She touched the sickles in their sheaths and bit her lip. “Now that will go to someone else.”

“We four disappointed a great knight like yourself today,” the poleax Dread Knight said, bowing his head to her.

“Those three have paid their dues; you shall be expected to grow strong enough to keep your place as a Dread Knight.”

“Of course.”

***

Ewan had talked a big game to Xi Shi before, but his words had awoken the beast lurking inside of her.

Every strike he deflected was heavy.

Every blow he blocked broke his skin and bled him.

Every swipe nearly ended his life, and he was quickly running out of ways to endure.

Xi Shi, for her part, was still smiling beautifully, barely fatigued, as she hounded the young hero.

Still using just one hand to wield her halberd, she assaulted him.

The axe blade swung narrowly over his hairline, taking a great amount of it with it, then she kicked him in the stomach, making him double over and splutter violently. Ewan just about saw her next attack and rolled to the side, though the blade sliced thinly against his back. He hissed quietly as his armour tore and blood poured from the narrow wound.

On aching limbs, Ewan quickly rose back up to his feet as Xi Shi’s overhead swing came crashing down. He sidestepped it, so she twisted the blow before it hit the ground and swept at his feet. Ewan jumped over it and Xi Shi pulled the halberd straight upwards, colliding its staff with Ewan’s crotch, launching him into the ceiling. He crashed into the upper corridor’s roof, then came tumbling back down, where Xi Shi kicked him in the ribs, sending him flying down the hallway and into the glass window.

It shattered and shards lodged themselves into his exposed skin, causing great pain to Ewan, but everything hurt already so it wasn’t anything worse than what he was already experiencing. Ewan tried to steadied himself with his Divine Artifact, but Xi Shi came flying down towards him, her halberd drawn back, and he had to move.

But he was too slow.

If he rolled, she’d chase him like before; it’d be the same if he jumped into the air.

So, Ewan leapt backwards out of the window at the last possible second, yet it was still too late.

Xi Shi’s axe sliced open his belly as Ewan fell through the air, landing painfully on his back, unable to move.

W…what was that?

His hand, trembling, reached for his split stomach and felt its wetness as fresh blood sprouted.

It’s…deep, but…it’s not…hit any organs, I think. Ewan ground his teeth together and tried to sit up right, but it was a slow, agonising struggle. I can…I have to-!

“Oh dear.” Xi Shi landed gracefully in front of him; nearby Alliance soldiers and mages rushed towards Ewan but, after just a single spin from her halberd, they all were cut into tiny pieces. “I forget just how fragile you humans are.” She giggled. “Oh well, it was-”

She suddenly cut herself off and frowned, then sighed and shook her head. “What are you doing? Dread Knights can’t even-” She sighed again wearily, then glanced down at Ewan and turned away from him. “Consider yourself lucky I’ve been ordered to clean up someone else’s mess. Though.” She cackled. “It must pain you to know you’re not as important to deal with as others at the King’s Palace.”

…Who’s she going for? Ewan shook his head as he forced himself onto one knee. It-it doesn’t matter. He gripped Gungnir with his weakened hands and rose to his feet, though he wobbled and swayed; it took everything he had to keep standing.

Ewan felt the blood trickle from his wounds, but paid them no mind.

His vision darkened, his head rang, and his body was drained.

Yet.

“W…We’re not…done…here.”

Xi Shi glanced lazily over her shoulder. “No, we are.”

Ewan didn’t see the halberd coming, but he felt it as he fell face first onto the ground.

***

“That’s the last of the liches!” Atalanta called out. “Come on, lads! Keep fighting! Once we clear this lot out, it’s a straight shot to the Palace!”

While the Battle at the King’s Palace was far from over, the Battle for the City of Rhodes was drawing closer to its end.