‘’When will they be here already?! Nemesis!’’ Dalterion said menacingly, not
intimidated by the older man, hooded from head to toe in darkness. Not even his face
was visible, even though it wasn’t covered.
‘’Soon, Dalterion. Have patience. Your father promised me your obedience
and cooperation, so please, do not anger me nor waste my time with trivial matters’’
Dalterion stood up from the chair and glared at the man, his eyes never
wavering.
‘’Yes he did, you do not have to rub it into my face, old man. My own men are
losing respect for me, their commander, because of you! Yet you haven’t done
anything to prove your value, except leading the monsters which are already tied up
in collars!’’ Dalterion shot at him again.
‘’Boy!’’ the man yelled angrily. ‘’Do not test my patience!’’ Dalterion cringed
slightly, almost unnoticeable. ‘’I myself have the power to wipe out your whole army,
so you better think about how you act towards me. Is that clear?’’ he said, but was
greeted by an eerie silence. ‘’Is that clear?!’’ he yelled again, Dalterion flinching at the
power of his voice. Lucky for him, there was no one there to see his torture. He
wasn’t used to be treated like that, no matter whom. He would make sure to let the
old man suffer before he died, longing for the moment more than life. Dalterion
stormed out of the tent, crossing a hundred meters in mere seconds what it seemed
to his own, surrounded by a host of guards, loyal to him directly. Upon entering, he
noticed his general was already there, drinking wine by the bottles, a few scattered
on the table already empty. Dalterion stomped towards his seat and sat down,
heavily, wearily, angrily.
‘’I can not stand the sight of that man!’’ he snapped in a hushed voice. ‘’I want
him dead before all of this is over, but make sure of it, first we will torture the life out
of him, and then kill him’’.
‘’What did you have in mind?’’ general Brice asked, a sly smile painted on his
dark face. He was already drunk, but it didn’t seem he intended to stop drinking any
time soon. ‘’Anything specific?’’
‘’Nothing yet, but i will think of something already, be sure of that Brice.
Speaking of which, why do you torture yourself with that cheap horse piss. It tastes
Godawful’’ Dalterion exclaimed with obvious disgust written all over his face.
‘’Because it beats water. No other reason, my lord’’ Brice answered. Dalterion
waved off his comment as he hadn’t even spoken.
‘’Whatever. What do you propose for our course of action against Nemesis?’’
Dalterion asked. Brice seemed to ponder over the question for a long time, and some
twenty seconds later he replied.
‘’How about we get the enemy to do our work for us? If they are as strong as
our briefing suggested, which i heavily doubt, but still, if they are, and somehow
manage to wound him badly, but he still survives, we then take advantage over the
wounding and abduct him somewhere private. Sounds good?’’ Brice said hopefully.
‘’Hmm. It does, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I’m not used to other
people doing my work. I do what i need to do myself, or, well, i pay people to do it for
me. Not have the enemy do it. You know, general?’’ Dalterion asked confusedly.
‘’No matter, my lord. The main thing is that he will die. How, is rather not so
important. You want him dead, so, he will die.’’ Brice said, slamming the cup of wine
on the table, breaking it into many shards. The two chuckled and spoke on for a while
longer, not aware they were being listened to.
The little spider crawled down the tent and through the sand, turning into a
sand scorpion, scurrying away towards his master. A few minutes later he arrived at
the Nemesis’s feet, running up his leg and onto the table. After a few moments and
nods from Nemesis, it turned to sand and then disappeared wholly.
‘’So you will try something, after all. Foolish boy’’ Nemesis said as he smirked
at his own deviousness. Nothing happened if he didn’t will it. He was a God among
men, after all. He controlled monsters, magic, wielded a great amount of power. Even
better, he had developed his own personal favourite skill, absolute zero. A barrier
that held everything it touched back. Any force something exerted upon it reflected
backwards at the wielder many times over. The greater the power exerted upon the
barrier, the bigger the recoil. Satisfied everything was in place for tomorrow, he went
to sleep. A little army of tiny beings were scattered all around him, keeping watch
over him, making sure no one or nothing would harm him whilst asleep. Tomorrow,
tomorrow would be a good day. He would finally see what had become of his son, his
own half God in the making.
The allied army was taking up position the day after Kane’s group arrived. The
soldiers went in formation and the ranks were swelled to the fullest in anticipation of
the upcoming battle. The day would prove to be very fit for battle, as the weather was
perfect. Clouds every now and then painting the sky grey, a soft wind cooling down
anyone caught in its breeze, the sun shone its rays gently down to the earth. Kane
and his group were sitting around a makeshift campfire, discussing the upcoming
battle once more, whilst observing the enemy formations getting ready for battle.
Walfrid was sitting also with them, even though he wouldn’t be joining into the battle
with them. His hundred soldiers had made camp just about twenty meters to their
side, tents erected, small fires lit up, groups of soldiers roasting meat and drinking.
‘’The number we are facing is quite big. In fact, it is huge. Do you think we can
actually win?’’ Gabriel stressed. Kane, obviously annoyed answered him.
‘’You think anything on this planet can stop me, or even better, the four of us?
No, don’t answer that question. Obviously, there isn’t anything that can’’ Kane
replied. Gabriel frowned as annoyed at Kane’s rebuke, but remained silent.
‘’You are taking this too lightly, my lord. Just look at those numbers. Look at
the monster group. There’s a dozen of fully grown monsters, big ones! And what is
up with that sketchy group at the rear, cloaked in black. Are they sorcerers? Or
forgers as the scout had reported? One lucky hit and the battle is over for us!’’
Gabriel almost yelled back. Kane sighed and put up a hand on Gabriel’s shoulder
and sighed again.
‘’I know. I am not almighty. But if you think i will not risk my life to save the
kingdom and the countless of other possible victims that would be raped, pillaged,
killed or tortured, you are thinking wrong’’
‘’No one said that. I am here with you to stop them, am i not?’’ Gabriel replied
back. The six women that joined them earlier gasped at the way Gabriel was talking
to Kane, a duke and the future king. Herald was taken aback as well, not thinking that
Kane would let it slip.
‘’Anyway, to get back to the topic at hand’’ Kane said taking his hand off
Gabriels shoulder, ‘’The way i thought how to do this, myself and Gabriel will charge
in head on, together with the trio and the soldiers will protect the ladies here,
including Herald’’ Kane chuckled. All he got back from the group was a cold stare.
‘’Oh come on, we aint here to die. We are here to win! Anyway, you will be protecting
the ladies here who will summon a bunch of Abyss golems to battle the monsters’’
Kane said, looking over at Walfrid.
‘’I think that they aren’t as stupid enough to throw away their lives for nothing.
When they see they are outmatched i hope they will retreat’’ Kane said, sighing
again. A lot of burden was falling on his shoulders. They were just about to offer
Egeryon a lot of sacrifices. And a lot of power. What would happen afterwards, they
would have to wait and see. ‘’Can you do that? Janine? Rasiela?’’ Kane asked.
‘’Of course we can’’ they said in unison, chuckling afterwards. Alpha growled
once and stood up, walking to and standing behind Kane in a protective posture. A
lone rider was approaching their camping spot, waving a white flag. They all stood up
and walked over towards the man. He got off of his horse a dozen meters away and
walked towards Kane, holding out a scroll in front of him.
‘’I have a message from his majesty, to whomever it may concern’’ the man
said as he stopped a meter in front of them, speaking with a heavy accent.
‘’Kane, hereby i offer you to start working for me, instead of against me. Your
parents have been very useful already, and i imagine with you and sister dearest at
our side we would be able to rule the whole world. Everything and everyone would
bow to our rule. I would make you the commander of all the armies and no one would
even think of resisting us. More than anything, your parents are ready to welcome
you into their embrace. You have proven to be very worthy of their trust which they
have put in you. Now show them the proper respect and help them with returning to
where you belong. Awaiting you at our camp at your soonest notion’
‘’Is that it?’’ Kane asked after the man finished.
‘’Yes sir, it is. What is your reply?’’ he asked almost sarcastically, obviously
oblivious to Kane and his group. Kane frowned in annoyance and looked over at
Alpha, who sneezed at the moment.
‘’So… awkward, this situation’’ Kane said and put up his arm, palm facing the
man. A number of blades appeared all around them and one of them pierced the
man’s head, flying him almost all the way over down the hill towards the enemy's
front lines. Alpha bowed next to Kane, letting him on, knowing what he was planning.
Kane got on and they rode downhill towards the enemy line. Within seconds of the
man touching the ground, Kane and Alpha were standing a hundred meters in front
of the enemy lines, which were scuddling around, getting into formation, assuming
Kane was attacking head on. Kane then got off and walked a few more steps towards
the enemy front line and stood still, motionless, looking at the sky.
‘’There is no wind, and i count a thousand wide. I will drop ten of their lines.
Look and be amazed, my other half’’ kane said, putting up his hands. The soldiers
looked at eachother, started laughing in amazement. Had the man given up without a
fight? Then, they noticed shadows looming down on them, as more and more blades
appeared, small groups morphing into bigger, sharper blades. The air around them
was vibrating violently and the earth was shaking from the vacuum the blades were
making, tearing out pieces of grass and ground beneath them, drawing them into the
air. A tree close by, a brute a few meters in diameter and about hundred in height got
ripped out of the grounds, roots a few meters deep, hanging beneath it. The blades
shredded the tree into pieces, whirling the sharp splinters and stakes unintentionally
created by the vacuum. Suddenly the wood was getting lined up behind the blades
and Kane looked back, seeing Janine walking down the hill, one hand raised and her
eyes focused on the wood. He smiled proudly, seeing how good she had become in
such a short while. The blades stopped rotating in mid-air, ground and debris falling
all around Kane, the blades lining into a formation about fifty meters above his head.
Kane Raised both of his hands straight up, looking towards the blades and then
towards the lines. The next moment was a blur of motions, the blades flashing in
front of him towards the enemy lines. Not knowing what was happening, a group of
the soldiers front lines were instantly decimated, dropping like flies. The blades
shredding throats, legs, arms, hands, heads. Bodies were littered all over the front
lines, a good five rows deep into the formation. Instant death upon almost five
thousand soldiers. The carnage was spectacular, rows of dead soldiers scattered at
the front lines, missing limbs, gutted, beheaded or if lucky, just stabbed. Unlucky for
the soldiers that were in the next row, the wooden shredders that came next were as
deadly as the blades, pieces of wood embedding themselves into soldiers heads,
eyes, necks, torsos. A horrible show of force, Kane knew, but one necessary. Kane
looked over at Janine and nodded, satisfied. He hoped they would be discouraged by
everything that just happened, but no, they stood still, as if drugged. The ones who
weren’t hit stood straight up, not moving, waiting for orders. Instead of orders, the
figure hoarding the monsters came forward and put up a sort of translucent shield in
front of them.
Kane, interested in what he was doing, summoned a bigger blade and flung it
again at the troops, but the blade fell harmlessly to the ground, a meter in front of the
lone figure who was keeping both of his hands out in front of him.
''Scary'' Alpha mused, getting a nasty look from Kane.
`Òn whose side are you anyway?'' Kane barked angrily. Alpha growled in
response.
''Did your pride get hurt, boy?'' He snarled at Kane who just looked away
annoyingly.
''That man might prove to be a problem, one that could put a twist to our easy
plan. Do you think he is the pressure you were feeling?" Kane asked.
‘’Most likely. His power just spiked and dwindled down again after your blade
hit his barrier’’
‘’All right. Let us go back to our camp and see what they will do next. Let them
bury or burn their dead’’ Kane said as he, Alpha and Janine walked up the slope
towards their little camp. Alpha and Janine walked up behind him. They looked at
each other once and shook their heads, reading each others thoughts easily. They all
sat around the makeshift table and chairs, in silence for a long time. There was a
dark mood setting, Kane’s feelings projecting onto the others as well and his hunger
for more, which was emanating from within him, from Egeryon. After what seemed an
eternity, Kane stood up and looked over the battlefield, as the soldiers were carrying
off their dead and hurling onto a big heap. Carts were carrying the limbs and the
other parts that were scattered around the cold ground. It was a sad sight, Kane
thought to himself. It's not like he started this war, the fools did. But no matter who
did, he was the one who would finish it, painting the ground red with their blood.
‘’Trio, are you guys up for some probing?’’ Kane asked suddenly. All three of
them stood up and walked over to Kane. ‘’Good, go wreak some havoc, not too
much, just to keep up the pressure. If something proves to be too much for you,
come back. Also, Gamma, try and get rid of the black hooded squad at the rear, as
you can fly. No matter what they can do, i don’t want any nasty surprises.
‘’All right’’ the three of them said and rushed off. All three of them went into
battle mode, draining massive power reserves from his and Janine’s magic pool.
‘’One run in only’’ Alpha sent telepathically to Beta and Gamma. ‘’Don’t do
anything foolish, or our masters will have their reserves depleted if we die’’ he added.
As they were nearing the enemy line, which had densed up and a wall had been
erected in meanwhile. A row of large towering shields were put up next to each other,
spears out between the little holes that were left in the chaining process, another row
of shields were standing on top of the spears, pressure keeping everything ringed in
together. If that tactic was used against a normal enemy, another regular army,
things might have been different. Alpha and Beta crashed into the wall of shields and
spears, ripping through with relative ease, but being prodded at with, what to them
seemed toothpicks, but still, toothpicks could damage as well. To prevent from
damage piling up, they kept jumping on top of small groups of soldiers, ripping into
their armour with their massive claws. In the meanwhile, Gamma had flown across
the enemy lines, avoiding arrows and other projectiles and spread his wings, as wide
as seven meters in his new form, every feather being a blade. He dipped down and
flew straight into the hooded line of unknown entities and cut right through them,
disemboweling them or ripping straight through them, their bodies falling in parts next
to their feet. As he passed through them, a jolt of pain went through him and he
barely managed to pull up again, feeling pain in every inch of his body. When he
managed to look himself over, he saw that a chunk of his chest was missing and half
of his left wing, which explained the problem that flying proved to be.
Janine, feeling that something was wrong with Gamma, called him back and
he disappeared. Better save half of his life power and lose only a small part of their
reserves than most of it. Alpha and Beta seeing what happened, went into a frenzy
and into spectre mode, which they had learned to control the night before. They
turned into a ghostly mist slash liquid form which kept spreading itself out around
them among the soldiers, ever further as time passed. Some ten seconds later they
had covered an area of about a square mile, together and suddenly, what seemed
like a giant snout came out of the ground. It opened and rows upon rows and fangs
appeared. It looked like an illusion, but when the mouth closed, another thousand
soldiers disappeared into the void, and in their place a giant Alpha and Beta
appeared, fur’s covered in blood, as if someone had poured buckets over them.
‘’That is enough for now, return’’ Kane motioned to Alpha mentally who just
responded affirmatively back and they rushed outside of the carnage they had
created, running back towards their own line. The soldiers that were lined up behind
Walfrid were staring at the battle being fought in awe, praying that the trio wouldn’t be
harmed. When Gamma had been struck by something, they cringed, as if almost
feeling the pain. Kane and Janine looked at each other, smiling in appreciation.
When Alpha and Beta came up towards them, they cheered and yelled all kinds of
encouraging things, appreciating what they had done for their kingdom. One of the
men walked over to Walfrid and whispered into his ear.
‘’Sir, excuse me. We are wondering why we are even here when the duke’s
group is doing just fine by themselves’’ Walfrid turned around and whispered back.
‘’Kane wanted for my most loyal men to see what they could become, at least
partially that is. He said that the hundred of you will be trained specially’’ The soldier
just nodded, his face lit up.
As the duo stopped in front of Kane they turned to their normal sizes and laid
down, exhausted.
‘’Neat little trick you got there you bad, bad couple’’ Kane said and laughed.
‘’Not only that, but you copied my skill partially, but it looked amazing in execution!’’
Kane yelled excitedly, jumping Alpha and Beta, hugging them, then withdrew as he
saw he made a mistake, as he was also now covered in blood, head to toe.
‘’Idiot’’ Alpha sneezed. Beta coughed as if laughing. The two of them were
ever the same.
‘’What the hell is going on there? My soldiers are being slaughtered by the
thousands in mere instants! You said that you had everything under control,
Nemesis!’’ Dalterion asked, fuming. All he got back was a cold stare. ‘’Explain
yourself!’’ Dalterion roared inside of his tent, staring Nemesis down in a fight of wills.
Nemesis sighed and shook his head.
‘’All right, boy. I will tell you what you can know. Your father and me have a
deal, and part of that deal is a big sacrifice. That sacrifice is this army, or, at least
most of it anyway’’ Dalterion’s eyes went wide at the words coming out of Nemesis’s
mouth, as if mishearing.
‘’You are joking, right?’’ Dalterion asked, still trying to grasp the situation.
‘’No i am not. You see, that man who killed five thousand soldiers has
something inside of him, and i want it for myself. To get it, a lot of people have to die.
You shouldn’t think about it any more, as it is too big of a math for you, my boy’’
Nemesis replied mockingly.
‘’I will not let you kill all of my men’’ Dalterion said through clenched teeth. ‘’I
have spent my life training my armies and getting them ready for this moment. You
will not take that away from me’’
‘’Stupid boy. I guess i will have no other way than to keep you here, busy in
the meantime while i do what is necessary. Your father prohibited me from killing
you, and i will keep my word. To a certain extent’’ he said and roared in laughter.
Suddenly, Dalterion wasn’t able to move his hands, feet, tongue, eyes. It was as if he
had become a living statue. He tried to move, nothing happened, over and over
again. Panic came over him and he began sweating, hyperventilating. ‘’Do not worry.
You will be fine. I will hide you here with a spell so no one can help you until
everything is over. I will return you alive to your father’’ Nemesis said and left the tent
to make arrangements for the next battle, which would be the last one.
‘’Generals, it is time. Get your soldiers in gear. We move out in two hours.
Form two flanks with half of the remaining armies on each side, the monster squad at
the front. Be ready’’ The two generals looked at each other, shrugged and nodded,
walking off towards their respective armies. A lustful smile graced his face, longing
for what he would be getting soon. Soon, Egeryon would be his and the whole world
would tremble in fear. Finally, his wish would become reality. Dead to the world.